Drinking of alcoholic beverages is a prevalent and internationally recognizable custom across nearly all cultures, because drinking plays an important role in social interaction—mainly because of alcohol’s neurological effects. The market supplies different types of alcoholic beverages, varying in terms of alcohol content. Alcoholic beverages that include lower alcohol content (beer and wine) are produced by fermentation of sugar—or starch—which contains plant material; beverages of higher alcohol content (spirits) are produced by fermentation that is followed by distillation.
■Different Kinds of Alcoholic Beverages
An alcoholic beverage is a drink that includes ethanol (commonly called alcohol). Alcoholic beverages are classified into three general categories: beers, wines, and spirits.
Most spirits consist of 20-65 percent alcohol. Spirit is an alcoholic beverage that has been added flavor with fruit, herbs, nuts, spices, flowers, or cream and bottled with added sugar. Spirits are typically quite sweet, which are usually consumed in small quantities after dinner.
China is one of the first countries to have invented alcoholic beverages. A large amount of pottery wine containers were discovered in Shandong at the ruins of the Dawenkou culture dating back more than 5000 years, and recorded history discusses winemaking techniques of more than 4000 years ago. China’s famous alcoholic beverages include Mao-tai, Wu Liangye, Jian Nanchun, etc.
Beer is alcoholic beverage that has the longest history and the largest consumption group in the world. It is also the third most popular drink overall after water and tea. The alcohol content of beer is usually around 4% to 6% by volume (abv.) although it may range from less than 1% abv. to over 20% abv. in rare cases. It is made by the brewing and fermentation of starches, mainly obtained from cereal grains—most commonly malted barley, although wheat, maize (corn), and rice are widely used. Most beer is added flavor with hops, which increase bitterness and act as a natural preservative, though other flavorings such as herbs or fruit may sometimes be contained. Beers are commonly classified into two main types—the globally popular pale lagers, and the regionally distinct ales, which are further divided into other varieties such as pale ale, stout and brown ale. Beer composes part of the culture of beer-drinking nations and is connected with social traditions and customs such as beer festivals, as well as a rich pub culture which involves activities like pub crawling and pub games such as bar billiards. When drinking beer, much of what we are tasting is actually felt through our sense of smell. To make you better experience the beer drinking, gently swirl the glass to release its smell. Sniff at the beer, then drink it in sips and let it wash over your tongue to get the full taste. Many people drink cold beer (0-1℃) for refreshment. However, you will notice the more subtle and complex flavors of the brew by enjoying a slightly warmer beer at temperature 4-5℃.