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Do you know what is alcohol and how beer, wine and spirits are made? Do you know what units are or how many are recommended?
Know the facts about alcohol and make every drinking occasion safe and memorable.
Here comes the science bit: learn more about what makes the alcohol found in all alcohol drinks.
Single? Double? See how alcohol is really measured.
Beer, wine, and spirits are all made in different ways. We’ve distilled all the processes into a quick overview
As people become more health-conscious, clear information on nutrients and calorie breakdowns across all alcohol drinks can be helpful.
18? 21? .05? .08? Understand the laws around underage drinking and drink driving. Check out our guide to the legal limits at home and abroad.
The alcohol found in all alcohol drinks, such as beer, wine and spirits, is called ethanol (also known as ethyl alcohol). It is naturally produced from agricultural products like grains, fruits and vegetables.
Even though the processes to make these drinks differ, the alcohol is always the same – it’s the additional ingredients that make them taste different.
Made up of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen, the chemical formula of ethanol is CH3CH2OH.
However, even if it has the same molecular structure, the quality of the alcohol can vary. Commercial alcohol that you buy in shops and bars has to meet strict health standards. But unrecorded alcohol, such as homemade alcohol (sometimes called moonshine) and illegal, counterfeit or smuggled drinks, are not tested and can be contaminated or toxic.
The World Health Organisation estimates that up to 25% of the alcohol consumed around the world wouldn’t meet minimum health standards, which represents a serious public health concern.
Alcohol is made by fermenting a natural source of sugar with a catalyst, which is usually yeast. As it ferments, the carbohydrates (starch and sugars) in the main source turn into carbon dioxide and ethyl alcohol, which is the basis for all alcohol drinks.
Many brands keep the exact recipe for their drinks a secret, known only to their distillers, brewers and vintners. However, every type of alcohol drink follows this basic process.
Beer
Beer is made with grains such as barley and wheat, and often flavored with hops. When the grains and sugars have been malted and brewed for a certain time, additional grains and other ingredients are added for color, flavor and/or clarity.
Did you know?
If you distill beer you create whisky (or whiskey) -- because they're made from the same ingredients. If you remove some of the water from beer by heating it until it becomes a gas and then cooling it until it is a liquid again, the concentrated alcohol that remains is whisk(e)y.
Wine
Wine is usually made from grapes, but other fruit or vegetables can be used. As the sugars in the fruit or vegetables ferment, the resulting liquid is wine.
Spirits
Distilled spirits can be made from the widest variety of ingredients. These includes grains for whisk(e)y, sugarcane syrup and molasses for rum, and lots of different fruits and vegetables for vodka and gin.
Calories in alcohol
All alcohol drinks contain calories. There are about 7 kcal per gram of pure ethanol, compared with 9 kcal in a gram of fat, and 4 kcal in a gram of protein or carbohydrate. Some drinks also have carbohydrates or other nutrients that naturally have calories. Also, there’ll be extra calories from the additional nutrients in some types of alcohol -- from flavorings and other ingredients that are added to make the finished product, for example. Beer and wine contain carbohydrates that are not added, but have not been distilled out so remain in your drink.
Did you know?
Kcals (kilocalories, often called Calories or Cal) measure the amount of energy in the things we eat or drink. Each kcal is the amount of energy required to raise the temperature of a litre of water by 1°C.
Nutritional values of alcohol
Beer
The four primary ingredients in beer are water, barley, hops and yeast. The Alcohol by Volume (ABV) and calories vary according to the type of beer. Some ales are 3.5% ABV, while continental lagers are higher at between 5 and 6% ABV. Calories vary from one pint of bitter at 170 calories to a pint of lager at 250 calories. Beer also includes small amounts of vitamins and minerals, such as potassium, phosphorus and niacin.
Spirits
Spirits are made with the widest variety of natural ingredients and are often aged in different types of wood barrels. This is why there is a great variety in flavor and color. A typical distilled spirit is 40% ABV,-- and a serving of 25 ml -- contains 55 calories. As spirits are often served with mixers or in cocktails, it’s worth bearing in mind that these add additional calories and that there are lower calorie options such as herb and fruit infusions or soda water. Also, cordials and liqueurs contain more calories than a neat spirit.
Wine
Wines are made by fermenting the juice from grapes or other fruits or grains. A glass of wine (125ml) contains approximately 90 calories. Due to their natural chemical balance, grapes ferment without the addition of sugar. Most wines have an ABV of around 13%, though fortified wines can be as high as 20%.
Many countries have regulations about when a person is old enough to buy and drink alcohol. Usually they’ll also set limits on the amount you can drink and still drive. However, not every country has the same laws. As per the Laws in the India, check the Buying and drinking alcohol, which is mainly between 18 and 25 depending on the State.
Drinking and driving
The legal Blood Alcohol Concentration limit for driving across India is .03 – that’s 30 milligrams of alcohol for every 100 milli-litres of blood in your body
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