Question 1

One process that is essential to all alcohol is...

Accepted Answer

Fermentation - There is no alcohol without fermentation in some form... period.

Question 2

Many ancient civilizations engaged in making alcohol in some form.  When was the earliest evidence of alcoholic beverages?

Accepted Answer

It's pre-historic - Yes, alcohol is older than written records.  Some archaeologists have gone so far as to suggested the quest for alcohol led to agriculture.

Question 3

Wine is one of the earliest forms of alcoholic beverage.  Where did they find the first evidence of wine-making?

Accepted Answer

Georgia (Caucasus Mts.) - The Georgians were making wine by 6000 BCE.

Question 4

What is the difference between liquor and fermented begerages?

Accepted Answer

Liquor is distilled - Distilled alcohol qualifies as liquor while fermented beverages such as beer and wine do not.

Question 5

The United States passed the 18th Amendment to the Constitution which prohibited making, importing, selling or transporting alcohol.  How long did Prohibition last?

Accepted Answer

13 years - 13 years of the most ignored amendment ever enacted.

Question 6

What is the widely applied term for laws which make alcohol sales illegal but only at certain times/days?

Accepted Answer

Blue laws - "Blue laws" usually refer to the restriction of alcohol sales on Sunday (in Christian areas) vs other days.

Question 7

Syrah/Shiraz wine is a popular French and Pacific American variety of red wine named for a city in Iran.  Where did they determine the grape originated?

Accepted Answer

France - After all the name thing, shiraz is actually a French grape hybridized in France.

Question 8

Calvados is a type of brandy made in the Normandy region of France.  What is Calvados made from?

Accepted Answer

Apples - Calvados is a fruit brandy vs most other brandy/cognac which are grape-based.

Question 9

True or false: bourbon can only be made in the US state of Kentucky.

Accepted Answer

False - It's a popular misconception that Kentucky is the only place bourbon can be distilled... an idea possibly begun by Kentucky.

Question 10

Whiskey ("uisca beatha" from Irish), aquavit (Scandanavian), and eau de vie (French) all mean what?

Accepted Answer

Water of life

Question 11

Ancient Mesoamericans made a fermented agave beverage that is still popular in regions of Mexico and Latin America.  What is it called?

Accepted Answer

Pulque - While both tequila and mezcal are presently popular liquors in Mexico, both require distillation which was unknown in the region in Pre-Columbian times.

Question 12

Rum was a driving economic force in the 17th and 18th Centuries in America.  What crop is rum a by-product of?

Accepted Answer

Sugar

Question 13

Many cocktails have fruit juice as a part of their recipe.  The cosmopolitan (popularly "cosmo") requires what kind of juice?

Accepted Answer

Cranberry

Question 14

Another cocktail that requires juice is the gimlet.  What juice is part of this classic cocktail?

Accepted Answer

Lime - The gimlet is one of the simplest of cocktails: gin, lime juice and sugar.  That's it.

Question 15

Vodka is the most consumed liquor in many nations.  What is most vodka made from?

Accepted Answer

Grain - While some vodka is made from potatoes, in modern distilling most is made from grains.

Question 16

When a customer orders a liquor by brand name (such as "Johnny Walker Red"), what is this referred to in bartending terms?

Accepted Answer

Call

Question 17

A universal measure for bars is the jigger, almost always represented by the distinctive metal double-cone that's part of every bartender's setup.  How much is a jigger?

Accepted Answer

1.5 fl oz

Question 18

When an experienced bartender does not use a measurement in making a drink but pours "by eye", estimating the correct amount, what is this called?

Accepted Answer

Free pour - Most experienced bartenders "count" their pour to determine quantity rather than measure because of the time it saves.

Question 19

Champagne is bottled in a manner different from standard wines because of the carbonation involved.  What is the deep depression in the bottle's bottom called?

Accepted Answer

The punt

Question 20

When making wine from grapes, what is the result of squeezing red wine grapes and removing the skins before fermentation?

Accepted Answer

Rosé

Alcohol and Cocktails Quiz: Making Grades Plummet Through Modern Chemistry

2) Many ancient civilizations engaged in making alcohol in some form. When was the earliest evidence of alcoholic beverages?

3) Wine is one of the earliest forms of alcoholic beverage. Where did they find the first evidence of wine-making?

4) What is the difference between liquor and fermented begerages?

5) The United States passed the 18th Amendment to the Constitution which prohibited making, importing, selling or transporting alcohol. How long did Prohibition last?

6) What is the widely applied term for laws which make alcohol sales illegal but only at certain times/days?

7) Syrah/Shiraz wine is a popular French and Pacific American variety of red wine named for a city in Iran. Where did they determine the grape originated?

8) Calvados is a type of brandy made in the Normandy region of France. What is Calvados made from?

9) True or false: bourbon can only be made in the US state of Kentucky.

10) Whiskey ("uisca beatha" from Irish), aquavit (Scandanavian), and eau de vie (French) all mean what?

11) Ancient Mesoamericans made a fermented agave beverage that is still popular in regions of Mexico and Latin America. What is it called?

12) Rum was a driving economic force in the 17th and 18th Centuries in America. What crop is rum a by-product of?

13) Many cocktails have fruit juice as a part of their recipe. The cosmopolitan (popularly "cosmo") requires what kind of juice?

14) Another cocktail that requires juice is the gimlet. What juice is part of this classic cocktail?

15) Vodka is the most consumed liquor in many nations. What is most vodka made from?

16) When a customer orders a liquor by brand name (such as "Johnny Walker Red"), what is this referred to in bartending terms?

17) A universal measure for bars is the jigger, almost always represented by the distinctive metal double-cone that's part of every bartender's setup. How much is a jigger?

18) When an experienced bartender does not use a measurement in making a drink but pours "by eye", estimating the correct amount, what is this called?

19) Champagne is bottled in a manner different from standard wines because of the carbonation involved. What is the deep depression in the bottle's bottom called?

20) When making wine from grapes, what is the result of squeezing red wine grapes and removing the skins before fermentation?