LE NUANCIER DES ALCOOLS

The idea of a comparative guide on alcoholic drinks is born from a careful consideration of the learning methods applied during spirits training sessions at LMDW. The human brain looks for contrasts and learns best when identifying nuances between the different inputs it processes. Comparative tastings have proven very valuable, and we tend to introduce new spirits categories by referring to those that are already well established. All alcoholic beverages, from wines to beers and spirits, are gathered in this unique, easily searchable guide, which is designed to highlight their specific characteristics. Surprisingly, few publications cover all these categories together, even though there are obvious ties between them. Cognac is a distilled wine, gin is basically an infused vodka and the malt brewing process produces both beer and whisky. For these reasons, we set out to create an educational tool, which would serve as a reference guide to the various production methods, in the form of a compact index to always keep handy. Aside from the introduction, which deals with the production steps from a general perspective, each page is meant to be read individually, in no specific order like a dictionary, for the reader in search of a precise information or looking to discover a new category. We chose to present the information in a clear and succinct manner with limited wording, so that the key points stand out at first glance. This is especially useful when comparing categories side-by-side, to easily grasp the differences between tequila and mezcal for example, from the raw materials all the way to service suggestions. The author Didier Ghorbanzadeh is a certified trainer, whose career path has taken him from wine to spirits. After a master’s degree with the OIV (International Organisation of Vine and Wine), he worked in the wine industry in New York and in Germany before joining La Maison du Whisky in Paris, where he currently manages the Experts & Education department. Didier has lived in France, the USA and Japan.