Types of alcohol
Humanity has been familiar with alcohol since ancient times. The first “alcohol” was fermented fruit, where yeast broke down sugar and formed alcohol. It is curious to note that the percentage of alcohol in fruits and berries varies with the degree of their ripeness. Thus, ripe fruits contain up to 0.6% alcohol, those that have ripened and fallen to the ground - 0.9%, and overripe fruits contain as much as 4.5% ethanol.

Alcoholic beverages have long been an influential part of the appearance of many cultures and folks. Everyone knows the stories about the Greek “drink of the gods" - wine, about the Vikings who celebrated their victories to the sound of mugs of ale, about American whiskey, Slavic mead, and Mexican tequila. 

Alcohol is usually categorized by alcohol content. Low-alcohol drinks are those whose strength does not exceed 8.5%, while strong drinks are those with an alcohol percentage above 20%, and all drinks that fall between these figures are classified as medium-strength drinks.

You can find elite alcohol among the representatives of the last two subcategories of alcohol, which we will tell you about in more detail.

Alcoholic beverages of medium strength

alcohol
Some types of medium-strength alcohol require sophisticated production in compliance with rules and regulations. Therefore, this category has its own elite specimens.

Such drinks include

  • Mulled wine. A widespread drink based on wine with added spices and herbs. It is traditionally considered a Christmas drink, because due to its taste and the fact that it is served hot, mulled wine warms you up during the Christmas cold.

  • Sherry. A Spanish alcoholic beverage, which is characterized by the production of special yeast fermentation using a kind of film.

  • Vermouth. An alcoholic beverage associated with Hippocrates, which contains wormwood and various medicinal herbs.

  • Campari. The world-famous liqueur is made from spices, herbs, and fruits with a special note of bitterness for a spicy taste. It is the basis for the popular Aperol Spritz drink, which gently emphasizes the taste of the liqueur.

Campari

  • Kumys. A unique drink that originated in Central Asia. It is made from milk, yeast, and alcohol and can have a strength of up to 40%.

  • Pulque. A Mexican drink made from agave fruit using fermentation technology.

Wine

Wine
Wine is one of the most famous alcoholic beverages in the world. There are a huge number of varieties of wine, which is why this drink is so popular, because among all the variety you will definitely find the wine that you like. 

It is interesting to note that the most expensive bottle of wine sold at auction at the time of this writing is a 1945 vintage DOMAINE DE LA ROMANÉE-CONTI, ROMANÉE-CONTI GRAND CRU which costs as much as $558,000.
DOMAINE DE LA ROMANÉE-CONTI
The price of this bottle is due to the fact that the summer of 1945 in France, where the Romanée-Conti vineyards were located, was extremely hot, which resulted in a very concentrated taste. But a sharp change in the weather to frost and hail affected production, so only 600 bottles were produced.

Wine varieties also include
Wine varieties

  • Sake. This traditional Japanese drink is a type of wine, but it is interesting because the main ingredient is rice, not grapes. 

  • Madeira. Portuguese wine, which is characterized by the use of high temperatures during production.

  • Tokaj. A kind of wine from Hungary, in the production of which a special kind of honey is added.

  • Sato. Another rice wine, but from Thailand.

  • Champagne. The difference between this drink lies in its sparkling nature. This wine is associated with solemnity and holidays. White Brut from Dom Pérignon distilleries will always be an appropriate gift.

Dom Pérignon
Strong alcohol

Strong alcohol

The list of strong alcohol includes:

  • Absinthe. The drink based on bitter wormwood was created in Ancient Egypt in 1500 BC. It was considered medicinal, like most tinctures of that time. Over time, the drink gained immense popularity because of its strength and taste, but due to its high thujone content, it was banned in a number of countries until 1915. Its production was resumed only on the condition that the thujone content in the drink was reduced.

Absinthe

  • Aquavit. We bet you've never heard that Norway makes a drink with a strength of 50 degrees from... potatoes!

  • Arak. A drink with an alcohol content of 40-50% originated in Central Asia and is made from a variety of raw materials.

  • Armagnac. An original French drink, created from grape processing raw materials with the addition of fresh berries.

  • Bourbon. An American type of whiskey made from corn cobs. Among the producers of this drink, there are many brands that are positioned as elite, such as Jim Beam, which has been producing elite bourbon since 1795!

Jim Beam

  • Gin. Another one "medicinal" product made by alchemists and monks of ancient Europe. Today, the most expensive bottle of Bombay Sapphire gin of the special Revelation series has been sold for $200,000.

Bombay Sapphire

  • Calvados is a type of brandy made from apple cider. There are also some "stars" among the manufacturers of this drink; if you are looking for a gift for calvados connoisseurs, we recommend paying attention to the famous French brand Boulard Calvados.

Calvados

  • Liqueur. Perhaps the sweetest of the alcoholic beverages, with an alcohol content of up to 45%, it contains as much as 35% sugar. It is made from alcoholized berries and fruits with the addition of herbs and spices. The most expensive alcohol in the world today is also the D'Amalfi Limoncello Supreme liqueur. It costs 43 million US dollars. This price is formed not only because of the high quality of the drink, but also because of the bottle, which is inlaid with four real diamonds.

Liquer
You can taste the taste of limoncello liqueur without spending a fortune, we recommend you to try the
Pallini brand liqueur, which has proven itself in many countries around the world.

Pallini

  • Cognac. French spirits made from white grape varieties. One of the most famous producers of this drink is Hennessy, one of the oldest cognac houses in France.

Hennessy

The most expensive bottle of this drink is a cognac made by the Mexican brand Tequila Ley, which also produced the most expensive tequila in the world. The cost of Henri IV Dudognon Heritage is as much as 2 million US dollars. The drink is aged in oak barrels for more than 100 years, while these barrels are specially dried in the open air for 5 years. The bottle itself is a work of jewelry art, encrusted with 6,500 diamonds.

Tequila Ley

  • Metaxa. The drink, which has its roots in ancient Greece, is created using brandy, aromatic herbs and wine. It is also considered an elite drink, so you can present it as a gift or treat yourself.

Metaxa

  • Raki. A Turkish strong drink that has absorbed the best of the combination of anise and grape wine.

Raki

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