Alcoholic drinks have been around for thousands of years and the skills of brewing them have been passed down for generations. In addition to this, making individual drinks and consuming them in various ways is an art form in itself and basically a whole industry.
Beverages are well-known all over the world and it is customary to toast numerous happy occasions and celebrations. While drinking has its negative side and the whole problem of developing an addiction, the drinks themselves are not to blame.
Abusing anything is bad, but as long as there is a limit and as long as nobody is endangered, it is okay to consume even the strongest of spirits. Drinking responsibly is the key factor here, but so is knowing more about the whole alcoholic drink industry.
What do you know about it all and how well-informed do you truly care about the beverages that surround you? Do you know that many countries have their official, national drink? That in many places people make their own spirits and not everyone likes the typical choices that first come to mind when you want to drink up.
Our planet is a vast place and it makes perfect sense for different regions and cultures to have different popular drinks. In an effort to spread the word and allow more people to know about the wide variety of alcoholic beverages, here in this article we talk about the most popular of them all. Read on to find out about the most popular drinks in the world. If you want to try out some, the best way to do so would be to buy liquor online so check out NationWide Liquor.
1. Beers
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Beer is by far the most popular and widely spread alcoholic drink on the planet. It is also among the oldest as there are records pointing to Ancient Egyptian workers being paid for the beer. Ale also used to be the preferred drink in Ancient Rome, among the Nordic tribes and kingdoms, as well as in Middle Age Europe.
Today, lagers, ales, stouts, pilsners, and every other type of beer is present worldwide. One reason why it is so popular is the fact that it has a very low alcohol content when compared to other drinks, especially liquor. Most beers are somewhere in the range of 4-5% alcohol, which is considered regular and light beer.
Stronger, and usually darker beers can go a lot higher though but are usually between 6% and 20%. Extremes do exist and the absolute strongest is over 60%. Another reason for the popularity of beer is craft breweries, small, usually family-owned labels with only a single or a few different types. These are of higher quality and alcohol percentage than commercial beers you see everywhere.
2. Wines
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Red wine, along with its white and rosé counterparts, has a rich history that spans thousands of years. Different regions of the world have become renowned for their vineyards and winemaking traditions, making them unique and celebrated. Each variety of red wine, such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinot Noir, and Syrah, offers distinct flavors, aromas, and characteristics.
Wes Madison explains that whether you prefer a full-bodied red with intense fruit flavors or a lighter red with subtle nuances, the diverse range of red wines caters to various preferences and occasions. With its enduring allure, red wine continues to hold immense value and appreciation in the modern world, both as a drink to be enjoyed and as a symbol of cultural heritage.
3. Whiskeys, Scotches, Brandies, Cognacs, Bourbons
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A lot of people do not know the differences between these four types of hard, and dark liquor, and actually, believe them to be the same. They are related but there is a reason why they are all their separate selves. For these purposes, and since they have a similar alcoholic percentage at around 40%, we can group them together. This is the same family of liquors made from similar grains, but there is a lot of confusion still.
For example, all bourbons are whiskey, but whiskeys are not always bourbons.
Furthermore, scotches are all whiskeys, but not all whiskeys are always scotches. Cognacs are indeed brandy, but brandies are not always cognacs. One major difference is the maturation process.
Bourbons are aged for at least 2 years in new, charred American oak barrels, scotch needs to spend at least three years in wooden casks, and brandies need to remain for three years in barrels made from French oak.
Whiskey is made mainly from malted barley and other grains, while bourbon comes from grain mash bills that are at least 51% corn. Scotch contains cereal grains and malted barley, while brandy is made from wine.
Labeling, alcohol content, flavors, aromas, and price are all different, which is why these are indeed separate branches of one and the same tree of liquor. Jack Daniel’s, Courvoisier, Johnny Walker, Ballantine’s, Chivas Regal, Hennessy, and Jameson are some of the ones you should try.
4. Vodkas
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This famous, hard, clear liquor is made from potatoes and that on its own is not a fact that many people know. It is typically connected with Eastern European countries, particularly Russia. Everyone knows that Russians drink a lot of vodkas and that it is their number one choice both as an occasional drink and as a binge drinking option.
However, almost all other Slavic countries have a special place for vodka in their hearts and their homes. This is especially true for Poland, the Czech Republic, but also Sweden. There are different varieties of vodka that have been distilled all over Europe starting in the 1700s when the potato first appeared.
Modern vodkas are also made with fruit, honey, and maple sap as the main base. Vodka is also popular because of the many cocktails that rely on it, as well as because of many popular brands like Grey Goose, Belvedere, Ciroc, Tito’s, Smirnoff, and Absolut.
