Category Archives: Spirited Discussions

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I first encountered cubeb berries (pronounced kyoo-beb) at the Genius Gin Distillery in Austin. Our gin tour-and-tasting included a bit of a show-and-tell with various gin botanicals. My little group and I were quite impressed with ourselves as we readily recognized juniper berries, coriander seed, angelica root, cardamom, lime leaf, and lavender. And then there was this little bowl of what can only be described as “pepper with a tiny tail.” No one recognized it as cubeb berry.

As it turns out, our cutesy description made perfect sense, as cubeb berry (or cubeb pepper) is often called “Tailed Pepper” or “Java Pepper.”  Cubeb berries are produced from the unripened fruit of the Piper cubeba plant, a tropical climbing vine grown in Indonesia (primarily Java and Sumatra). The unripe fruit is left to dry, with the resulting product (cubebs) resembling a wrinkled black peppercorn with a cute little tail.

Piper cubeba, from Köhler’s Medicinal Plants (1887—public domain)

Throughout history, the highly aromatic cubeb berries have been put to many uses, including perfume, medicine, and even cigarettes. Marshall’s Prepared Cubeb Cigarettes—which must have been something akin to clove cigarettes—was a popular American brand (back in the day).

Cubeb berries are also used in the culinary arts, and are described as aromatic, camphorous, slightly bitter, peppery (of course), and reminiscent of clove, nutmeg, and allspice.  They are often used in spice mixtures (primarily in Southeast Asia) and curries, and also pair well with roast meat, sausages, and charcuterie.

These days, the cubeb berry is becoming well-known for its use in gin. When distilled, the resulting flavor is often described as spicy-peppery-piquant (as would be expected). A gentler process (compounding or maceration) is equally likely to reveal monoterpene-based floral notes such as rose or lavender as well as a warm, earthy character.

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As most gin lovers know, in addition to the ubiquitous juniper berry, coriander seed and angelica root are the most widely-used gin botanicals. Cubeb berries might not even make the top ten list; but if you are a fan of Hendrick’s Gin, Bobby’s Schiedam Dry Gin, Poetic License Gin, Blue Bottle Gin, Genius Gin, Valone Premium Pacific Gin, East London Dry Gin, or Bombay Sapphire…it’s in your gin.

References: for more information:

• Spice Jungle on Cubeb Berry 
• The Gin Guild on Cubeb Berry 

Post authored by Jane A. Nickles…your blog administrator

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Photo via: https://spirits.eu/

The world just gained another geographical indication for spirits (as defined and protected by the European Union), and this makes for a total of 256!

The new spirit—technically classified as a fruit spirit, although Americans might be tempted to refer to it as apple and pear brandy—is know as Osttiroler Pregler. In plain language, it is an apple-and-pear distillate produced in the East Tyrol, Austria.

As is expected of a product protected by a geographical indication, there is a lengthy list of rules and regulations that must be followed in order for a product to be awarded the name of Osttiroler Pregler GI. These include the following:

• It must be fermented and distilled in the political region of Lienz (East Tyrol), from fruit grown within the defined region.
• The allowed base ingredients include apples and pears. In some cases, locally grown plums may also be included.
• It must be bottled at a minimum of 40% abv.
• It must be dry; sugar may be present only to a maximum level of 4 g/L.
• It must be clear and colorless in appearance.
• The newly distilled spirit must be aged for a minimum of four weeks in inert (stainless steel or glass) containers; oak contact of any kind is prohibited.
• The predominant aroma and flavor must be of apples; pear flavors must remain in the background. Other background aromas and flavors typical include flowers, banana, apple peel, dried pear, and (if plums are used) almond.

East Tyrol (German: Osttirol)—sometimes known as “the roof of Austria—is tucked into the Central Eastern Alps and contains the highest mountains in the country. The region includes Austria’s highest peak—the Grossglockner—topping out at 12,461 feet/3,798 meters above sea level). The region includes the district of Lienz as well as the market town of Matrei in Osttirol. The name Osttirol—referring to the mountains of Tyrol—is included in the geographical indication of the new product (which may be referred to as simply Pregler or Osttiroler Pregler.

Fruit orchards—including apples, pears, and plums—are traditional to East Tyrol. Literature proclaiming the beauty of the produce of Lienz dates back as far 1588, when the poem Der fürstlichen Grafschaft Tyrol Landtreim (Rhyme of the Princely County of Tyrol) extolled the quality of the apples of the region.

Welcome to the world, Osttiroler Pregler!

