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86-470: A bitters (plural also bitters ) is traditionally an alcoholic preparation flavored with botanical matter for a bitter or bittersweet flavor . Originally, numerous longstanding brands of bitters were developed as patent medicines , but now are sold as digestifs , sometimes with herbal properties, and as cocktail flavorings. Since cocktails often contain sour and sweet flavors, bitters are used to engage another primary taste and thereby balance out

172-456: A drink ) is a beverage containing alcohol (ethanol) . Alcoholic drinks are typically divided into three classes— beers , wines , and spirits —and typically their alcohol content is between 3% and 50%. Many cultures have a distinct drinking culture , where alcoholic drinks are integrated into parties . Most countries have laws regulating the production, sale, and consumption of alcoholic beverages. For example, some regulations may require

258-595: A cure for sea sickness and stomach maladies, among other medicinal uses. Siegert subsequently formed the House of Angostura to sell the bitters to sailors. Another renowned aromatic bitters with nineteenth-century roots is Peychaud's Bitters , originally developed by apothecary Antoine Amédée Peychaud in New Orleans , Louisiana. It is most commonly associated with the Sazerac cocktail . A popular style of bitters that emerged from

344-568: A flavouring agent in drinks, quinine is limited to 83  ppm ( 100 mg/L ) in the United States, and in the European Union. Quinine (and quinidine ) are used as the chiral moiety for the ligands used in Sharpless asymmetric dihydroxylation as well as for numerous other chiral catalyst backbones. Because of its relatively constant and well-known fluorescence quantum yield , quinine

430-420: A group of symptoms called cinchonism , which can include headache, vasodilation and sweating, nausea, tinnitus , hearing impairment, vertigo or dizziness, blurred vision, and disturbance in color perception. More severe cinchonism includes vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, deafness, blindness, and disturbances in heart rhythms. Cinchonism is much less common when quinine is given by mouth, but oral quinine

516-408: A half of gentian-root, one ounce and a half of lemon-peel, one ounce and a half of orange-peel. Steep these ingredients for about a month in a quart of sherry, and then strain and bottle for use. Bitters are a fine stomachic, but they must be used with caution." Bitters prepared from the tree bark containing the antimalarial quinine occasionally were included in historical cocktail recipes. It masked

602-502: A significant role in the colonization of Africa by Europeans. The availability of quinine for treatment had been said to be the prime reason Africa ceased to be known as the "white man's grave". A historian said, "it was quinine's efficacy that gave colonists fresh opportunities to swarm into the Gold Coast , Nigeria and other parts of west Africa". To maintain their monopoly on cinchona bark, Peru and surrounding countries began outlawing

688-588: A treatment for individuals with psychological disorders, similar to antidepressants that inhibit MAO. Quinine is a basic amine and is usually provided as a salt. Various existing preparations include the hydrochloride , dihydrochloride, sulfate , bisulfate and gluconate . In the United States, quinine sulfate is commercially available in 324 mg tablets under the brand name Qualaquin. All quinine salts may be given orally or intravenously (IV); quinine gluconate may also be given intramuscularly (IM) or rectally (PR). The main problem with rectal administration

774-414: A typical beverage). As alcoholic non-beverage products, they are often available from retailers who do not sell liquor, such as supermarkets in many US states. Some notable examples of cocktail bitters include: [REDACTED] Media related to Bitters at Wikimedia Commons Alcoholic drink An alcoholic beverage (also called an adult beverage , alcoholic drink , strong drink , or simply

860-478: A wine last longer, so they play an important role in the aging of wine . The average number of people who drink as of 2016 was 39% for males and 25% for females (2.4 billion people in total). Females on average drink 0.7 drinks per day while males drink 1.7 drinks per day. The rates of drinking varies significantly in different areas of the world. Alcohol is used in rum-running , the illegal business of smuggling alcoholic beverages where such transportation

946-511: Is exclusively fermented with white sugar , yeast , and water. Fermented water is clarified after the fermentation to produce a colorless or off-white liquid with no discernible taste other than that of ethanol . Mead ( / m iː d / ), also called hydromel, is an alcoholic drink made by fermenting honey with water, sometimes with various fruits , spices , grains , or hops . The alcoholic content of mead may range from as low as 3% ABV to more than 20%. The defining characteristic of mead

