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Spirits

Spirits

Elegant and smooth, fiery and round, distillates, or spirits, are the result of a distillation process of a fermented product, usually of vegetable origin, such as cereals, roots, sugar cane, tubers, fruits or wine and derivatives. It is a very ancient technique dating back to the Egyptians, consolidated by the Greeks and Romans, and then perfected by the Arabs with the development of the alembic, the instrument for extracting the spirit. Also known as eaux-de-vie or vine water, despite their high alcohol content, they encompass a vast and complex world, including Whisky, Grappa, Rum, Tequila, Cognac and a host of other products that represent a unique cultural and historical heritage.

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755 results
Salted Gin Extillo - 50cl
Extillo
50 cl / 49% | Lombardia (Italy)
31,20 
31,20 
Rum Zacapa Solera Gran Reserva
Zacapa
70 cl / 40% | Quetzaltenango (Guatemala)
53,50 
53,50 
Amaro Camatti
Distilleria Sangallo Cinque Terre
70 cl / 20% | Liguria (Italy)
17,50 
17,50 
Whisky 'From The Barrel' Nikka - 50cl
Nikka
50 cl / 51.4% | Honshu Tohoku (Japan)
39,80 
39,80 
Grappa di Nebbiolo Riserva affinata in Botti di Porto Sibona - 50cl
4/5
Bibenda
Sibona
50 cl / 44% | Piemonte (Italy)
29,50 
29,50 
Gin Mare Mediterranean
Gin Mare - Marc e Manuel Girò
70 cl / 42.7% | Catalogna (Spain)
34,90 €31,00 
31,00 
Only 2 left!
Rum Pyrat XO
Pyrat
70 cl / 40% | Anguilla (Caribbean)
40,90 
40,90 
Only 4 left!
Aperol Campari - 100cl
Campari
100 cl / 11% | Lombardia (Italy)
13,50 
13,50 
Only 4 left!
Cognac Grande Fine Champagne Peyrot VSOP
Peyrot
70 cl / 40% | Poitou Charentes (France)
49,50 
49,50 
Gin 'Roku' Suntory
Suntory
70 cl / 43% | Honshu Tohoku (Japan)
28,00 
28,00 
Bitter Fusetti - 100cl
Dripstillery
100 cl / 25% | Lombardia (Italy)
20,70 
20,70 
Amaro Farmily
Farmily Spirits
70 cl / 28% | Lombardia (Italy)
26,40 
26,40 
Centerbe Chinati Vergano
Chinati Vergano
50 cl / 32% | Piemonte (Italy)
35,00 
35,00 
Gin 'Coca Leaf Green' Amuerte
Amuerte
70 cl / 43%
57,50 
57,50 
Amaro Scoccia - 50cl
Scoccia
50 cl / 30% | Sicilia (Italy)
21,00 
21,00 
Last One Left!
Bas Armagnac Chateau de Laubade VSOP
Château de Laubade
70 cl / 40% | Midi Pyrenees (France)
48,70 
48,70 
Gin Hendrick's
Girvan Distillery
70 cl / 44% | Lowlands (Scotland)
31,90 
31,90 
Gin Etsu
Distilleria Asahikawa
70 cl / 43% | Hokkaido (Japan)
39,90 
39,90 
Gin 'Onde' Terrae
Gin Terrae
70 cl / 41% | Liguria (Italy)
54,50 
54,50 
Amaro Importante 'Jefferson' Vecchio Magazzino Doganale
Vecchio Magazzino Doganale
70 cl / 30% | Calabria (Italy)
28,90 
28,90 
Bourbon Whisky Kentucky Straight Woodford Reserve
Woodford Reserve Distillery
70 cl / 43.2% | Kentucky (United States)
37,00 €34,80 
34,80 
Only 6 left!
Grappa '41°' Nonino
Nonino
70 cl / 41% | Friuli Venezia Giulia (Italy)
20,80 
20,80 
Last One Left!
Gin 'Japanese Yuzu' Ukiyo
Ukiyo Spirits
70 cl / 40%
46,00 
46,00 
Rum 'Baroko' Don Papa
Don Papa
70 cl / 40% | Isola di Negros (Philippins)
36,00 
36,00 
