Understanding Alcoholic Beverages: Fermentation, Composition, and Global Impact

An alcoholic beverage is any potable liquid that contains between 1 percent and 75 percent ethyl alcohol by volume. The foundation of all alcoholic drinks is fermentation, specifically alcoholic fermentation. This process involves the conversion of sugars into ethanol (ethyl alcohol) and various other minor products by yeast. The ability to produce alcoholic beverages from fermentation is versatile and can utilize a wide range of raw materials, including cereals, fruits, roots, tree saps, and other substrates.

Fermentation is a natural biochemical process where yeast breaks down carbohydrates, such as sugars, into ethanol and carbon dioxide. This process not only results in alcohol but also creates a variety of secondary fermentation products that contribute to the flavor and character of the beverage. The composition of the final product reflects the raw materials used, including the types of carbohydrates, the yeast strains, and any additional ingredients or water.

Beer and wine are examples of fermented products with alcohol content ranging from 2 percent to 20 percent by volume. Beer, made primarily from cereal grains like barley, and wine, made from fermented grapes or other fruits, both undergo fermentation to produce their alcohol content. In contrast, distilled beverages such as rum, gin, brandy, and vodka have higher alcohol concentrations, often reaching up to 55 percent. Distillation is a process that follows fermentation, concentrating the alcohol and removing some of the water and other components.

In addition to ethanol, several alcoholic beverages provide macronutrients such as carbohydrates, which can contribute to their energy content. They also contain significant quantities of micronutrients, including vitamins and minerals. Moreover, some drinks include prebiotic components like oligosaccharides, lactic acid, and live bacteria from fermentation, which can have beneficial effects on gut health.

In Western societies, the consumption of alcoholic beverages is a widely accepted and culturally ingrained practice. The world trade in alcoholic drinks is substantial, and its economic impact is significant for beverage-producing countries. The industry supports a considerable number of jobs and contributes to global trade, highlighting its importance both economically and culturally.
Understanding Alcoholic Beverages: Fermentation, Composition, and Global Impact

Kumiss - fermented drink made from mare’s milk

Kumiss is ancient Turkic word, which means fermented drink made from mare’s milk by special acidification. Milk can be fermented by inoculating fresh milk with the appropriate bacteria and incubating it at a temperature that favors their growth.

Kumiss, prepared in dry inland Asia, is a traditional milk beverage containing about 2% alcohol, prepared by fermenting raw mare’s milk with lactic acid bacteria and yeast. Kumiss is also known by other names like koumiss, kumis, kymis, kymmyz.

For thousands of years, kumis perfectly fit the nomadic, horse-centric life of the steppes. It is an ancient beverage which Scythian tribes (Central Asia Steppes) used to drink some 25 centuries ago is an alcoholic beverage made from fermented mare's milk. This product is unique compared to other dairy foods, due to its mare's milk origin.

The characteristic feature of Kumiss is the fermentation of raw milk, involving the processing of only horse milk. The drink is similar to kefir, but is traditionally produced from mare’s raw milk, which contains more sugar than goat’s or cow’s milk, and it is also rich in proteins and vitamin C. Kumiss is prepared by a liquid starter culture in contrast to the solid kefir grains used in kefir production.

Kumiss is made by fermenting mare's milk while stirring or churning. It is a dairy product involving lactic acid and alcoholic fermentation, which implies that during the fermentation, Lactobacillus bulgaricus acidifies the milk, and Saccharomyces lactis turns it into a carbonated and mildly alcoholic drink.

Because mare's milk contains more sugars than cow's or goat's milk, when fermented, kumis has a higher, though still mild, alcohol content compared to kefir.

Kumis is white in color and it has a foamy sour alcoholic flavor taste, which is the result of the natural sugars in horse milk.It is a beverage which does not contain curd particles in it. It has a unique taste, odor and aroma. No foreign odor is available in kumiss other than alcohol odor.

The quality of Kumiss is markedly influenced by factors affecting the quality of horse milk: grass eaten by horses, habitat and microclimate conditions of the herders’ home (temperature).

Kumiss possesses diuretic properties and helps in preventing intestinal putrefaction. The vitamin C level in Kumiss was 8-11 mg/100 ml. Kumiss was a valuable source of vitamin C supply for herders who did not ingest vegetables or fruit.

Kumis is drunk before eating so the full healing effects can kick into the body before the consumption and processing of foods begins. Kumis is served cold or chilled: it is drank from small, handle-less, bowl-shaped cups called piyala.
Kumiss - fermented drink made from mare’s milk

Tequila drinks

Tequila is an alcoholic beverage made from the fermented juice of the Mexican agave plant and named for the town of Jalisco in the state of Oaxaca where it originated and continues to be produced.  

Although agave is often mistaken for a cactus, it is actually a member of the lily family. Originally the sap from this plant was fermented to produce pulque, mildly alcoholic beverage, which was consumed by the Aztecs in highly ritualised religious rites, in feasts and as a medicine.

The best quality tequilas proclaim their status as 100% blue agave on the label, signifying that they have superior flavor, were bottled in Mexico and are guaranteed by law to be produced with sugars that came strictly from the blue Tequilana weber agave plant.

Normally tequila is unaged and transparently clear, but aged varieties take on an amber or strawish yellow hue.

There are only three kinds of tequila:
Blanco (white or silver, as it is most commonly known in the Unioted States)
Reposado (rested)
Anejo (aged)

The most popular tequila technique is still to drink it straight from one of three glass sizes: canita, caballito and medida.

Tequila can be consumed on its own, most often as a shot, or mixed in drinks such as margaritas (tequila mixed with Triple Sec and lime or lemon juice).
Tequila drinks