References/for more information:

• Commission Implementing Regulation-EU Journal-Osttiroler Pregler
• Technical File – Osttiroler Pregler
• https://www.pubaffairsbruxelles.eu/agriculture-the-commission-approves-new-geographical-indication-from-austria-eu-commission-press/
• https://www.osttirol.com/en/discover-and-experience/culinary-delights/osttiroler-pregler/

Post authored by Jane A. Nickles…your blog administrator: jnickles@societyofwineeducators.org

Miyagikyo Distillery in Sendai Japan

While it has been something of a well-kept secret, the truth remains: some of the Japanese whisky sold in your neighborhood liquor stores may not have been produced in Japan. Under (previous) standards, it is possible that your Japanese whisky (whiskey) was a blend containing a base whisky made in Scotland (or elsewhere) or blended with a portion of non-grain-based spirit. In addition, it may have been aged for a noticeably short period of time. (Important note: this does not apply to all—or even most—Japanese whisky, but the possibility is out there.)

However, as of April 1, 2021, a new set of rules, as defined by Japan Spirits & Liqueurs Makers Association, will come into force for its association members. Please note that these rules are not the result of legislation and are therefore not legally enforced by government entities. However, many whisky producers in Japan are indeed members of the association and will therefore be in observance. Producers will have until March 31, 2024 to bring all their products into compliance.

These new regulations include the following standards for Japanese Whisky:

• Base ingredients: limited to malted grains, other cereal grains, and water extracted in Japan. Malted grains must always be used.
• Production process: saccharification, fermentation, and distillation must be carried out at a distillery in Japan.
• Aging: the spirit must be aged in Japan in wooden casks (maximum capacity of 700 liters) for a minimum of 3 years
• Bottling proof: minimum 40% abv
• Additives: caramel coloring is allowed

‘From the Barrel’ Nikka whiskey

Products in compliance with the new regulations will be labeled with the term “Japanese Whisky” (or “Japanese Whiskey”) with no additional verbiage placed between the two words. In addition, products must comply with the new rules to use any of the following on the label: geographic locations in Japan, pictures of the Japanese flag, names of people that evoke Japan, terms associated with the history of Japan, or the names of Japanese rivers or mountains.

Products that continue to contain sprits not produced in Japan may be labeled as “world blends” or “world whisky.” Alternatively, they may remain unspecific as to origin.

References/for more information:

• Standards for Japanese Whisky Established February 12 2021
• Statement regarding whisky labeling standards from JSLMA
• https://www.nomunication.jp/2018/07/06/infographic-japanese-whisky-real-or-fake/
• https://www.winemag.com/2021/03/11/japanese-whisky-regulations-change/

Post authored by Jane A. Nickles…your blog administrator: jnickles@societyofwineeducators.org

Photo of Jack Daniels with George Green (Nearest Green’s son) via: https://www.jackdaniels.com/en-us/vault

Within the world of spirits, students and connoisseurs alike quickly learn that the story and history of a spirit, the lore behind the bottle, can be as compelling as the actual beverage. Knowing about the people that spent their lives making the products we love allows us to feel connected to them and the entire tradition around those drinks. However, it is very often the case that we do not have the entire story. It takes the work of historians and writers to uncover the stories behind the stories. It took this kind of work to bring one remarkable man out of the shadows of history and into the light of the present day – Nathan “Nearest” Green or as he was known to his friends and family “Uncle Nearest.”

Nearest Green was born into slavery sometime in the early 1800s. The history of his early life is hard to piece together, but by the mid-1800s he was held by a company called Landis & Green which would hire out Green’s labor. Lutheran Minister Dan Call hired Nearest in the 1850s through this company. Call ran a farm, a successful general store, and a still in Lois, TN, just outside of Lynchburg. From all available accounts, Nearest acted as the head distiller for the operation, which was not an uncommon role for enslaved African Americans throughout America.

After working and running the still for Call for some time, a pre-teen Jack Daniels arrived at the operation intent on learning how to make whiskey. Call referred to Nearest as the “best whiskey maker” he knew, making him an ideal mentor for the young Daniels. The two spent years working side by side, making whiskey throughout the entire course of the Civil War. Nearest’s enslavement formally ended with the passage of the 13^th Amendment, and after which he chose to continue working with Daniels and Call. By the late 1860s the whiskey business was thriving and after Call had a crisis of conscience he sold his stake to Daniels which resulted in the creation of the Jack Daniel Distillery. Nearest became its first head distiller, the equivalent to a modern-day master distiller.

Nearest worked alongside Jack Daniels for many years, up until his retirement in the 1880s. His career and success made him one of the wealthiest men in Lynchburg and his dedication to distillation became a family tradition. His sons, George and Eli, went to work for Daniels, as well as several of his grandchildren. Ultimately, over the past century and a half, seven generations of Green’s descendants have worked for the Jack Daniels distillery.

