Introduction

The use of Alcohol as drink is an age old story in India and it appears that the technique for fermentation and distillation was available even in Vedic Times. It was then called Somarasa and was used not only for its invigorating effect but also in worship. To date, not only has the consumption of alcohol been continued but it is an integral part of the ayurveda system of medicine. Alcohol is one of the commonly consumed intoxicating substances in India. It has traditionally been drunk in tribal societies, although it has won increasing Social acceptance among other groups, urban males being the prime example. It is easily available and widely used, especially at festivals such as Deepawali and Holi. At the Moment the use of Alcohol is infrequent among women who also tend to resist the habit among male family members. Between 15 and 20 percent of Indian People Consume Alcohol and, over the past twenty years, the number of drinkers has increased from one in 300 to one in 20. According to The Hindustan Times, it is estimated that of these, 5 percent can be classified as alcoholics or alcohol Dependent. This Translated into about five million people addicted to alcohol. Of what is actually consumed, the Intake of Indian Made Foreign Liquor(IMFL) is growing at a considerable rate of 15 percent a year. Again, The Hindustan Times says that 65 percent of the Indian Liquor Market is controlled by Whiskey manufacturers. The State of Kerala stands first in per capita consumption of liquor at 8.3 liters followed by Punjab - 7.9 Liters.

INDIAN LIQUOR BRANDS

The Varieties of Alcohol Manufactured for Consumption in India are: 1. Beer 2. Country Liquor 3. Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) 4. Wines

Indian Liquor Brands have registered significant growth in recent years some of the top Indian Alcohol Brands showing an increase of as much as 50% in Sales (2006-2010). United Breweries registered an increase of nearly 20 percent in Sale in the year 2006-2007.

Background

Beer began to be exported to India in the early days of the British Empire, including porter and India Pale Ale, also known as IPA. The first brewery in India was set up in Kasauli, in the Himalaya Mountains, near Shimla, in the late 1820s by the Englishman Edward Dyer. Dyer's brewery produced Asia's first beer, called Lion. The brewery was soon shifted to nearby Solan (close to the British summer capital Shimla), as there was an abundant supply of fresh spring water there. The Kasauli brewery site was converted to a distillery which Mohan Meakin Ltd. still operates. Dyer set up more breweries at Shimla, Murree, Rawalpindi and Mandalay.

Another entrepreneur, H G Meakin, moved to India and bought the old Shimla and Solan Breweries from Edward Dyer and added more at Ranikhet, Dalhousie, Chakrata, Darjeeling and Kirkee. In 1937, when Burma was separated from India, the company was restructured with its Indian assets as Dyer Meakin Breweries, a public company on the London Stock Exchange. Following independence, in 1949 N.N. Mohan took over management of the company and the name was changed to Mohan Meakin Ltd. The company continues to produce beer across India to this day and Lion is still available in northern India. Lion was changed from an IPA to a lager in the 1960s, when due to East European influence, most brewers in India switched from brewing Ales to brewing lagers. Today no brewer in India makes India Pale Ale. All Indian beers are either lagers (4.8% alcohol such as Australian lager) or strong lagers (15 % alcohol such as Australian Max super strong beer). In various parts of northeastern India, traditional rice beer is quite popular. Several festivals feature this nutritious, quite intoxicating, drink as part of the celebrations. The rice is fermented in vats that are sometimes buried underground. Elephants are known to attack villages, with the primary agenda of drinking from these vats. Following one such raid in north-eastern India, a police officer in Dumka was quoted in the press as saying: "Tribals who love rice beer brew the liquor at home. Elephants too are fond of this beer. Often it is found that, attracted by the strong smell of the liquor, wild elephants tear down the tribal houses where the brew is stored."

Viticulture was believed to have been introduced to India by Persian traders sometime in the 4th millennia BC. Historians believe that these early plantings were used mostly for table grapes or grape juice rather than the production of an alcoholic beverage. During the Vedic period of the 2nd and 1st millennia, the Aryans tribes of the region were known for their indulgence of intoxicating drink and it seems probable that wine was a present beverage. The religious text of the Vedas mentions at least one alcoholic drink that may have been wine related-sura which seems to have been a type of rice wine that was fermented with honey. The first known mentioning of grape-based wines was in the late 4th century BC writings

