Spirits Section

EAST MAIN LIQUOR'S staff works to stay educated and informed as to what liquors are most in demand. We have a large selection of Single Malt Scotches to choose from - we carry products like Bowmore Islay and MaCallan Single Malt Scotch.

SPIRITS SECTION

Scotch

Made only in Scotland, this distinctive liquor uses barley for flavoring instead of the corn that's used for most American whiskies. The characteristic smoky flavor of Scotch comes from the fact that the sprouted malted barley is dried over peat fires. Although Scotch must be distilled and aged for 3 years (the majority for 5 to 10 years)

Scotch Whisky (Scottish & Canadian spelling) are usually somewhat light in body, with a distinctive smoky malt flavor; it is made primarily from malted barley that has been heated over a peat fire, fermented, distilled, and blended with similar whiskies made by different distillers.

Blended Scotch is a combination of up to 50 different malt whiskies plus grain whisky. Such Scotches are blended for consistency and have a more uniform aroma and flavor than single-malts.

Single Malt Scotch is too delicate to be aged in new oak casks, as new oak would overpower the whisky with tannin and vanillin, making it overly astringent. The selection of casks has a profound effect on the character of the final whisky. Thus used casks are needed. The most common source of casks is American whiskey producers.

Whiskey

U.S. Whiskey is categorized as straight (at least 51% single-mash) and blended. Both types of whiskey are derived from sour and sweet mashes. (Sour mashes are fermented with both fresh and previously fermented yeast; sweet mashes employ only fresh yeast.) Bourbon, first produced in Bourbon County Kentucky is a full-bodied unblended whiskey derived from a sour mash of corn grain. Whiskeys are consumed both unmixed and in cocktails, punches, and other beverages.

Irish Whiskey is lighter-bodied and lacking any smoky flavor, are not malt-fired and may be mixed with neutral grain spirits. Canadian whisky, light in color and flavor, is a blend of highly flavored and neutral grain whiskies.

Gin

Gin is produced from neutral grain spirits and acquires its distinctive flavor mainly from juniper berries together with coriander seeds, angelica, cinnamon, orange and lemon peel, and sometimes other botanicals. There are two principal types of gin: malt-flavored and full-bodied.

Vodka

Vodka is made by fermenting and then distilling the simple sugars from a mash of pale grain or vegetal matter. Vodka is produced from grain, potatoes, molasses, beets, and a variety of other plants. Rye and wheat are the classic grains for Vodka. American Vodka is, by law, neutral in taste, there are only very subtle distinctions between brands.

Adulterated vodkas are now a popular alternative to the original. These normally contain a mixture of sweeteners, flavorings, colorings and fruit juices. Vodka is the base ingredient for many cocktails, mixed drinks, and alcoholic products today.

Tequila

Tequila is made by fermenting and distilling the sweet sap of the agave plant. In order to be classified as tequila, distilled spirits must be produced from blue agave plants grown in a precisely delineated area in the five Mexican states of Guanajuato, Jalisco, Michoacan, Mayarit and Tamaulipas.

Tequila Blanco (also known as white, silver or plata) is bottled soon after distillation. Its smooth, fresh flavor has an herbaceous, peppery quality.

Tequila Joven Abocado (also called gold) is a tequila blanco with flavoring and coloring added; it doesn't have to be aged.

Tequila Reposado may also contain added flavoring and coloring and must be aged at least 2 months but can be aged for up to a year. The wood aging (usually in oak) endows reposados with hints of vanilla and spice and produces character more mellow than that of tequila blanco. Some reposados also use the word "gold" on their label, which gives the impression that golds have been aged, although there's no such legal requirement.

Tequila Añejo is aged for at least 1 year (and often 2 to 3 years). The smooth, elegant and complex flavor of the best añejos is often compared to that of fine cognacs.

Rum

Rum is a distilled alcoholic beverage made from sugarcane by-products such as molasses and sugarcane juice by a process of fermentation and distillation. The distillate, a clear liquid, is then usually aged in oak and other barrels. Light rums are commonly used in cocktails, whereas golden and dark rums are also appropriate for drinking straight, or for cooking. Premium rums are also available that are made to be consumed straight or with ice.

Brandy

Brandy is a fermented liquid that is boiled at a temperature between the boiling point of ethyl alcohol and the boiling point of water. The resulting vapors are collected and cooled. The cooled vapors contain most of the alcohol from the original liquid along with some of its water. To drive out more of the water, always saving the alcohol, the distillation process can be repeated several times depending on the alcohol content desired.

Liquor Cordials & Liqueurs

Liquor Cordials and Liqueurs are an alcoholic beverage that has been flavored with fruit, herbs, nuts, spices, flowers, or cream and bottled with added sugar. Liqueurs are typically quite sweet; they are usually not aged for long but may have resting periods during their production to allow flavors to marry.

Jägermeister is made from 56 herbs, roots and fruits are brought together from all across the globe. Cinnamon from Ceylon, bitter oranges from Australia, ginger root from South Asia, red sandalwood from East India, blueberries from Europe, plus one or two secrets.

American Schnapps are alcoholic beverages that are produced by mixing neutral grain spirit with fruit flavors or with other flavors. American schnapps can be bought in a very wide variety of flavors, including aniseed, apricot, banana, blackberry, black currant butterscotch, cherry, cinnamon, coffee, lemon, mandarin orange, menthol mint, peach, peppermint, root beer, and sour apple.