Liquor (/ˈlɪkər/LIK-ər, sometimes hard liquor), spirits, distilled spirits, or spiritous liquor are alcoholic drinks produced by the distillation of grains, fruits, vegetables, or sugar that have already gone through alcoholic fermentation. While the word liquor ordinarily refers to distilled alcoholic spirits rather than drinks produced by fermentation alone, it can sometimes be used more broadly to refer to any alcoholic beverage (or even non-alcoholic ones produced by distillation or some other practices, such as the brewed liquor of a tea).
The distillation process concentrates the alcohol, so the resulting condensate has an increased alcohol by volume. As liquors contain significantly more alcohol (ethanol) than other alcoholic drinks, they are considered "harder". In North America, the term hard liquor is sometimes used to distinguish distilled alcoholic drinks from non-distilled ones, whereas the term spirits is more commonly used in the United Kingdom. Some examples of liquors include vodka, rum, gin and tequila. Liquors are often aged in barrels, such as for the production of brandy and whiskey, or are infused with flavorings to form flavored liquors, such as absinthe. (Full article...)
Rectified spirit, also known as neutral spirits, rectified alcohol or ethyl alcohol of agricultural origin, is highly concentrated ethanol that has been purified by means of repeated distillation in a process called rectification. In some countries, denatured alcohol or denatured rectified spirit may commonly be available as "rectified spirit", because in some countries (though not necessarily the same) the retail sale of rectified alcohol in its non-denatured form is prohibited.
The purity of rectified spirit has a practical limit of 97.2% ABV (95.6% by mass) when produced using conventional distillation processes, as a mixture of ethanol and water becomes a minimum-boiling azeotrope at this concentration. However, rectified spirit is typically distilled in continuous multi-column stills at 96–96.5% ABV and diluted as necessary. Ethanol is a commonly used medical alcohol — spiritus fortis is a medical term for ethanol solutions with 95% ABV.
Neutral spirits can be produced from grains, corn, grapes, sugar beets, sugarcane, tubers, or other fermentable materials such as whey. In particular, large quantities of neutral alcohol are distilled from wine and by-products of wine production (pomace, lees). A product made from grain is "neutral grain spirit", while a spirit made from grapes is called "grape neutral spirit" or "vinous alcohol". These terms are commonly abbreviated as either GNS or NGS. (Full article...)
Pálinka (Hungarian pronunciation:[ˈpaːliŋkɒ]ⓘ) is a traditional fruit spirit (or fruit brandy) with origins in medieval Hungary, known under several names. Protected as a geographical indication of the European Union, only fruit spirits mashed, distilled, matured and bottled in Hungary and similar apricot spirits from four provinces of Austria can be called "pálinka", while "Tótpálinka" refers to wheat-derived beverages. Törkölypálinka, a different product in the legal sense, is a similarly protected pomace spirit that is commonly included with pálinka. While pálinka may be made of any locally grown fruit, the most common ones are plums, apricots, apples, pears, and cherries.
The English loanword "schnapps" is derived from the colloquial German word Schnaps[ʃnaps]ⓘ (plural: Schnäpse), which is used in reference to spirit drinks. The word Schnaps stems from Low German and is related to the German term "schnappen", meaning "snap", which refers to the spirit usually being consumed in a quick slug from a small glass (i.e., a shot glass). (Full article...)
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A gin fizz is the best-known cocktail in the fizz family. A gin fizz contains gin, lemon juice, and sugar, which are shaken with ice, poured into a tumbler and topped with carbonated water. The drink is similar to a Tom Collins, with a possible distinction being a Tom Collins historically used "Old Tom gin" (a slightly sweeter precursor to London Dry Gin), whereas the kind of gin historically used in a gin fizz is unknown.
Akvavit or aquavit (/ˈɑːkwəviːt,-və-/) is a distilled spirit that is principally produced in Scandinavia, where it has been produced since the 15th century. Akvavit is distilled from grain or potatoes and is flavoured with a variety of spices and herbs. It is also popular in Northern Germany.
Akvavit gets its distinctive flavour from spices and herbs, and the dominant flavour must (according to the European Union) come from a distillate of caraway and/or dill seed. It typically contains 40% alcohol by volume, or 80 proof (U.S.). The EU has established a minimum of 37.5% ABV for akvavit to be named as such. (Full article...)