of Chanakya who was the chief minister of Emperor Chandragupta Maurya. In his writings, Chanakya condemns the use of alcohol while chronicling the emperor and his court's frequent indulgence of a style of grape wine known as Madhu. In the centuries that would follow, wine became the privileged drink of the Kshatriya or noble class while the lower caste typically drank alcohol made from wheat, barley and millet. Under the rule of the Muslim Mughal Empire, alcohol was prohibited in accordance to Islamic dietary laws. However there are written reports about at least one Mughal ruler, Jahangir, who was fond of brandy wine. In the 16th century, Portuguese colonists at Goa introduced port-style wine and the production of fortified wines soon spread to other regions. Under British rule during the Victorian era, viticulture and winemaking was strongly encouraged as a domestic source for the British colonists. Vineyards were planted extensively through the Baramati, Kashmir and Surat regions. In 1883 at the Calcutta International Exhibition, Indian wines were showcased to a favorable reception. The Indian wine industry was reaching a peak by the time the phylloxera epidemic made its way to country and devastated its vineyards. It was a long road for the Indian wine industry to recover from the devastation at the end of the 19th century. Unfavorable religious and public opinion on alcohol developed and culminated in the 1950s when many of India's states prohibited alcohol. Vineyards were either uprooted or encouraged to convert to table grape and raisin production. Some areas, like Goa, continued to produce wine but the product was normally very sweet and highly alcoholic. The turning part of the modern Indian wine industry occurred in early 1980s with the founding of Chateau Indage in the state of Maharashtra. With the assistance of French winemakers, Chateau Indage began to import Vitis vinifera grape varieties like Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Pinot blanc, Pinot noir and Ugni blanc and started making still and sparkling wines. Other wineries soon followed as the emergence of India's growing middle class fueled the growth and development of the Indian wine industry.

LITERATURE REVIEW

Highlights of Indian Alcohol Industry

The Indian alcoholic drinks market generated total revenues of $13.9 billion in 2009, representing a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 12.5% for the period spanning 2005-2009.

The Indian beer market generated total revenues of $4 billion in 2009, representing a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 20.3% for the period spanning 2005-2009.

The Indian wine market generated total revenues of $254.2 million in 2009, representing a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 20.4% for the period spanning 2005-2009.

Potential of Liquor Market in India

It is Indias Potential for Whiskey it accounts for about 60 percent of the Indian Made Foreign liquor (IMFL) market and other spirits such as Rum and Vodka that is attracting MNCs to India. They reckon that India is a big and growing market with a weakness for spirits, especially whiskey.

This is not surprising considering that in the wake of the reforms, as the social transformation gathered momentum and global consumption patterns get increasingly assimilated, the countrys moral fabric is loosening. Drinking liquor has rapidly Gained acceptance and is no more taboo even among the conservative middle class but whose attitudes have changed with improved standard of living. Liquor Companies have been quick to latch on to this trend. Groupe Pernod Ricard, the worlds fifth largest producer of alcoholic beverages, will be introducing new brands for the growing middle-class market. In fact, the youth, women and middleclass overlapping segments are being targeted by the liquor companies looking for growth. A good example of this potential is the per capita beer consumption placed at half-a-liter for India, in contrast to the Czech Republics consumption of half a liter a day. It is also hardly comparable to the very high levels of per capita beer consumption in developed and some of the developing countries. But the emerging trends are interesting. Strong Beer(alcohol content in excess of 5 percent), a category non-existent in developed countries, has been growing at about 15 percent in India for the last few years, and already accounts for 55 percent of beer consumption. This trend is slated to continue. Thus, there is Significant latent demand and vast scope for growth in liquor consumption, both in the urban and prosperous rural areas, once the regulatory environment is relaxed. A little noticed factor pertains to the gradual, but pronounced, shift of liquor consumers to the organized sector. The Indian market has traditionally been inclined towards the unorganized sector, which accounts for two-third of the liquor consumption in India. However, maturing tastes and preferences are making the Indian Liquor market more brand-led. This should promote growth in the organized sector.

Market Metrics

In a country that still frowns on drinking, about 220 million cases of beer and branded liquor were sold last year and annual sales of alcoholic beverages are growing by about 20 percent annually. More than half of India's 1.1 billion population is below the age of 25 years and incomes are rising, but strict government controls on advertising, manufacturing capacities, distribution, retail and pricing pose a big challenge to firms seeking growth. An upwardly mobile young population with a propensity to spend is guzzling booze like never before. Consumption of beer has jumped 51% from 70 million cases in 2002 to 105 million cases in 2006 while consumption of Indian made foreign liquor (IMFL) grew 53% to 115 million cases during the period.