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1032-410: Is a depressant , which in low doses causes euphoria , reduces anxiety , and increases sociability. In higher doses, it causes drunkenness , stupor , unconsciousness , or death . Long-term use can lead to an alcohol use disorder , an increased risk of developing several types of cancer , cardiovascular disease , and physical dependence . Alcohol is classified as a group 1 carcinogen . In 2023,

1118-804: Is a fermented beverage most commonly produced from grapes . Wine involves a longer fermentation process than beer and often a long aging process (months or years), resulting in an alcohol content of 9%–16% ABV . Sparkling wines such French Champagne , Catalan Cava or Italian Prosecco are also made from grapes, with a secondary fermentation . Fruit wines are made from fruits other than grapes , such as plums , cherries , or apples . Distilled beverages (also called liquors or spirit drinks) are alcoholic drinks produced by distilling (i.e., concentrating by distillation ) ethanol produced by means of fermenting grain, fruit, or vegetables. Unsweetened, distilled, alcoholic drinks that have an alcohol content of at least 20% ABV are called spirits . For

1204-407: Is a large pub that specializes in beer . A cider house is an establishment that sells alcoholic cider for consumption on the premises. Some cider houses also sell cider "to go", for consumption off the premises. A traditional cider house was often little more than a room in a farmhouse or cottage , selling locally fermented cider. An ouzeri ( Greek ουζερί IPA: [uzeˈri] )

1290-494: Is a term used in the United States to describe an improvised alcoholic beverage . It is variously made from apples , oranges , fruit cocktail , fruit juices , hard candy , sugar , high fructose syrup , and possibly other ingredients, including crumbled bread . Drinking games are games which involve the consumption of alcoholic beverages and often enduring the subsequent intoxication resulting from them. Evidence of

1376-573: Is a type of Greek tavern which serves ouzo (a Greek liquor) and mezedes (small finger foods ). Pulquerías (or pulcherías) are a type of tavern in Mexico that specialize in serving an alcoholic beverage known as pulque . A tiki bar is a themed drinking establishment that serves elaborate cocktails, especially rum -based mixed drinks such as the Mai Tai and Zombie cocktails. Tiki bars are aesthetically defined by their tiki culture décor which

1462-489: Is an unlicensed hotel , liquor-store or other vendor of alcoholic beverages, sometimes with the added connotation of selling poor-quality products. A straw purchaser may receive money or recompense from the underage person in exchange for purchasing the alcohol on their behalf. Alcohol has been used as a currency for transactional sex in South Africa, and Uganda. Pruno also known as prison hooch or prison wine,

1548-425: Is based upon a romanticized conception of tropical cultures, most commonly Polynesian . Quinine Quinine is a medication used to treat malaria and babesiosis . This includes the treatment of malaria due to Plasmodium falciparum that is resistant to chloroquine when artesunate is not available. While sometimes used for nocturnal leg cramps , quinine is not recommended for this purpose due to

1634-411: Is forbidden by law. Wine fraud relates to the commercial aspects of wine. The most prevalent type of fraud is one where wines are adulterated, usually with the addition of cheaper products (e.g. juices) and sometimes with harmful chemicals and sweeteners (compensating for color or flavor). Moonshine is illegal to produce and sell in most countries. In Australia, a sly-grog shop (or shanty)

1720-465: Is given by mouth. Quinine has diverse unwanted interactions with numerous prescription drugs , such as potentiating the anticoagulant effects of warfarin . It is a strong inhibitor of CYP2D6 , an enzyme involved in the metabolism of many drugs. Quinine is used for its toxicity to the malarial pathogen, Plasmodium falciparum , by interfering with its ability to dissolve and metabolize hemoglobin . As with other quinoline antimalarial drugs,

1806-417: Is infused with quinine and local herbs, and is served as a digestif . In Britain, the company A.G. Barr uses quinine as an ingredient in the carbonated and caffeinated beverage Irn-Bru . In Uruguay and Argentina, quinine is an ingredient of a PepsiCo tonic water named Paso de los Toros . In Denmark, it is used as an ingredient in the carbonated sports drink Faxe Kondi made by Royal Unibrew . As

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1892-440: Is not a sustainable long-term means of protection. In France, quinine is an ingredient of an apéritif known as quinquina , or "Cap Corse" , and the wine-based apéritif Dubonnet . In Spain, quinine (also known as "Peruvian bark" for its origin from the native cinchona tree) is sometimes blended into sweet Malaga wine , which is then called "Malaga Quina" . In Italy, the traditional flavoured wine Barolo Chinato

