Buckwheat whisky is a type ofdistilled alcoholic beverage made entirely or principally frombuckwheat. It is produced in theBrittany region ofFrance and in theUnited States.Soba shōchū is a similar but weaker beverage produced inJapan.Liquor produced from the distillation ofbuckwheat honey is also sometimes sold as buckwheat whisky or whiskey, though technically this is a type of distilledmead.
Buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum) is a plant cultivated for itsgrain-like seeds. Despite the name, buckwheat is not related towheat and is in fact related tosorrel andrhubarb. It is a type ofpseudocereal, being a non-grass used in much the same way as a truecereal. Over a million acres of buckwheat were harvested in the United States in 1918,[1] but its cultivation declined sharply in the 20th century with the adoption ofnitrogen fertilizer, which increased the productivity of other crop staples.[citation needed]
The production of buckwheat whisky is comparable to the production of maltwhisky, except that all or most of thebarley is replaced with buckwheat. Buckwheat malt is produced by soaking the grains in water to allow them togerminate. Once the shoots appear, the buckwheat is dried, a process that causesenzymes in the buckwheat to convert the starch into fermentable sugars. The malt is ground in a mill and mixed with hot water to produce a sugary liquid.Yeast is added to causefermentation of the sugars into alcohol, which is thendistilled at least once to produce a colorless spirit. The spirit is then put intooak casks to mature.[2]
Distillerie des Menhirs is a family-owned business in the village ofPlomelin in Brittany, France. In 1998, the Le Lay family started producing the world's first pure buckwheat whisky, namedEddu Silver. "Eddu" means "buckwheat" in the localBreton language.Eddu Silver is produced from a double distillation process in a pot heated by a direct flame and is aged in French oak casks. It is described as having floral scents ofrose andheather, fruity touches ofhoney andmarmalade, and spicy notes ofnutmeg. Distillerie des Menhirs now produces a range of buckwheat whiskies, includingEddu Gold andEddu Grey Rock.[2][3]
Catskill Distilling Company ofBethel, New York, is owned by distiller Monte Sachs, who uses water from the nearbyCatskill Mountains to make its whisky. The company's buckwheat whisky is produced with 80% buckwheat.[4]
Heston Farm's Pinchgut Hollow Distillery is located in the town ofFairmont, West Virginia. The distillery has a heritage that dates back toProhibition and uses traditional recipes that have been handed down for generations.[5]
buckwheat production united states 1918.
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