Branded Market Spirits in India is 119 million cases out of which whiskey accounts for 55%, Rum 27%, Brandy 14%, Gin 3% and Vodka 1%. North and West India consumes more of Whiskey and South, more of Brandy and Rum. The UB Group (35%) has a market share of 35% + 13% = 48% after merger of spirits division of Shaw Wallace (13%). The key MNCs operating in India include Diageo, Seagram and Bacardi. About 80% of Whiskey is Sold at Below Rs. 200 per bottle and 1% above Rs. 600. The Indian Liquor Market is growing at a rate of about 11% annually. India has quietly emerged as the largest international whisky market, toppling the US by volume. Industry data for '05-06 suggests that Indian whiskies, nonmatured alcohols mostly made from molasses, and hence not considered whisky by the Scotch Whisky Association (SWA), reported depletions of about 60m cases (9-litre each). In comparison, the US recorded combined sales of Bourbon, American and Scotch whiskies at 48-50m cases, putting it one notch below India.

Indian whiskies account for 98% of domestic whisky consumption, reporting 8-10% growth annually, which makes it one among the fastest growing whisky markets anywhere in the world.

About 115 million cases of Country Liquor are Sold in the country and the growth rate is 0.5%. The Country Liquor market is highly regulated, sold generally as a commodity, often Dominated by Cartels, traders get disproportionate share of MRP. CL companies predominantly are state Centric. E.G. Saraya and Radico in UP, GM Brewey & Vasant Dada in Maharashtra, IFB Agro in West Bengal, Som Distillers and Kedia in MP, Glenn in Haryana etc. Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu have abolished RS based CL in favor of Cheap ENA based IMFL. UP(19.5), Maharashtra(19.3), Karnataka(13.6), Punjab(10.2) & Haryana(9.4) Consume 63% of the Total CL.

The Indian Beer Market is 93 million cases and has grown at 5.54% p.a over 2003-2005. Several parts of India are showing much higher Growth Rates. Five States, Andhra Pradesh(18.3), Maharashtra(16.2), Tamil Nadu(9.0), Karnataka(9.0) & Rajasthan(5.6) account for 63% of total beer consumption and top ten states for 85%. Indian Beer Industry due to merger and acquisitions is dominated by two top players (i.e. UB and SAB Miller together have a Market Share of 75%) and provide attractive profit margins due to the consolidated nature of the Industry. Lower Taxes on beer, falling distribution margin and prices have contributed to the surge in the consumption of beer in India. Indians Love their Booze, but beer, it seems, leaves them cold. The Country ranks top globally in consumption of whiskey, but its somewhere near the bottom in beer drinking. So why is just about everyone in the brewing industry scrambling to get a piece of the market?

Pretty small is putting it mildly. Although India boasts the Worlds Second most Populous Nation, when it comes to beer it barely figures on the mapleaving plenty of upsides for brewers who can get in early. Annual Per Capita Consumption is very low estimated at 0.8.

Major Players in the Industry

The fast growth in the domestic alcohol market has caught the attention of a number of domestic and international firms. That has already drawn the likes of top drinks maker Diageo, Pernod Ricard, LVMH's Moet Hennessey and SABMiller, with Anheuser-Busch Companies Inc and Danish brewer Carlsberg also firming up entry plans. Liquor major Seagram has most recently entered the locally produced wine segment, while the nascent industry has also seen an increase in private equity interest this year. In the beer business, leading names such as Anheuser-Busch and InBev, to name just two, could be potential entrants, what with several breweries under construction in the northern States. On the spirits side, Diageo, the largest drinks company in the world, has already inked a joint venture with Radico Khaitan for a new line of products. In time, choice, it seems, will be the buzzword for the Indian consumer. United Spirits is a good play on the Indian consumption theme, more so after the consolidation has bestowed on it significant size and scale. But the stock's sharp run-up in the homestretch to the completion of the restructuring exercise warns to adopt a cautious stance. An entry into the stock on dips from the current level can be made. The complexion of the liquor business in India changed with the UB Group finally acquiring the spirits businesses of both Shaw Wallace and Herbertsons. These two outfits, along with a few more, have been folded into McDowell's to form United Spirits, which will control about 50 per cent of the total spirits market. Apart from giving the business scale, the acquisition also provides the UB Group combine with enough headway to

change it cost structure, be it in rationalizing facilities, phasing out tail-end brands or optimizing advertising expenses. The UB Group is keen on taking a "re-look" at its manufacturing activities as part of the group's plan to become a global leader in spirit business. According to the President & Chief Financial Officer of the UB Group, Ravi Nedungadi, "We have an aggressive plan in the spirits business. In fact, $1 billion have been earmarked for overseas acquisition." He indicated that the group was considering the possibility of acquiring a scotch whiskymaking unit in Scotland. Similarly, it was on the lookout for vineyards in South Africa and Australia. Investors can consider buying into Radico Khaitan in small lots. The company has made significant strides over the past few years and has a 12 percent market share. Radico Khaitan had stated that I the year (2006-07) and(2007-08) they expects the topline to grow by 25 percent in turnover, and the bottom line by 20-25 percent. At the moment the company has no active plans for manufacturing wine in India; "the wine market is not large, it is only half-a-million cases or 5 percent of the total liquor market which is 100 million cases. In 3-5 years, Radico is to become an Indian company with a very strong global presence. Other Major Wine Competitors in India are:
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

