DIAMONDS MAY LAST FOREVER, BUT DO SPIRITS? WRITTEN BY PAUL HUGHES, PH.D.
How stable are distilled spirits? This is a broad question, not least because the raw materials used for the production of distilled spirits and the way in which the final product is formulated varies substantially across the distilled spirits sector. 74
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he stability of distilled spirits is a subject that is, on the whole, largely ignored. In the brewing world, brewers place a lot of value on the microbiological and non-biological aspects of beer stability, but just how stable are distilled spirits? This is a broad question, not least because the raw materials used for the production of distilled spirits and the way in which the final product is formulated varies substantially across the distilled spirits sector. To begin, we need to ask what we mean by stability. Without wanting to state the obvious, stability only has meaning in the context of time, so without a reference sample from a different age (usually a “fresh” sample) it is not possible to consider stability. What constitutes a fresh product is, in itself, a moot point. Aged spirits from casks are not fresh relative to their point of production, but in terms of point-of-sale, they may well be. To start with an apparently easy win, we assume spirits are not prone to microbial spoilage. Unfortunately, given the breadth of spirit-based drinks available, this is not necessarily the case. Specifically, cream- and egg-based spirit drinks may WWW.ARTISANSPIRITMAG.COM