1978-499: Is not well tolerated (quinine is exceedingly bitter and many people will vomit after ingesting quinine tablets). Other drugs, such as Fansidar ( sulfadoxine with pyrimethamine ) or Malarone ( proguanil with atovaquone ), are often used when oral therapy is required. Quinine ethyl carbonate is tasteless and odourless, but is available commercially only in Japan. Blood glucose, electrolyte and cardiac monitoring are not necessary when quinine

2064-553: Is often used for medicinal purposes . It may be a grain spirit, or it may be made from other plants. It is used in mixed drinks , liqueurs , and tinctures , and also as a household solvent . In the alcoholic drinks industry, congeners are substances produced during fermentation . These substances include small amounts of chemicals such as occasionally desired alcohols, like propanol and 3-methyl-1-butanol , as well as compounds that are never desired such as acetone , acetaldehyde and glycols . Congeners are responsible for most of

2150-1189: Is small and the physician should not hesitate to use quinine in people with G6PD deficiency when there is no alternative. While not necessarily an absolute contraindication, concomitant administration of quinine with drugs primarily metabolized by CYP2D6 may lead to higher than expected plasma concentrations of the drug, due to quinine's strong inhibition of the enzyme. Quinine can cause unpredictable serious and life-threatening blood and cardiovascular reactions including low platelet count and hemolytic–uremic syndrome / thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (HUS/TTP), long QT syndrome and other serious cardiac arrhythmias including torsades de pointes , blackwater fever , disseminated intravascular coagulation , leukopenia , and neutropenia . Some people who have developed TTP due to quinine have gone on to develop kidney failure . It can also cause serious hypersensitivity reactions including anaphylactic shock, urticaria , serious skin rashes, including Stevens–Johnson syndrome and toxic epidermal necrolysis , angioedema , facial edema, bronchospasm , granulomatous hepatitis , and itchiness. The most common adverse effects involve

2236-465: Is that the dose can be expelled before it is completely absorbed; in practice, this is corrected by giving a further half dose. No injectable preparation of quinine is licensed in the US; quinidine is used instead. Quinine is a flavor component of tonic water and bitter lemon drink mixers . On the soda gun behind many bars, tonic water is designated by the letter "Q" representing quinine. Tonic water

2322-642: Is that the majority of the drink's fermentable sugar is derived from honey. Mead can also be referred to as "honeywine." Pulque is the Mesoamerican fermented drink made from the "honey water" of maguey , Agave americana . Pulque can be distilled to produce tequila or Mezcal . Rice wine is an alcoholic drink fermented and possibly distilled from rice , consumed in East Asia , Southeast Asia and South Asia . Sake , huangjiu , mijiu , and cheongju are popular examples of East Asian rice wine . Wine

2408-403: Is unclear if use during pregnancy carries potential for fetal harm, treating malaria during pregnancy with quinine when appropriate is still recommended. Quinine is an alkaloid , a naturally occurring chemical compound. How it works as a medicine is not entirely clear. Quinine was first isolated in 1820 from the bark of a cinchona tree, which is native to Peru , and its molecular formula

2494-816: Is used in photochemistry as a common fluorescence standard . Because of the narrow difference between its therapeutic and toxic effects, quinine is a common cause of drug-induced disorders, including thrombocytopenia and thrombotic microangiopathy . Even from minor levels occurring in common beverages, quinine can have severe adverse effects involving multiple organ systems, among which are immune system effects and fever , hypotension , hemolytic anemia , acute kidney injury , liver toxicity, and blindness. In people with atrial fibrillation , conduction defects , or heart block , quinine can cause heart arrhythmias , and should be avoided. Quinine can cause hemolysis in G6PD deficiency (an inherited deficiency), but this risk

2580-443: Is wine that has had a spirit added to it. Many different styles of fortified wine have been developed, including port , sherry, madeira , marsala , commandaria , and the aromatized wine vermouth . Rectified spirit , also called "neutral grain spirit", is alcohol which has been purified by means of "rectification" (i.e. repeated distillation). The term neutral refers to the spirit's lack of flavor that would have been present if

