General term (also referred to as alcoholic beverages or, especially in relation to higher-proof spirits, spirituous beverages) for beverages with a certain proportion of potable alcohol (ethanol). This includes all beverages whose alcohol is produced solely through alcoholic fermentation, such as beer and wine, as well as high-proof distillates from such beverages or from fermented mashes and their mixed products.
For most alcoholic beverages, there are EU regulations and/or country-specific legal provisions regarding production. According to the Foodstuffs Act, they are regarded as pure luxury foods. Due to the toxic effect of ethanol on the central and peripheral nervous system, the liver and other organs, alcoholic beverages are harmful to health, especially when consumed regularly and in large quantities.
The glossary is a monumental achievement and one of the most important contributions to wine knowledge. Of all the encyclopaedias I use on the subject of wine, it is by far the most important. That was the case ten years ago and it hasn't changed since.
Andreas Essl
Autor, Modena