Vintage Wines Grover Vineyards Renaissance Wines Indie Wines Sankalo Wines Vivivola Wines

Manufacturing Process:

Beer:

Ingredients:

The water must be pure, with no trace of bacteria. This is vital, because it allows the other ingredients to release all their flavour. 95% of breweries have their own spring or natural well.

Barley is a cereal that offers a key advantage: it can be preserved for a long time after harvesting. In order for barley to be used in the making of beer, it must first be malted. It is malted barley that gives beer its characteristic colour and taste. A number of other cereals are used in the brewing of certain types of beer: oats, corn and wheat.

Hops or "green gold" come from a climbing plant with male and female flowers; only the female flowers are used. There are various varieties, ranging from very bitter to aromatic. Hops grew naturally in our regions in ancient times, and this plant has been used by brewers since time immemorial. It could be replaced by mixtures of aromatic herbs, in particular rosemary and thyme, which had the same preserving effect as hops but of course gave the resulting beverage a quite different flavour. Yes, it is hops that give beer its characteristic bitterness, and this plant became so successful that in the 18th century all varieties of beer contained hops.

Yeasts transform the sugars in the must into alcohol and carbon dioxide. The type of yeast used varies according to the type of beer. There was a time when man had no control over yeasts in beer. Louis Pasteur was able to explain their role in the brewing process, and yeast culture was developed thanks to the work of the Danish scientist Hansen. Nowadays there are two main varieties of yeasts that are used in brewing: saccharomyces cerevisiae and saccharomyces carlsbergensis (bottomfermenting).

Certain other products are used in the making of beer, in particular spices: coriander, ginger, cloves, sage, fennel, mustard seeds, aniseed, cinnamon, etc.

Process:

Malting: the conversion of barley grain into malt The purpose of this process is to encourage the barley grains to germinate so that they can be used in the making of beer. This involves immersing the grains in water then leaving them to germinate for about five days before arresting the germination process using hot air to dry them at around 65C (kilning). This interruption is necessary to retain some sugar for the brewing process. The malts will develop a different flavour and colour depending on the duration and temperature of kilning. These differences will be reflected in the qualities of the different beers. Germination causes the secretion of enzymes which, when the malt is dissolved in water, will convert the starch into sugars and the proteins into amino acids. Brewing: the production of must The malt grains are first crushed (grinding) so that they will dissolve readily

in water. Hot water is then added to this grinding process (35-50C). The temperature of the water is gradually increased to 75C. At this temperature, the enzymes start to work and convert the starches into sugars and the proteins into amino acids (which, of course, are essential for the yeast). This mixture produces a very hot sweet tea-like juice. It is then naturally filtered (the first filtration) through the husks of the crushed barley grains at the bottom of the vat. This produces a liquid, the "must". The dry residue, which is referred to as the "draff", is generally used as cattle feed. Hot water is usually added two or three times, then the mixture is filtered to extract as much sugar as possible. The filtered must is then transferred to boiling vats, where the hops are added (110 to 300 grams/hector liter). Sugar can be added at this stage. Depending on the type and quantity of sugar, a hundred different varieties of beer can be obtained. The heating process sterilizes the must by killing off the enzymes. The must is then cooled to allow the yeast to germinate. Fermentation: the addition of yeast Fermentation is achieved by adding yeast to the cooled must. This converts the sugar into alcohol and carbon dioxide. This process is what mainly determines the taste of the beer. Belgium is the only country that uses three main types of fermentation, according to the type of yeast and the fermentation temperature: Bottom fermentation produces beer of the Pils type (from the Czech city of Pilzen). The process takes between 6 and 10 days. It is called bottom fermenting because at the end of the fermentation process the yeasts settle at the bottom of the vat. This process involves the use of active yeasts of the saccharomyces carlsbergensis type between 8 and 10C. Top fermenting, or traditional fermenting, takes no more than 5 days and is carried out with yeasts of the S. cerevisiae type, which are active between 15 and 25C. It is called top fermenting because the yeasts work on the surface of the must and forms a thick, foamy layer. Spontaneous fermentation (used to produce Lambic and Gueuze) is specific to the Brussels area. It involves around a hundred microorganisms (yeasts, bacteria, etc.) which are characteristic of the atmosphere of the valley of the river Senne. After boiling, the lukewarm mixture is pumped into