Alkermes Santa Maria Novella - 50cl
Santa Maria Novella
50 cl / 35% | Toscana (Italy)
47,70 
47,70 
Only 5 left!
Rum Millonario XO (Packaging)
Millonario
70 cl / 40% | Lambayeque (Perù)
85,00 
85,00 
Only 5 left!
Amaro Sibona - 50cl
Sibona
50 cl / 28% | Piemonte (Italy)
11,70 
11,70 
Only 4 left!
Gin DelMago - 50cl
DelMago
50 cl / 40% | Piemonte (Italy)
42,40 
42,40 
Amaro della Compagnia Florio - 70cl
Florio
70 cl / 32% | Sicilia (Italy)
18,80 
18,80 
Last One Left!
Gin 'Premier Cru' Bombay Sapphire
Bombay Sapphire
70 cl / 47% | Inghilterra Sud-Est (England)
32,90 
32,90 
Rum Bumbu
Bumbu
70 cl / 40% | Barbados (Caribbean)
38,50 
38,50 
Only 5 left!
Rum Reserva Especial Millonario 15 Anni
Millonario
70 cl / 40% | Lambayeque (Perù)
44,50 
44,50 
Only 5 left!
Gin The Illusionist - 50cl
The Illusionist
50 cl / 45% | Baviera (Germany)
43,50 
43,50 
Whisky Single Malt Ardbeg 10 Anni
Ardbeg
70 cl / 46% | Islands (Scotland)
54,50 €49,10 
49,10 
Bitter Alpino Doladira
Doladira
70 cl / 22% | Borgogna (France)
36,50 
36,50 
Gin Nordés
Atlantic Galician Spirits
70 cl / 40% | Galizia (Spain)
29,00 
29,00 
Bitter Fusetti - 50cl
Dripstillery
50 cl / 25% | Lombardia (Italy)
15,40 
15,40 
Whisky Single Malt 'Finlaggan Old Reserve' The Vintage Malt Whisky
Vintage Malt Whisky
70 cl / 40% | Islands (Scotland)
41,50 
41,50 
Gin London Dry Tanqueray - 100cl
Cameronbridge - Tanqueray
100 cl / 43% | Fife (Scotland)
22,00 
22,00 
‌Gin Rosa Malfy
Torino Distillati
70 cl / 41% | Piemonte (Italy)
28,90 
28,90 
Grappa 'Solera Collezione' Segnana
5/5
Bibenda
Segnana
70 cl / 42% | Trentino (Italy)
28,90 
28,90 
Only 3 left!
Liqueur au Cognac Poire Peyrot
Peyrot
70 cl / 30% | Poitou Charentes (France)
33,00 
33,00 
Only 4 left!
Whisky Single Malt Quarter Cask Laphroaig
Laphroaig
70 cl / 48% | Islands (Scotland)
49,00 
49,00 
Liquore alla Camomilla in Grappa Finissima Sibona - 50cl
Sibona
50 cl / 32% | Piemonte (Italy)
16,50 
16,50 
Whisky Single Malt Lagavulin 16 Anni (Packaging)
Lagavulin
70 cl / 43% | Islands (Scotland)
78,50 
78,50 
Only 6 left!
Grappa di Amarone 'Pietro Dal Cero' Ca' Dei Frati - 50cl
Ca' dei Frati
50 cl / 43% | Veneto (Italy)
38,10 
38,10 
Gin London Dry Tanqueray
Cameronbridge - Tanqueray
70 cl / 43.1% | Fife (Scotland)
15,50 
15,50 
Only 4 left!
Amaro 'Leon' Riserva Castagner 7 Anni
Castagner
70 cl / 33% | Veneto (Italy)
27,30 
27,30 

The Origins

The birth of distilled spirits has very ancient roots dating back to the people of Mesopotamia. The technique was already known and used by the Babylonians and the ancient Egyptians, who used it to produce some kind of elixir. It was the Greeks who mastered and improved the technique, but they mainly used it to prepare medicines and essential oils. From the Mediterranean basin, it was the Romans who developed and improved the technique during the Hellenistic period. However, like the Greeks, the Latins never used it to make spirits. The first historical evidence dates back to the first alchemists of the 10th century, who, following the teachings of Arabian physicians, used stills to distil wines.

