PHAR1101 Lecture Notes - Lecture 5: Antiseptic, Starch, Fortified Wine
Alcohol
Alcohol use is not the same as alcohol abuse
- Religious and cultic role: worship, ritual, intoxication
- Economic role: trade, industry, commerce, payment
- Social role: social bonding, relaxation, leisure, sustenance
- Medical role: anesthetic, antiseptic
Origins of alcohol:
Fermentation (natural process) and alcohol production almost universal
- May have been deliberate as early as 10,000 BC
- Developed independently in civilizations without contact from one another
- Principle difference is the base products which are fermented.
- Not portable in large quantities = not suitable for nomads
Beer
Most ancient fermented drink
Most widely produced alcoholic beverage in the world
Based on starchy plant – usually grains (also honey).
- Most major civilizations grain based
Basic process:
- Mix grain with water, leave in warm place
- Fermentation occurs
- Starch converts to sugar – ferments with time/warmth – sugar convert to CO2 and alcohol
Historically has lowest alcohol content (mostly water).
Some traditional indigenous beers are good examples of ancient
beet
- Thick fibrous, usually non-carbonated
- Slightly alcoholic porridge.
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- Fermentation process begun with chewing/saliva.
Home brews; barley beer.
- Strong ale made from barley and yeast
Modern, ultra-processed beer:
- Clear
- Highly carbonated
- Higher alcohol content
- Liquid rather than solid
- Need modern industrial technology, temp control, refrigeration and pasteurisaiton.
Wine:
Made from fruit – first made in temperate fruit-growing regions (Mediterranean)
Mostly grapes, also berries and stone fruits.
Longer fermentation needed than beer
Higher alcohol % than beer
Carbonated and sparkling wines:
Carbonation produced traditionally by secondary fermentation in bottle.
Now add CO2 artificially
Cheap – expensive price range
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Only true champagne-district wines from France with secondary fermentation in bottle are allowed to
e arketed as Chapage.
Spirits:
Produced by distillation.
Quite complex – later development (1st century
AD).
- Boiling a fermented product (i.e. wine)
and capturing steam in a condenser.
- Then liquefies, drips down condenser
and collected
- Greater conc of alcohol in liquid
(Also used for medicines, and essential oils for perfumes)
Spirits and their sources.
Tequila – blue agave
Rum – molasses (sugar processing by-product)
Whiskey – fermented grain mash
Absinthe, ouzo, sambuca- wine
Fortified wines: wines with spirits added to them
- Makes wine last longer
- Lasted better on long sea voyages
- Increase alcohol % significantly
- Port, sherry, marsala, vermouth
East Asian Alcohol:
Traditionally fermented using mold strains which convert starch to sugar.
Millet, rice used as base
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Document Summary
Alcohol use is not the same as alcohol abuse. Religious and cultic role: worship, ritual, intoxication. Fermentation (natural process) and alcohol production almost universal. May have been deliberate as early as 10,000 bc. Developed independently in civilizations without contact from one another. Not portable in large quantities = not suitable for nomads. Principle difference is the base products which are fermented. Most widely produced alcoholic beverage in the world. Based on starchy plant usually grains (also honey). Mix grain with water, leave in warm place. Starch converts to sugar ferments with time/warmth sugar convert to co2 and alcohol. Some traditional indigenous beers are good examples of ancient beet. Need modern industrial technology, temp control, refrigeration and pasteurisaiton. Made from fruit first made in temperate fruit-growing regions (mediterranean) Carbonation produced traditionally by secondary fermentation in bottle. Only true champagne-district wines from france with secondary fermentation in bottle are allowed to (cid:271)e (cid:373)arketed as (cid:862)cha(cid:373)pag(cid:374)e(cid:863).