open vats in the brewery loft. It is left there all night to cool and to allow the wild yeasts and bacteria to germinate the must. No more yeast is added by the brewer. The product obtained is called Lambic. The final stage: the personal touch Many brewers add different substances to give their beer a characteristic flavour. However, the composition of these substances is one of the many aspects of brewing that are protected by trade secrecy. However, we do know that they can include real fruit, fruit syrup, spices, different types of sugars, honey, etc. Once the must has fermented, the beer still has to mature. Depending on the type of beer, this maturation or secondary fermentation process can last anywhere between one week and several months (and even 3 years for Cantillon Gueuze). The aim of this process is give the beer time to mature and to clear by letting the yeast settle, to saturate it with carbon dioxide and to give it more flavour. The beer is then filtered, except in the case of beers that undergo secondary fermentation in the bottle, as is the case with Trappist beers, to allow the flavour to continue to mature.

Beer Manufacturing Process Flowchart:

Whiskey: Ingredients:

The barley is at the base of all the process. The quality of the barley has a great influence on the quality of the end product. The barley being used for the production of whisky is carefully selected. It is after all the basic ingredient which will determine the quality of the whisky which will be sold years later. This selection was traditionally the job of the manager of the distillery. Most of the distilleries nowadays buy their malt in a malting plant (for economic reasons), this selection is done less and less by the distillery managers, but well by the persons in charge at the malting plant. However, the maltings must respect precise requirements from the distilleries, in order to let them produce their whisky properly, and on the same way year after year.

Water is another of the most important ingredients in the making process of whisky. The quality of the whisky depends on the quality and purity of the water. Water in Scotland is famous for its great purity. The difference in taste between the whisky coming from various distilleries is partly due to the quality of water used. Water in the Highlands is often peaty, which gives it a brownish colour. Substances, deriving from peat, are carried by the rivers which water is used to make whisky, and contribute often to the original taste of scotch whisky. But water is certainly not the only determining factor in the taste of a malt whisky. The manufacturing process is of course very important in the final taste of whisky. Water is used in several steps during the distillation process. First of all, it is mixed to the grinded malt in order to produce the wort. It is also used for cooling the alcohol leaving the still. Last but not least, water is used to reduce the alcohol at bottling.

Yeast (brewer's yeast, often mixed with culture yeast) will start the fermentation process. The role of yeast is capital. The choice of the yeast is part of manufacturing secret of the distilleries.

Process:

The making process of whisky takes at least 3 years. If a grain (malted or not) spirit did not stay for at least 3 years in an oak cask, it does not deserve the name of whisky. Even worse, it does not have legally the right to be marketed under the name of whisky. To deserve the name of Scotch, the whisky has to stay for this minimum of 3 years on the Scottish ground. Generally, the whiskies marketed as single malt aged for a minimum of 8 to 10 years. Whisky, just like any other alcohol, is the result of natural chemical alterations of sugar. To produce alcohol, we first need to produce sugar. Sugar is potentially present in barley, which grows easily under the Scottish latitudes. Many alcohols are made from grapes, but the climate of Scotland is not suited for this kind of culture. But the manufacturing process remains very similar to the one used in production of alcohol based on other raw material.

1.

Malting: Malt is the result of the malting process. The barley is made wet and spread on the malting floor to allow the germination process to start. A succession of chemical reactions change the starch contained in the barley in sugar. Later sugar will change into spirit. The malting art consist of finding the right moment to stop the germination process: not too late but not too early. According to the season, malting takes between 8 and 21 days. Constant attention has to be given to the process. Barley has to be turned over regularly to ensure a constant moisture and temperature and to control the germination of the barley grains. The end of the germination is triggered by drying the germinating barley over a fire (kiln). This oven is often heated by peat. The smoke

of the peat fire in the kiln is determining is the taste of many a whisky. Germination is stopped by drying the grains above an oven (kiln). The kiln on the picture is the one of Laphroaig. A kiln was often fed with peat. It is the smoke of the peat fire which gives some whiskies their particular flavour. The art of some distilleries is in the correct proportioning of peat used to dry the malt. Springbank for instance produces 3 different malts: Springbank, Longrow and Hazelburn (which will be available from 2006). One of the main differences between those 3 products is the proportion of peat used for drying the malt. There are also some other differences in the distillation process in the case of Springbank. Bruichladdich also produces 3 different whiskies with different peat levels: Bruichladdich, Port Charlotte and Octomore (the two latter's are recent productions, and will not be marketed before several years)
2.

