Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Fig. 16.17
Summary of the role of water in alcoholic beverages.
16.5 Water
Water is an added ingredient of all alcoholic beverages, except those where the
juice for fermentation is obtained by pressing, such as traditional cider, some
country wines, traditional perry and wine. Figure 16.17 summarises the roles
played by water in the manufacture of alcoholic drinks.
Brewers and distillers are the biggest users of water, brewing water often being
adjusted by the removal or addition (e.g. 'Burtonisation') of mineral salts for
specifi c beer types (McKay
et al.
2011b). Well or spring water is still used by
many European breweries with some in the UK (e.g. Butcombe Brewery in
Somerset, Jennings Brewery in Cumbria and Otter Brewery in Devon), but many
others now use municipal or water company supplies. Either way, the water safety
and quality must be in accord with specifi cations laid down by national regulations
(Fuller
et al.
2011b) regarding levels of contaminants (microbiological, organic
and heavy metal impurities in particular) and general quality. Examples of such
regulations include The Water Supply (Water Quality) Regulations 2000 (Statutory
Instrument No. 3184) (as amended) for England and Wales, or in the US, the
National Primary Drinking Water Regulations of the Environmental Protection
Agency (USEPA) - see Bamforth (2002).
Much water is used in the necessary dilution of new-make or matured spirits,
beers brewed by 'high gravity brewing' and high strength factory cider/perry, and
also (usually as spirit/water) in the production of certain herbal extracts. Sterile
fi ltered de-ionised or distilled water is often used for this purpose, but some sugar
cane spirit distillers use rain water or mountain spring water.
16.6 Future trends
At the time of writing (2011), mandatory labelling requirements regarding
additives and ingredients in alcoholic drinks are relatively liberal compared with
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