2666-890: The Cinchona Missions . Such supplies came too late. Tens of thousands of US troops in Africa and the South Pacific died of malaria due to the lack of quinine. Despite controlling the supply, the Japanese did not make effective use of quinine, and thousands of Japanese troops in the southwest Pacific died as a result. Quinine remained the antimalarial drug of choice until after World War II. Since then, other drugs that have fewer side effects, such as chloroquine , have largely replaced it. Bromo Quinine were brand name cold tablets containing quinine, manufactured by Grove Laboratories. They were first marketed in 1889 and available until at least

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2752-568: The Countess of Chinchon was debunked by medical historian Alec Haggis around 1941. During the 17th century, malaria was endemic to the swamps and marshes surrounding the city of Rome . It had caused the deaths of several popes , many cardinals and countless common Roman citizens. Most of the Catholic priests trained in Rome had seen malaria patients and were familiar with the shivering brought on by

2838-523: The Great Rebellion . The alcohol monopoly system has a long history in various countries, often implemented to limit the availability and consumption of alcohol for public health and social welfare reasons. The alcohol monopoly was created in the Swedish town of Falun in 1850, to prevent overconsumption and reduce the profit motive for sales of alcohol. It later went all over the country in 1905 when

2924-763: The Swedish parliament ordered all sales of vodka to be done via local alcohol monopolies. In 1894, the Russian Empire established a state monopoly on vodka, which became a major source of revenue for the Russian government. Later in the nineteenth century opposition to alcohol grew in the form of the temperance movement , in the United States , United Kingdom , Canada , Scandinavia and India , and it eventually led to national prohibitions in Canada (1918 to 1920), Norway (spirits only from 1919 to 1926 ), Finland (1919 to 1932), and

3010-439: The congeners . Freeze distillation concentrates ethanol along with methanol and fusel alcohols (fermentation by-products partially removed by distillation) in applejack . Fortified wine is wine, such as port or sherry , to which a distilled beverage (usually brandy ) has been added. Fortified wine is distinguished from spirits made from wine in that spirits are produced by means of distillation , while fortified wine

3096-525: The febrile phase of the disease. The Jesuit Agostino Salumbrino (1564–1642), an apothecary by training who lived in Lima (now in present-day Peru ), observed the Quechua using the bark of the cinchona tree to treat such shivering. While its effect in treating malaria (and malaria-induced shivering) was unrelated to its effect in controlling shivering from rigors , it was a successful medicine against malaria. At

3182-554: The heme detoxification pathway, which facilitates the aggregation of cytotoxic heme . Free cytotoxic heme accumulates in the parasites, causing their deaths. Quinine may target the malaria purine nucleoside phosphorylase enzyme. The UV absorption of quinine peaks around 350 nm (in UVA ). Fluorescent emission peaks at around 460 nm (bright blue/cyan hue). Quinine is highly fluorescent ( quantum yield ~0.58) in 0.1  M sulfuric acid solution. Cinchona trees remain

3268-402: The tryptamine side-chain cleavage, giving cinchonidinone. For the last step, hydroxylation and methylation gives quinine. Quinine and other Cinchona alkaloids can be used as catalysts for stereoselective reactions in organic synthesis . For example, the quinine-catalyzed Michael addition of a malononitrile to α,β-enones gives a high degree of sterechemical control. Quinine

3354-411: The 1940s, when other drugs took over. The form of quinine most effective in treating malaria was found by Charles Marie de La Condamine in 1737. In 1820, French researchers Pierre Joseph Pelletier and Joseph Bienaimé Caventou first isolated quinine from the bark of a tree in the genus Cinchona – probably Cinchona pubescens – and subsequently named the substance. The name was derived from

3440-417: The 1960s. Conducting research in central Missouri, John S. Sappington independently developed an anti-malaria pill from quinine. Sappington began importing cinchona bark from Peru in 1820. In 1832, using quinine derived from the cinchona bark, Sappington developed a pill to treat a variety of fevers, such as scarlet fever, yellow fever, and influenza in addition to malaria. These illnesses were widespread in

3526-615: The Encouraging of the Distillation of Brandy and Spirits from Corn" Alcoholic beverages played an important role in the Thirteen Colonies from their early days when drinking wine and beer at that time was safer than drinking water – which was usually taken from sources also used to dispose of sewage and garbage. Drinking hard liquor was common occurrence in early nineteenth-century United States. The Whiskey Rebellion (also known as