Grinding: When the malt is dry, it is grinded to make a kind of coarse flour which will be used in the next operations. This flour is called grist. Malt grinding is done with a malt mill in the distillery itself. Brewing: The grist will be mixed with hot water in the mash tun. Generally one volume of grist is mixed up with 4 volumes of water. In this operation, 3 successive waters are used, at a temperature between 63 and 95%. A mash tun can contain up to 25000 litres and has a double bottom with thin perforations to let the wort (sugared liquid resulting of the brewing operation) flow out, retaining bigger parts which will be sold as cattle food. In order to facilitate the process, mash tuns have rotating blades. The waste is called draff. The first operation, taking about 1 hour, will change the starch in fermenting sugars. The mix of water and grist looks like a kind of traditional porridge. This sugared juice is called wort. The remainders will be brewed 3 to 4 times, in order to get a maximum of wort. The quality of the wort is controlled by the excise men, because it determines the amount of spirit which will finally be produced. This is the base of the taxation of the distillery.

3.

4.

Fermentation: In order to start the fermentation of the wort, yeast is added. The action of the yeast on the sugar of the wort will produce alcohol and carbon dioxide. The wort starts bubbling, which will sometimes result in strong vibrations of the wash back, despite its impressive size. Traditional wash backs are made of Oregon pinewood or scottish larch. However, more and more stainless steel wash backs are used nowadays, because they are easier to maintain. As result of the fermentation of the wort, a kind of beer with a percentage of approximately 8%. Till now, there are no substantial differences in the process of making whisky, and the making of beer. From now the difference between the process will become obvious. Beer will be perfumed with hops, while whisky will be distilled without alterations. Distillation: The distillation is the process used to separate alcohol from water and other substances contained in the wash. This is a classical operation, and it is the base of each spirit round the world. It is used in perfumery too. Distillation is made in stills. The principle is very easy: water evaporates at 100% while alcohol does from 80%. Alcohol will thus be transformed into vapour and raises into the still before water itself begins evaporating. The distillation process occurs in two stages in two still with different capacity and shape. The first distillation occurs in the wash still whose capacity can be between 25 and 30.000 litres and transforms the wash in "low wine", at about 21 % of alcohol. If the stills were originally heated with a naked fire, generally from coal or gas, the current stills are heated by a serpentine within the still, where the vapour is circulating. The alcohol vapours are cooled outside the still by condensers. The traditional condensers were serpentines immerged in a great open wooden back, containing cold water. Currently, most of the distilleries use vertical tubular condensers, because the output is better. Waste of the first distillation is called

5.

"pot ale" or "burnt ale", and is transformed to feed cattle too. The low wines resulting from this first distillation are kept in the "low wine receiver and will be used as ground for the second distillation. The second distillation occurs in a spirit still which is generally smaller than the wash still, as there is less liquid to process. During the second distillation, only the "distillation heart", the part which has between 63 and 72% of alcohol will be casked. The heads and tails, also called feints, will go to the feint receiver, and reused mixed with the low wines of the next distillation. To separate the feints from the distillation heart, a spirit safe is used. This spirit safe (was) used for the determination of the quantity of alcohol produced, to calculate the taxes due by the distillery.
6.

Aging: The distillation process is unique for each distillery using pot stills. (Distilleries using Lomond stills - there are very few of them left now - can produce several types of whisky.) This means that all the whiskies produced by a certain distillery are treated on the same way, with the same malt, the same stills on the same way by the same people... So, why can they be so different from each other? The answer to this question is in the aging process, the casks used, the nature of the warehouse, the taste of the air (it seems that a whisky aged in casks stored in warehouses close to the sea have a different taste from a whisky aged on some other place). Glenmorangie Cellar 13 is a good example of that phenomenon. If the surrounding air has a (little) influence on the taste of whisky, one must realize that many distilleries bring their casks to some central place near Edinburgh for their aging. In other words, the influence of the air on the taste of whisky; myth or reality? There is one thing for sure however, and that is that the role of quality of the barley, the making process, and the nature and quality of the casks where it was aged is very important. According to some specialists, this could be good for 95% of the final quality of a malt

whisky. To have the right to bear the name of whisky, a grain spirit (malted or not) must be aged at least for 3 years in a oak cask. Unlike Cognac which is stored in new casks, the Scottish always use second hand casks.
7.

