2018Q1SpiritedVirginia - 26

chemical compounds
either come from
the cork itself or are
transferred through it.
How does taint
occur? After the bottle
is corked, naturally
occurring airborne
fungi come into contact
with chlorophenol-an
organic compound
of chlorine used in
pesticides and wood
preservatives-which
is then converted into
an anisole derivative,
a type of ether. The
chemical process may
be complex, but the
result is quite simple:
your drink smells like
wet dog or a moldy
basement. This only
happens 1-2 percent of
the time, but when it
does you've got a major
problem.
Is there something
better than cork? For
the past 20 years,
experts have intently debated the
issue without coming to much of
a consensus.
Synthetic or "technical" corks
are cheaper and don't decay-
there's no drying out, crumbling
to dust, or wet-dog smell. They
can be made to order in a variety
of colors and designs. However,
they're sometimes harder to get
back in the bottle than natural
corks. They also let a bit more
oxygen into the bottle, are less
eco-friendly, and don't biodegrade.
What about stoppers? They
can be made of acrylic, rubber or
practically any other material.
Like synthetic corks, they won't
fall apart. They're also quite easy
to get in and out of a bottle. Some
have resin bands fitted on the

26 VIRGINIA ABC | ABC.VIRGINIA.GOV

end to make a solid, airtight seal.
Stoppers can also be unreliable,
falling out of the bottle when you
least expect it, especially if they're
inexpensive or there's no resin
band. Most stoppers aren't very
classy or attractive-a glass model
can be quite elegant, but naturally
they cost more.
Screw caps-also called
Stelvins-are effective for a variety
of reasons. They're easy to open,
cheaper than cork, airtight, simple,
and there's no chance of decay. A
cap never breaks and you don't
need a special tool to open it, just
your wrist. Basically, everything is
great about a Stelvin, except PR.
People assume that a cork signifies
a quality spirit-especially if it's
accessorized with a paper seal or
some other flourish.

So which is better?
Remember when we
talked about oxygen?
As it enters the bottle,
the proof of your spirit
will increase and the
taste may improve, up
to a point. Some of it
will evaporate, too. A
little oxygen is good. If
you're going to store the
bottle for a long period
of time, cork is probably
the better option-as
long as it doesn't decay.
If you're going to drink
the bottle fairly quickly,
however, a screw cap or
high-quality stopper is a
better option.
The wine industry
has been slowly moving
away from cork for
several decades. If it
weren't for the romantic
associations we have
with cork, the transition
would be a lot quicker.
The spirits industry is
moving in the opposite
direction. Many of today's highend or craft spirits are finished
with a fancy cork and seal. We
like the sound of a popping cork,
no matter how many dry, broken,
difficult corks we've encountered.
We enjoy the ritual of uncorking
a bottle because it makes us feel
connected to a tradition that goes
back thousands of years. And of
course they look cool. Irrational,
but true. Screw caps are better,
most of the time, but for bottles
we want to age, corks are usually
the way to go.
Ultimately there's no right
answer to the debate. Let's just be
glad we've progressed from the
Middle Ages, when bottles were
often stopped with oily rags, hemp
or wooden plugs.
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2018Q1SpiritedVirginia

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