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3612-505: The FDA has ordered firms to stop marketing unapproved drug products containing quinine. The FDA is also cautioning consumers about off-label use of quinine to treat leg cramps. Quinine is approved for treatment of malaria, but was also commonly prescribed to treat leg cramps and similar conditions. Because malaria is life-threatening, the risks associated with quinine use are considered acceptable when used to treat that condition. Though Legatrin

3698-670: The Kina Bureau proved unsuccessful. During World War II , Allied powers were cut off from their supply of quinine when Germany conquered the Netherlands, and Japan controlled the Philippines and Indonesia . The US had obtained four million cinchona seeds from the Philippines and began operating cinchona plantations in Costa Rica . Additionally, they began harvesting wild cinchona bark during

3784-491: The Missouri and Mississippi valleys. He manufactured and sold "Dr. Sappington's Anti-Fever Pills" across Missouri. Demand became so great that within three years, Sappington founded a company known as Sappington and Sons to sell his pills nationwide. The bark of Remijia contains 0.5–2% of quinine. The bark is cheaper than bark of Cinchona . As it has an intense taste, it is used for making tonic water . From 1969 to 1992,

3870-499: The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) received 157 reports of health problems related to quinine use, including 23 which had resulted in death. In 1994, the FDA banned the marketing of over-the-counter quinine as a treatment for nocturnal leg cramps. Pfizer Pharmaceuticals had been selling the brand name Legatrin for this purpose. It is also sold as a softgel (by SmithKlineBeecham) as Q-vel. Doctors may still prescribe quinine, but

3956-483: The United States (1920 to 1933), as well as provincial prohibition in India (1948 to present). Beer is a beverage fermented from grain mash . It is typically made from barley or a blend of several grains and flavored with hops . Most beer is naturally carbonated as part of the fermentation process. If the fermented mash is distilled, then the drink becomes a spirit . Beer is the most consumed alcoholic beverage in

4042-587: The WHO declared that 'the risk to the drinker’s health starts from the first drop of any alcoholic beverage.' Discovery of late Stone Age jugs suggests that intentionally fermented drinks existed at least as early as the Neolithic period. The oldest verifiable brewery has been found in a prehistoric burial site in a cave near Haifa in modern-day Israel . Researchers have found residue of 13,000-year-old beer that they think might have been used for ritual feasts to honor

4128-469: The Whiskey Insurrection) was a violent tax protest in the United States beginning in 1791 and ending in 1794 during the presidency of George Washington . The so-called "whiskey tax" was the first tax imposed on a domestic product by the newly formed federal government. Beer was difficult to transport and spoiled more easily than rum and whiskey. The Rum Rebellion of 1808 was a coup d'état in

4214-515: The alkaloid from natural sources. The first synthetic organic dye , mauveine , was discovered by William Henry Perkin in 1856 while he was attempting to synthesize quinine. In the first step of quinine biosynthesis , the enzyme strictosidine synthase catalyzes a stereoselective Pictet–Spengler reaction between tryptamine and secologanin to yield strictosidine . Suitable modification of strictosidine leads to an aldehyde. Hydrolysis and decarboxylation would initially remove one carbon from

4300-573: The commercial aromatic bitters that would emerge from this period, perhaps the best known is Angostura bitters . In spite of its name, the preparation contains no medicinal bark from the angostura tree; instead, it is named after the town of Angostura, present-day Ciudad Bolívar , in Venezuela. Eventually the factory was moved from Bolivar to Port of Spain, Trinidad in 1875. German physician Johann Gottlieb Benjamin Siegert  [ de ] had compounded

4386-454: The dead. The traces of a wheat-and-barley-based alcohol were found in stone mortars carved into the cave floor. The Carmona Wine Urn is a first century Roman glass urn containing intact wine . Discovered in 2019 in Carmona, Spain during excavations of the city's western Roman necropolis , analysis of the urn's contents five years after has deemed the vessel as the oldest surviving wine in

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4472-565: The distillation of various substances. The distillation of wine is attested in Arabic works attributed to al-Kindī ( c.  801 –873 CE) and to al-Fārābī ( c.  872 –950), and in the 28th book of al-Zahrāwī 's (Latin: Abulcasis, 936–1013) Kitāb al-Taṣrīf (later translated into Latin as Liber servatoris ). 12th century: The process of distillation spread from the Middle East to Italy, where distilled alcoholic drinks were recorded in