The Kind of Casks: The oak casks are classified by capacity, and the following casks exist: A gallon is 4.546 litres The capacity of the casks is approximated.
4,5 gallons 9 gallons 16 gallons 36 gallons 54 gallons 72 gallons 108 gallons

PIN FIRKIN KILDERKIN BARREL HOGSHEAD PUNCHEON BUTT

The information about the capacities of the various casks comes from the Campbeltown museum. The shape of the casks is mainly due to historic reasons, related to storage problems on ships. Sherry was carried on Spanish gallions, and the slender shape of the butts was the best for storing on this kind of ships, while the Portuguese Port was stored in a more bulbous cask, which was easier to carry on Portuguese merchant ships.
8.

The Finishes : Often whisky is aged for a while in bourbon casks, and finishes his aging period in some kind of other cask, in order to give is some new fragrances, before bottling. Generally it stays for 6 to 12 months in another kind of cask. This explains the "wood finish" mention on some bottling's. For instance, the 18 yo Glenmorangie finishes its maturation in next casks, which is rather uncommon in Scotland.

A whisky cask is always a second hand cask. It generally contained bourbon (american whiskey made from corn - (maize). Sherry is also very popular in the whisky industry. Other casks are used too, like Port, Madeira and more rarely Claret (French red wine) or rum, etc... Glenmorangie is specialized in "wood finishes" and some of them are very expensive, probably because of the rarity of the casks. However, there is a question about this wood finishes. If the aim is to give some new and pleasant fragrances to the whisky, everybody knows (at least in the whisky industry circles) that this method is used sometimes to hide some distillation errors. Often, the casks are warmed up before transferring the whisky, in order to accelerate the fragrance transfer. Such practices are not acceptable, because the consumer has no way to know about this.
9.

Bottling: Bottling is the last step before putting the whisky on the market. Unlike wine, whisky does not mature anymore in the bottle. So a 12 years old whisky stays a 12 years old even 12 years later, and does not become a 24 years old one.... When bottling, some residues are left in the whisky. The effect of this is that whisky looks "cloudy", and this is not always appreciated by the consumer. That's why distilleries found out the "chill filtering", which removes all this residues. The problem with chill filtering is that it also removes parts of the fragrances and of the taste. With the current revival of single malt, more and more bottlers (in dependant or official) bottle their whiskies without chill filtering. And this makes single malt lovers very happy. During bottling, the alcohol percentage is reduced. This is the other operation where the quality of water has a great influence on the taste of whisky. The minimum percentage of alcohol for whisky is 40%. Most of the bottles are marketed at this percentage, because the excise rights are calculated on the alcohol proportion in the bottle. The excise rights are particularly high in Great Britain, but in other

countries they are lower. That's why on the international market, whiskies are frequently bottled at 43%. For some technical reasons, the ideal percentage for bottling without chill filtering seems to be 46%. Most of the non chill filtered whiskies are marketed at 46%. Often whisky is not diluted when bottled. That's called cask strength bottling. Generally, the casks are mixed before bottling, to get a more standardized product, just like great wines. When the whisky comes from just one cask, it is called "single cask". Most of the distilleries do not bottle their own whiskies, but let this happen at specialized plants. Even if they do not bottle themselves, the responsibility of the bottling stays from the distillery. This is called "official bottling".

Whiskey Manufacturing Process Flowchart:

WINES:

Ingredients:

Wine is an alcoholic beverage produced through the partial or total fermentation of grapes. Other fruits and plants, such as berries, apples, cherries, dandelions, elder-berries, palm, and rice can also be fermented. The theory that wine was discovered by accident is most likely correct because wine grapes contain all the necessary ingredients for wine, including pulp, juice, and seeds that possess all the acids, sugars, tannins, minerals, and vitamins that are found in wine. As a natural process, the frosty-looking skin of the grape, called "bloom," catches the airborne yeast and enzymes that ferment the juice of the grape into wine. As mentioned above, the wine grape itself contains all the necessary ingredients for wine: pulp, juice, sugars, acids, tannins, and minerals. However, some manufacturers add yeast to increase strength and cane or beet sugar to increase alcoholic content. During fermentation, winemakers also usually add sulfur dioxide to control the growth of wild yeasts.