Original office building on the grounds of the Jack Daniel’s Distillery (Lynchburg, Tennessee)

Nearest Green’s story was common knowledge to the families of Lynchburg. Past historians also knew of his contributions to Tennessee and American whiskey. Yet it was not until a few years ago that the man and legend of Nearest Green entered the mainstream public consciousness – primarily through the work of author Fawn Weaver. Over the course of a year of research, Weaver assembled the facts and pieces of Nearest’s life, spending countless hours interviewing his descendants and the people of Lynchburg. Through oral history, historic records, and artifacts, we now have a more complete look at the early days of Jack Daniels and the indispensable impact Nearest had upon it.

The legacy of Nearest Green is preserved today in several ways. There’s a non-profit organization, the Nearest Green Foundation, dedicated to preserving and sharing the history of Nearest. There’s also a scholarship program, the Nearest Green Legacy Scholarship, dedicated to helping provide educational opportunities to descendants of Nearest. And, perhaps most famously, the Tennessee whiskey brand, Uncle Nearest, that bears his name in tribute to his achievements as an African American distiller in the nineteenth-century.

About the author: Ben Coffelt, CSS, CSW serves as a Sales Director for the Society of Wine Educators (SWE). Originally from California, Ben Coffelt started his wine and spirits career leading customer tastings and staff trainings at Trader Joe’s. His love of history drives his interests, and he’s always eager to learn about a new place, person, or product. He can often be found sipping rum with his French Bulldog, Hobbes.

References/for more information:

• How Jack Daniel Came to Make Whiskey | Jack Daniel’s
• NEAREST GREEN LEGACY SCHOLARSHIP | NEAREST GREEN
• When Jack Daniel’s Failed to Honor a Slave, an Author Rewrote History – The New York Times (nytimes.com)
• The Research Room – Video Research of Nearest Green

Photo via the EC: https://ec.europa.eu/info/food-farming-fisheries

It is a good day to celebrate in Norway—the European Union has granted approval for two new Protected Geographical Indications (PGIs) for the distinctive spirit drinks of Norway: Norsk Vodka (Norwegian Vodka) and Norsk Akvavit (Norwegian Aquavit).

Norsk Vodka is defined as a “clear, transparent and colorless” spirit, bottled at a minimum of 37.5% abv (products up to 60% abv are also allowed). It must be produced using potatoes or grains as its base ingredient, and it must be mashed, fermented, and distilled within the borders of the Kingdom of Norway. It is, however, allowed to be diluted (with water) and bottled outside of the country.

One interesting part of the EU standard is that Norsk Vodka must be fermented using cultivated yeast as opposed to spontaneous fermentation. The use of cultivated yeast produces a base ferment that is low in congeners. Another part of the regulation states that the spirit must be distilled to a minimum of 96% abv (192°). According to the technical file, these factors combine to create a clean, fresh-tasting finished product free of the “burning aftertaste” that sometimes accompanies a shot of vodka.

With the approval of Norsk Vodka, there are now six countries with PGI status for their distinctive vodka: Norway, Poland, Sweden, Finland, Lithuania, and Estonia.

Photo via the EC: https://ec.europa.eu/info/food-farming-fisheries

A PGI for Norsk Akvavit (which may also be referred to as Norsk Akevitt, Norsk Aquavit, or Norwegian Aquavit) was also approved this week. Norsk Akvavit may be bottled at a variety of strengths, ranging from 37.5% to 60% alcohol by volume. Potatoes are the only allowed base ingredient, and a minimum of 95% of the potatoes must be of Norwegian origin.

The main flavorings must be derived from caraway or dill, and the product should contain specific amounts of the flavor-rich substances limonene (reminiscent of citrus) and carvone (found in caraway, dill, and spearmint). Other botanicals may be used to flavor Norsk Akvavit, including (but not limited to) aniseed, celery seed, chamomile, coriander seed, fennel seed, grains of paradise, dried lemon peel, dried bitter orange peel, and star anise.

After flavoring, the Norsk Akvavit must spend a minimum of 6 months in oak casks (provided the casks are smaller than 1,000 liters in volume), or 12 months minimum in larger casks.  It is traditional to age the akvavit in barrels that previously held fermented beverages such as Sherry, Madeira, and Port wine; however, new barrels are also allowed. As a result, Norsk Akvavit may be bottled in a range of colors from water-white to dark amber.

Raise a glass to Norway!

References/for more information:

• Official Journal of the European Union – Norwegian Vodka PGI
• Official Journal of the European Union – Norwegain Aquait PGI

Post authored by Jane A. Nickles…your blog administrator: jnickles@societyofwineeducators.org