4558-426: The drink and make it more complex, giving it a more complete flavor profile. The botanical ingredients used historically in preparing bitters have consisted of aromatic herbs, bark, roots, and/or fruit for their flavor and medicinal properties. Some of the more common ingredients are cascarilla , cassia (Chinese cinnamon), gentian , orange peel , and cinchona bark . Most bitters contain both water and alcohol ,

4644-417: The existence of drinking games dates back to antiquity. Drinking games have been banned at some institutions, particularly colleges and universities. A drinking song is a song sung while drinking an alcoholic beverage. A beer garden (German: Biergarten ) is an outdoor area in which beer and food are served, typically at shared tables shaded by trees. A beer hall ( German : Bierpalast, Bierhalle )

4730-484: The export of cinchona seeds and saplings in the early 19th century. In 1865, Manuel Incra Mamani collected seeds from a plant particularly high in quinine and provided them to Charles Ledger . Ledger sent them to his brother, who sold them to the Dutch government. Mamani was arrested on a seed collecting trip in 1871, and beaten so severely, likely because of providing the seeds to foreigners, that he died soon afterwards. By

4816-503: The first known use of a chemical compound to treat an infectious disease. As of 2006, quinine is no longer recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) as a first-line treatment for malaria , because there are other substances that are equally effective with fewer side effects. They recommend that it be used only when artemisinins are not available. Quinine is also used to treat lupus and arthritis . Quinine

4902-478: The first opportunity, Salumbrino sent a small quantity to Rome for testing as a malaria treatment. In the years that followed, cinchona bark, known as Jesuit's bark or Peruvian bark, became one of the most valuable commodities shipped from Peru to Europe. When King Charles II was cured of malaria at the end of the 17th Century with quinine, it became popular in London . It remained the antimalarial drug of choice until

4988-399: The iridoid portion and produce corynantheal. Then the tryptamine side-chain were cleaved adjacent to the nitrogen, and this nitrogen was then bonded to the acetaldehyde function to yield cinchonaminal. Ring opening in the indole heterocyclic ring could generate new amine and keto functions. The new quinoline heterocycle would then be formed by combining this amine with the aldehyde produced in

5074-428: The labeling of the percentage alcohol content (as ABV or proof ) and the use of a warning label . Some countries ban the consumption of alcoholic drinks , but they are legal in most parts of the world. The temperance movement advocates against the consumption of alcoholic beverages. The global alcoholic drink industry exceeded $ 1.5 trillion in 2017. Alcohol is one of the most widely used recreational drugs in

5160-555: The late 19th century the Dutch grew the plants in Indonesian plantations. Soon they became the main suppliers of the tree. In 1913 they set up the Kina Bureau , a cartel of cinchona producers charged with controlling price and production. By the 1930s Dutch plantations in Java were producing 22 million pounds of cinchona bark, or 97% of the world's quinine production. U.S. attempts to prosecute

5246-406: The latter of which functions as a solvent for botanical extracts as well as a preservative. The alcoholic strength of bitters varies widely across brands and styles. Some modern bitters are made with vegetable glycerin instead, allowing those avoiding alcohol to enjoy them. The origins of bitters go back to the ancient Egyptians, who may have infused medicinal herbs in jars of wine. This practice

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5332-425: The mash ingredients had been distilled to a lower level of alcoholic purity. Rectified spirit also lacks any flavoring added to it after distillation (as is done, for example, with gin ). Other kinds of spirits, such as whiskey , (or whisky) are distilled to a lower alcohol percentage to preserve the flavor of the mash. Rectified spirit is a clear, colorless, flammable liquid that may contain as much as 95% ABV . It

5418-405: The medicinal properties of cinchona bark by the 1570s or earlier: Nicolás Monardes (1571) and Juan Fragoso (1572) both described a tree, which was subsequently identified as the cinchona tree, whose bark was used to produce a drink to treat diarrhea . Quinine has been used in unextracted form by Europeans since at least the early 17th century. A popular story of how it was brought to Europe by