Process:

Harvesting and crushing grapes Vineyardists inspect sample clusters of wine grapes with a refractometer to determine if the grapes are ready to be picked. The refractometer is a small, hand-held device (the size of a miniature telescope) that allows the vineyardist to accurately check the amount of sugar in the grapes. If the grapes are ready for picking, a mechanical harvester (usually a suction picker) gathers and funnels the grapes into a field hopper, or mobile storage container. Some mechanical harvesters have grape crushers mounted on the machinery, allowing vineyard workers to gather grapes and press them at the same time. The result is that vineyards can deliver newly crushed grapes, called must, to wineries, eliminating the need for crushing at the winery. This also prevents oxidization of the juice through tears or splits in the grapes' skins. Mechanical harvesters, or, in some cases, robots, are now used in most medium to large vineyards, thereby eliminating the need for hand-picking. First used in California vineyards in 1968, mechanical harvesters have significantly decreased the time it takes to gather grapes. The harvesters have also allowed grapes to be gathered at night when they are cool, fresh, and ripe. The field hoppers are transported to the winery where they are unloaded into a crusher-stemmer machine. Some crusher-stemmer machines are hydraulic while others are driven by air pressure. The grapes are crushed and the stems are removed, leaving liquid that must flow.

Once at the winery, the grapes are crushed if necessary, and the must is fermented, settled, clarified, and filtered. After filtering, the wine is aged in stainless steel tanks or wooden vats. White and rose wines may age for a year to four years, or far less than a year. Red wines may age for seven to ten years. Most large wineries age their wine in large temperaturecontrolled stainless steel tanks that are above ground, while smaller wineries may still store their wine in wooden barrels in damp wine cellars.

Fermenting the must

For white wine, all the grape skins are separated from the "must" by filters or centrifuges before the must undergoes fermentation. For red wine, the whole crushed grape, including the skin, goes into the fermentation tank or vat. (The pigment in the grape skins give red wine its color. The amount of time the skins are left in the tank or vat determines how dark or light the color will be. For rose, the skins only stay in the tank or vat for a short time before they are filtered out.)

During the fermentation process, wild yeast are fed into the tank or vat to turn the sugar in the must into alcohol. To add strength, varying degrees of yeast may be added. In addition, cane or beet sugar may be added to increase the alcoholic content. Adding sugar is call chaptalization. Usually chaptalization is done because the grapes have not received enough sun prior to harvesting. The winemaker will use a handheld hydrometer to measure the sugar content in the tank or vat. The wine must ferments in

the tank or vat for approximately seven to fourteen days, depending on the type of wine being produced.

Ageing the wine

After crushing and fermentation, wine needs to be stored, filtered, and properly aged. In some instances, the wine must also be blended with other alcohol. Many wineries still store wine in damp, subterranean wine cellars to keep the wine cool, but larger wineries now store wine above ground in epoxylined and stainless steel tanks. The tanks are temperature-controlled by water that circulates inside the lining of the tank shell. Other similar tanks are used instead of the old redwood and concrete vats when wine is temporarily stored during the settling process. After fermentation, certain wines (mainly red wine) will be crushed again and pumped into another fermentation tank where the wine will ferment again for approximately three to seven days. This is done not only to extend the wine's shelf life but also to ensure clarity and color stability. The wine is then pumped into settling ("racking") tanks or vats. The wine will remain in the tank for one to two months. Typically, racking is done at 50 to 60 degrees Fahrenheit (10 to 16 degrees Celsius) for red wine, and 32 degrees Fahrenheit (0 degrees Celsius) for white wine. After the initial settling (racking) process, certain wines are pumped into another settling tank or vat where the wine remains for another two to three months. During settling the weighty unwanted debris (remaining stem pieces, etc.) settle to the bottom of the tank and are eliminated when the wine is pumped into another tank. The settling process creates smoother wine. Additional settling may be necessary for certain wines.

After the settling process, the wine passes through a number of filters or centrifuges where the wine is stored at low temperatures or where clarifying substances trickle through the wine. After various filtering processes, the wine is aged in stainless steel tanks or wooden vats. White and rose wines may age for a year to four years, or far less than a year. Red wines may age for seven to ten years. Most large wineries age their wine in large temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks that are above ground, while smaller wineries may still store their wine in wooden barrels in damp wine cellars. The wine is then filtered one last time to remove unwanted sediment. The wine is now ready to be bottled, corked, sealed, crated, labeled, and shipped to distributors. Packaging

Most medium- to large-sized wineries I now use automated bottling machines, and most moderately priced and expensive wine bottles have corks made of a special oak. The corks are covered with a peeloff aluminum foil or plastic seal. Cheaper wines have an aluminum screwoff cap or plastic stopper. The corks and screw caps keep the air from spoiling the wine. Wine is usually shipped in wooden crates, though cheaper wines may be packaged in cardboard.

Quality Control All facets of wine production must be carefully controlled to create a quality wine. Such variables as the speed with which harvested grapes are crushed; the temperature and timing during both fermentation and ageing;

the percent of sugar and acid in the harvested grapes; and the amount of sulfur dioxide added during fermentation all have a tremendous impact on the quality of the finished wine.

Wine Manufacturing Process Flowchart: