Key idea behind SAVU whisky glass is to get rid of the alcohol burn and gain access to the full flavour profile for an unlimited whisky experience. To be precise, we reduce the effect of ethanol burn in about 60 sec.
Ethanol is a well-known substance, but what exactly is it?
It’s a solvent that goes by many names – ethanol, ethyl alcohol, spirits, liquor, alcohol, booze. It is colorless and tastes slightly sweet and is flammable as the concentration increases. It is chemically an alcohol, second in order. The first one is methanol and the third one is propanol. Methanol is the most dangerous of these and e.g. blinds in fairly small concentrations. The formula of ethanol is C2H5OH, meaning the ethyl group is attached to the -OH group (= alcohol).
Ethanol has a boiling point of 78.4 degrees Celsius and a density of 0.79 g/cm3. Because ethanol is polar molecule, it is infinitely soluble in water and its properties are good in various solvent tasks. I myself have used a lot of ethanol in the laboratory, e.g. precisely because of its harmlessness. Ethanol also evaporates much faster than, for example, water.
Ethanol can be produced basically by two ways, either so called naturally, i.e. by fermentation. In this case, the yeast does the work and turns the sugar into a alcohol. The second way is chemical, i.e. hydration. In it, an -OH group is added to ethylene (= a nonpolar double-bonded hydrocarbon). Distillation is the process by which the ethanol produced in fermentation is separated from other compounds.
In other words, ethanol is produced from many different raw materials (barley, wheat, rye, rice, potato, grapes, dates, corn, fruits, etc.) through fermentation, as long as sugar is present:
C6H12O6 -> 2 C2H5OH + carbon dioxide
Ethanol is used for many different purposes: as a fuel (often added to gasoline), in alcoholic beverages, as a solvent, e.g. in hospitals as an antiseptic and in several industrial applications (perfumes, paints, etc.). Now I thought I’d tell you about those alcohol applications, that is, drinks.
Let’s think about that the ethanol content is 0% or 100%. You could put a list of drinks on it: water, beer, wine, liquor, beer. In nature, the so-called small amounts of ethanol on their own, for example in autumn and winter you can see waxwing birds (tllhi) in the trunk because they have eaten overripe rowan berries.
Beer usually produces about 4-8% ethanol through fermentation, wine 10-14% ethanol, liquor contains more than 20% ethanol, and beer is 94% ethanol.
In practice, there is no 100% ethanol or there is only for a moment because ethanol is hygroscopic and immediately absorbs water. Distillation also does not yield 100% ethanol, because at the end there is always about 6% water with the ethanol. I remember stories when it used to be common in the country for a veterinarian to order animals spiritus fortis. Surely at least some went into the construction of the mixed drinks. Here it was necessary to remember that the so-called pirtubooli should not be drunk immediately because the ethanol feels strongly burning due to the fact that the water molecules have not had time to attach to the ethanol molecule. Getting attached takes a couple of days. Too strong pirtubooli is deceptive because ethanol does not taste or smell in it.
In the form of beer, ethanol or rather its effects have been known for about 10,000 years in Mesopotamia. Around the year 800, the alchemist Geber used ethanol as a solvent for perfumes in the Middle East, and it is said that distillation was invented around the year 1000 in southern Italy. So alcohol has been used in one form or another for quite a long time. Ethanol in small concentrations causes a feeling of well-being and relaxation. In large concentrations and used regularly, it can be very harmful.
Ethanol is necessary for the so-called vessel when it comes to spiritus. The most common are vodka, whisky, cognac, rum and gin. All of the above are distilled, strong drinks, drinks with an alcohol content of about 40% or more.
Vodka is the world’s most popular liquor. It also believes that as cultural heritage, e.g. In Russia and with the Eastern Bloc, a lot of vodka has been drunk, usually to get drunk. Vodka is easy and quick to make and is widely available. It is also quite suitable for cocktails. Its global production is around 4 – 5 billion litres. However, it should be noted that vodka has also started to be flavored in different ways.
The second most producted is whisky, 3-4 billion liters. Whisky, as well as cognac, rum and gin are more or considered enjoyable because of their aroma. I haven’t heard much about vodka tastings 🙂
In contrast, whisky tastings are very common. I think the spectrum of aromas of different whiskys is the widest.
For example, it can be divided into two different segments: smoked and non-smoked whiskies. This is exactly how I divide whiskeys. Cognacs never have smoky aromas. The annual production of cognacs (brandys) is 2-3 billion liters. Cognacs have a strong aroma palette, where e.g. apricot, plum and vanilla.
However, ethanol blocks the aroma enjoyment quite effectively.
The annual production of rum is about 1 billion liters, the same as gin. In rum, the aroma of fruity esters is great, and it is quite easy to recognize because the concentrations are high and thus get through the ethanol curtain.
A new trend is herbal gins, in addition to the traditional juniper flavoring. These fine aromas can easily get behind, for example, tonic and therefore go unnoticed. It could also be said that premium and craft whiskeys are on the rise, especially in the USA and Europe. Whiskeys in general are increasing sales in China and India. Japanese whiskeys continue to sell well. However, their availability is becoming a problem.
Finally, I thought about how to enjoy drinking, especially whisky, even more? Of course, it depends on what everyone likes. For me, it is somehow self-evident that the aroma is the essence of the matter. A whiskey distillery companies think the same way because they prefer to mature whisky in barrels for several years.
This brings us to the consideration of how the brain responds to whiskey. Does it come through the mouth or the nose?
Think about the idea of not having a sense of smell. Pretty boring, or? Not everyone drinks that vodka raw either, but it is generally mixed to make the drink better or easier to drink. What if the aromas were taken out of the whiskey? You’d be left with a rather lousy booze. In conclusion, I think that the aromas of whiskey are a great thing and that’s why we need to push ethanol aside for a while – just at the moment of enjoyment.
Enjoyable moments!
Regards from the inventor
– Jari