5504-483: The medicine's intensely bitter flavor. Trace quantities of quinine are still included as a flavoring in tonic water , which is used today mostly in drinks with gin . Pioneering mixologist Jerry Thomas was largely responsible for an increase in the popularity of bitters in the United States when he released How to Mix Drinks or The Bon-Vivant's Companion in 1862. Digestive bitters are typically consumed in many European and South American countries either neat or on

5590-570: The mid-12th century. In Italy, the works of Taddeo Alderotti (1223–1296) describe a method for concentrating alcohol involving repeated fractional distillation through a water-cooled still. By the early 14th century, distilled alcoholic drinks had spread throughout the European continent . Distillation spread to Ireland and Scotland no later than the 15th century, as did the common European practice of distilling " aqua vitae ", primarily for medicinal purposes. in 1690, England passed "An Act for

5676-488: The most common distilled drinks, such as whisky (or whiskey) and vodka, the alcohol content is around 40%. The term hard liquor is used in North America to distinguish distilled drinks from undistilled ones (implicitly weaker). Brandy , gin , mezcal , rum , tequila , vodka , whisky (or wiskey) , baijiu , shōchū and soju are examples of distilled drinks. Distilling concentrates the alcohol and eliminates some of

5762-761: The neolithic village of Jiahu in the Henan province of northern China revealed residue left behind by the alcoholic drinks they had once contained. According to a study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences , chemical analysis of the residue confirmed that a fermented drink made of grape and hawthorn fruit wine, honey mead and rice beer was being produced in 7000–5600 BC (McGovern et al., 2005; McGovern 2009). The results of this analysis were published in December 2004. The earliest evidence of winemaking

5848-456: The nineteenth century, the British practice of adding herbal bitters (used as preventive medicines) to Canary wine had become immensely popular in the former American colonies. By 1806, American publications referenced the popularity of a new preparation, termed cocktail , which was described as a combination of "a stimulating liquor, composed of spirits of any kind, sugar, water, and bitters". Of

5934-419: The only economically practical source of quinine. However, under wartime pressure during World War II, research towards its synthetic production was undertaken. A formal chemical synthesis was accomplished in 1944 by American chemists R.B. Woodward and W.E. Doering . Since then, several more efficient quinine total syntheses have been achieved, but none of them can compete in economic terms with isolation of

6020-444: The original Quechua (Inca) word for the cinchona tree bark, quina or quina-quina , which means "bark of bark" or "holy bark". Prior to 1820, the bark was dried, ground to a fine powder, and mixed into a liquid (commonly wine) in order to be drunk. Large-scale use of quinine as a malaria prophylaxis started around 1850. In 1853 Paul Briquet published a brief history and discussion of the literature on "quinquina". Quinine played

6106-460: The period is orange bitters , the flavor of which ranges from dryly aromatic to fruity, and which is most commonly made from the rinds of Seville oranges and spices. Orange bitters are commonly called for in older cocktail recipes. An early recipe for such bitters is in The English and Australian Cookery Book : "Make your own bitters as follows, and we can vouch for their superiority. One ounce and

6192-410: The precise mechanism of action of quinine has not been fully resolved, although in vitro studies indicate it inhibits nucleic acid and protein synthesis, and inhibits glycolysis in P. falciparum . The most widely accepted hypothesis of its action is based on the well-studied and closely related quinoline drug, chloroquine . This model involves the inhibition of hemozoin biocrystallization in

6278-499: The risk of serious side effects . It can be taken by mouth or intravenously . Malaria resistance to quinine occurs in certain areas of the world. Quinine is also used as an ingredient in tonic water and other beverages to impart a bitter taste. Common side effects include headache, ringing in the ears , vision issues, and sweating . More severe side effects include deafness , low blood platelets , and an irregular heartbeat . Use can make one more prone to sunburn . While it

6364-419: The rocks at the end of a meal. Many, including popular Italian-style amaros and German-style Kräuterlikörs , are often used in cocktails as well. Some notable examples of modern digestive bitters include: Cocktail bitters are used for flavoring cocktails in drops or dashes. In the United States, many cocktail bitters are classified as alcoholic non-beverage products ( non-beverage meaning not consumed like

6450-439: The taste and aroma of distilled alcoholic drinks and contribute to the taste of non-distilled drinks. It has been suggested that these substances contribute to the symptoms of a hangover . Tannins are congeners found in wine in the presence of phenolic compounds. Wine tannins add bitterness, have a drying sensation, taste herbaceous, and are often described as astringent . Wine tannins add balance, complexity, structure and make