Over the years, the technique was also applied to different types of fermented liquids depending on the raw materials available in the area. So where the temperature and location did not permit the growth and cultivation of vines, other products such as cereals were successfully used. Even when explorers discovered the new world, they used sugar cane as a base product to produce new types. In later centuries, the art of ageing in wooden barrels was also developed, which greatly improved the final quality.

Today, the world of spirits is vast and growing. Whether they are the bread of barmen, ingredients of mixology or great meditation classics, spirits are not only the result of man's creative and noble art, but also the spokesmen of a tradition that goes beyond time.



Production Processes

Although production may seem easy, in reality it is a very long and complex process, requiring long experience and great skill on the part of the master distiller.

The first fundamental step is the preparation of a must to undergo alcoholic fermentation. To produce a great product, it is important to select high quality raw materials. In the case of products rich in water and simple sugars (fructose and glucose), such as grapes, apples and other fruits, simply pressing or grinding is enough to obtain a very sweet juice. In the case of cereals and tubers, it is more complicated because the starch, a complex sugar, is difficult to dissolve and ferment. So we proceed to malting, i.e. the materials are immersed in water that stimulates vegetative activity and the action of enzymes, which break down the starch into simpler sugars (maltose). The next step is drying to stop sprouting (in the case of barley, the famous barley malt is obtained at this stage), followed by milling and ending with infusion in heated water.

The second step is alcoholic fermentation, i.e. the transformation of the sugars present in the must into ethyl alcohol and other secondary substances. The process is catalysed by yeasts, such as Saccharomyces Cerevisiae, and can last from 2-4 days to a month.

The next step is distillation, which involves separating the volatile components of the fermented beverage based on the boiling temperature and turning them into vapours and condensing them into fine liquids. Alembic stills are used, which can be either continuous distillation, without interruption, or discontinuous, performing one 'crush' at a time. It is important at this stage to select the best part of the product. The first vapours, called heads, are the lightest, least valuable compounds and will therefore be discarded. The intermediate part, called the heart, is the noblest and therefore absolutely necessary to keep. The final vapours, the tails, are the heaviest, rich in alcohols and of poor quality and must therefore be discarded. The master distiller must then cut the heads and tails from the heart.

The next process is stabilisation. At this stage, many spirits are directly bottled at full strength because they have an already balanced and pleasant aromatic heritage. Others have to undergo some final touches, such as reducing the alcohol content by adding deionised water, refrigerating for a few hours to condense the heavier parts and then filtering them, and finally adding sugar if necessary.

This is followed by ageing for months, years or decades in wooden barrels. This stage allows the final result to be enriched with softer, sweeter notes of spices, roasting, vanilla, dried fruit and honey. In the case of Whisky and Cognac, the regulations require a compulsory passage in wooden barrels, while for Grappa or other types it is a process chosen by the producer.

The last possible step, before the distillates are sold, is aromatisation, i.e. the addition of medicinal plants, fruit or aromatic substances to the final product. In reality, this process is not viewed well by purists and connoisseurs because it can mask a poor quality product.



The World of Distillates

A first subdivision can be made according to the raw materials used:

Pomace: from which grappa is obtained

Cereals: from which Whisky, Gin and Vodka are made

Wine: from which Cognac and Brandy are produced

Fruit: from which apples are made into calvados

Sugar cane: from which Rum is made

Agave: for Tequila il and Mezcal

 

The area of origin of the product is also very important: ranging from whiskies online, which express the taste and tradition of Ireland and Scotland, to Russian vodka, a famous distillate from Eastern Europe. Callmewine's selection also embraces typical products from the Caribbean and Mexico, as well as French spirits such as Bas Armagnac. The world-famous Italian Grappa is also a must, and it comes in a wide range of varieties: Morbida, barricata, young, white, mono-varietal and poly-varietal.

Looking for a distillate online? Find out what Callmewine has to offer and receive the best bottles at an affordable price, directly in the comfort of your own home.

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