6536-514: The then-British penal colony of New South Wales , staged by the New South Wales Corps in order to depose Governor William Bligh . Australia's first and only military coup, its name derives from the illicit rum trade of early Sydney , over which the 'Rum Corps', as it became known, maintained a monopoly. During the first half of the 19th century, it was widely referred to in Australia as

6622-444: The world, and about 33% of all humans currently drink alcohol. In 2015, among Americans , 86% of adults had consumed alcohol at some point, with 70% drinking it in the last year and 56% in the last month. Several other animals are affected by alcohol similarly to humans and, once they consume it, will consume it again if given the opportunity, though humans are the only species known to produce alcoholic drinks intentionally. Alcohol

6708-599: The world, surpassing the previous record holder, the Speyer wine bottle (discovered in 1867) by three centuries. Beer was likely brewed from barley as early as 13,000 years ago in the Middle East. Pliny the Elder wrote about the golden age of winemaking in Rome , the 2nd century BCE (200–100 BCE), when vineyards were planted. Examination and analysis of ancient pottery jars from

6794-504: The world. Cider or cyder ( / ˈ s aɪ d ər / SY -dər ) is a fermented alcoholic drink made from any fruit juice ; apple juice (traditional and most common), peaches , pears (" Perry " cider) or other fruit. Cider alcohol content varies from 1.2% ABV to 8.5% or more in traditional English ciders. In some regions, cider may be called " apple wine ". Fermented water is an ethanol -based water solution with approximately 15-17% ABV without sweet reserve . Fermented water

6880-468: Was banned by the FDA for the treatment of leg cramps, the drug manufacturer URL Mutual has branded a quinine-containing drug named Qualaquin. It is marketed as a treatment for malaria and is sold in the United States only by prescription. In 2004, the CDC reported only 1,347 confirmed cases of malaria in the United States. For much of the 20th century, women's use of an overdose of quinine to deliberately terminate

6966-609: Was dated at 6,000 to 5,800 BCE in Georgia in the South Caucasus . Celtic people were known to have been making types of alcoholic cider as early as 3000 BC. and wine was consumed in Classical Greece at breakfast or at symposia , and in the 1st century BC. Medieval Muslim chemists such as Jābir ibn Ḥayyān (Latin: Geber, ninth century) and Abū Bakr al-Rāzī (Latin: Rhazes, c.  865–925 ) experimented extensively with

7052-472: Was determined by Adolph Strecker in 1854. The class of chemical compounds to which it belongs is thus called the cinchona alkaloids. Bark extracts had been used to treat malaria since at least 1632 and it was introduced to Spain as early as 1636 by Jesuit missionaries returning from the New World . It is on the World Health Organization's List of Essential Medicines . Treatment of malaria with quinine marks

7138-448: Was frequently prescribed as an off-label treatment for leg cramps at night , but this has become less common since 2010 due to a warning from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that such practice is associated with life-threatening side effects. Quinine can also act as a competitive inhibitor of monoamine oxidase (MAO), an enzyme that removes neurotransmitters from the brain. As an MAO inhibitor , it has potential to serve as

7224-475: Was further developed during the Middle Ages , when the availability of distilled alcohol coincided with a renaissance in pharmacognosy , which made possible more-concentrated herbal bitters and tonic preparations. Many of the brands and styles of digestive bitters today reflect herbal stomachic and tonic preparations whose roots are claimed to be traceable back to Renaissance era pharmacopoeia and traditions. By

7310-474: Was initially marketed as a means of delivering quinine to consumers in order to offer anti-malarial protection. According to tradition, because of the bitter taste of anti- malarial quinine tonic, British colonials in India mixed it with gin to make it more palatable, thus creating the gin and tonic cocktail, which is still popular today. While it is possible to drink enough tonic water to temporarily achieve quinine levels that offer anti-malarial protection, it

7396-494: Was used as a muscle relaxant by the Quechua people, who are indigenous to Peru , Bolivia and Ecuador , to halt shivering. The Quechua would mix the ground bark of cinchona trees with sweetened water to offset the bark's bitter taste, thus producing something similar to tonic water . Spanish Jesuit missionaries were the first to bring cinchona to Europe. The Spanish had observed the Quechua's use of cinchona and were aware of

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