Arrack is a distilledalcoholic drink typically produced in India, Sri Lanka and Southeast Asia, made from the fermented sap of coconut flowers or sugarcane, and also with grain (e.g. red rice) or fruit depending upon the country of origin. It is sometimes spelled arak, or simply referred to as 'rack or 'rak. In many parts of India arrack is colloquially known as "desi daru".
There are two primary styles of arrack that are very different from one another: Batavia arrack is often clear in color but has a flavor profile more similar to dark rum, with a distinctive "funk" or "hogo" imparted to it from fermented red rice. Sri Lankan (Ceylon) arrack, by contrast, is a more refined and subtle spirit. It has hints of cognac and rum character and a wealth of delicate floral notes. Both styles are also made "in house" by local citizenry and can be more akin to moonshine in their presentation. (Full article...)
The drink is made by pouring the vodka and coffee liqueur over ice cubes or cracked ice in an old-fashioned glass and stirring. The Black Russian is often garnished with a lemon slice and a Luxardo maraschino cherry on a stick. (Full article...)
The Martinez is a classic cocktail that is widely regarded as the direct precursor to the Martini. It serves as the basis for many modern cocktails, and several different versions of the original exist. These are generally distinguished by the accompaniment of either maraschino or curaçao, as well as differences in gin or bitters. (Full article...)
The word horilka may also be used in a generic sense in the Ukrainian language to mean vodka or other strong spirits and etymologically is similar to the Ukrainian word for 'to burn' - hority. Home-distilled horilka, moonshine, is called samohon (Ukrainian: самогон, lit.'self-distilled' or 'self-run' - almost identical to the Russian and Polishsamogon). Horilka is usually distilled from grain (usually wheat or rye), though it can, less commonly, also be distilled from potatoes, honey, sugar beets etc. One type of horilka, called pertsivka (Ukrainian: перцівка), is horilka with chili peppers. Historically, outside Ukraine, pertsivka is generally referred to when people speak of horilka, although pertsivka itself is just one type of horilka. (Full article...)
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The French Martini is a cocktail made with vodka, raspberry liqueur, and pineapple juice. It is shaken with ice and strained into a martini glass or coupe glass, then garnished with a pineapple wedge or a raspberry. The drink is sweet and fruity, suitable as either a pre-dinner aperitif or a post-dinner digestif. While called a "martini," it does not contain gin or vermouth, instead belonging to the category of modern fruit-based cocktails.
The French Martini is typically served in a V-shaped glass (such as a martini or coupe glass), though it bears little resemblance to a classic martini, and includes vodka and raspberry liqueur. Its flavour profile is characterized by a smooth, medium-bodied balance—neither overly sweet nor excessively tart. Since its emergence, the cocktail has gained recognition as a popular modern creation within the new-era cocktail category. Numerous variations exist, with adjustments to ingredient ratios (e.g., vodka-to-liqueur proportions), alternative fruit components (such as substituting other tropical juices), or the use of different liqueurs to alter its sweetness or complexity. (Full article...)
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A margarita is a cocktail consisting of tequila, triple sec, and lime juice. Some margarita recipes include simple syrup as well and are often served with salt on the rim of the glass. Margaritas can be served either shaken with ice (on the rocks), without ice (straight up), or blended with ice (frozen margarita). Most bars serve margaritas in a stepped-diameter variant of a cocktail glass or champagne coupe called a margarita glass. The margarita is one of the world's most popular cocktails and the most popular tequila-based cocktail. (Full article...)
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An Aperol spritz
A spritz is a Venetianwine-based cocktail, commonly served as an apéritif across Italy. It consists of Prosecco, a mixer (usually soda water), and a flavouring ingredient, which can be a bitter liqueur, a bitter apéritif, an amaro or a syrup. The original spritz veneziano (Italian:[ˈspritsvenetˈtsjaːno]) uses the bitter apéritif Select as its flavouring ingredient and was created in Venice in 1920. Popular variants include the Aperol spritz and Campari spritz, which use respectively Aperol and Campari as flavouring ingredients.
Since 2011, spritz is an IBA official cocktail, initially listed as "spritz veneziano" then simply as "spritz". The spritz became widely popular outside of Italy in the 2010s and Aperol spritz was ranked as the world's ninth bestselling cocktail in 2019 by the website Drinks International. (Full article...)
A lemon drop is a vodka-based cocktail that has a lemony, sweet and sour flavor, prepared using vodka, triple sec, and fresh lemon juice. It has been described as a variant of, or as "a take on", the vodka martini, but is in fact closer to a daisy or a white lady variant. It is typically prepared and served straight up – chilled with ice and strained.
The drink was invented sometime in the 1970s by Norman Jay Hobday, the founder and proprietor of Henry Africa's bar in San Francisco, California. Variations of the drink exist, such as blueberry and raspberry lemon drops, and some recipes that call for simple syrup. It is served at some bars and restaurants in the United States, and in such establishments in other areas of the world. (Full article...)
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Ramos gin fizz at a bar in New Orleans
A Ramos gin fizz (also known as a "Ramos fizz" or "New Orleans fizz") contains gin, lemon juice, lime juice, egg white, sugar, cream, orange flower water, and soda water. It is served in a large non-tapered 12-to-14-US-fluid-ounce (350 to 410 ml) Collins glass.
The orange flower water and egg significantly affect the flavor and texture of a Ramos, compared to a regular gin fizz. The key to making this egg cocktail is dissolving the sugar before adding ice; the sugar acts as an emulsifier, and it and the alcohol "cook" the egg white. (Full article...)
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A tequila sunrise demonstrating its resemblance to an inverted sunrise, in a stemware rather than the usual collins glass
... that instead of drinking liquor with prospective clients, Arthur Harrison Motley sent them notes written in red pencil crayon, 10,000 times a year?
... that a liquor-drinking celebrity goat named Ioiô won an election for city councilman in Fortaleza?
Christian views on alcohol are varied. Throughout the first 1,800 years of Church history, Christians generally consumed alcoholic beverages as a common part of everyday life and used "the fruit of the vine" in their central rite—the Eucharist or Lord's Supper. They held that both the Bible and Christian tradition taught that alcohol is a gift from God that makes life more joyous, but that over-indulgence leading to drunkenness is sinful. However, the alcoholic content of ancient alcoholic beverages was significantly lower than that of modern alcoholic beverages. The low alcoholic content was due to the limitations of fermentation and the nonexistence of distillation methods in the ancient world.
In the mid-19th century, some Protestant Christians moved from a position of allowing moderate use of alcohol (sometimes called "'moderationism") to either deciding that not imbibing was wisest in the present circumstances ("abstentionism") or prohibiting all ordinary consumption of alcohol because it was believed to be a sin ("prohibitionism"). Many Protestant churches, particularly Methodists, advocated abstentionism or prohibitionism and were early leaders in the temperance movement of the 19th and 20th centuries. Today, all three positions exist in Christianity, but the original position of alcohol consumption being permissible while being moderate in its consumption, remains the most common and dominant view among Christians worldwide, in addition to the adherence by the largest bodies of Christian denominations, such as Anglicanism, Lutheranism, Roman Catholicism, and Eastern Orthodoxy. (Full article...)
Image 2Abandoned 19th-century vodka distillery in Estonia (from Liquor)
Image 3Map of Europe with individual countries grouped by preferred type of alcoholic drink, based on recorded alcohol consumption per capita (age 15+) (in liters of pure alcohol) in 2016.
Image 6A whiskey sour, served in a coupe glass, is garnished with a spiral of lemon peel and two maraschino cherries on a cocktail pick, along with drops of bitters swirled into the foam (from egg white) atop the drink. (from Cocktail garnish)
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A B-52 (from List of cocktails)
Map of Europe with individual countries grouped by preferred type of alcoholic drink, based on recorded alcohol consumption per capita (age 15+) (in liters of pure alcohol) in 2016.WineBeerSpirits(from Liquor)
A pisco sour (from List of cocktails)
Some single-drink liquor bottles available in Germany (from Liquor)
A Caipirinha with lime (from List of cocktails)
A piña colada (from List of cocktails)
A display of various liquors in a supermarket (from Liquor)
A Ramos gin fizz (from List of cocktails)
Reservoir glass with naturally coloured verte absinthe and an absinthe spoon (from List of cocktails)
Mulled wine steeping (Swedish glögg) (from List of cocktails)
An illustration of brewing and distilling industry methods in England, 1858 (from Liquor)
A Brandy Alexander being served (from List of cocktails)
A martini cocktail (from List of cocktails)
A grasshopper (from List of cocktails)
These flaming cocktails illustrate that some liquors will readily catch fire and burn. (from Liquor)
A cosmopolitan (from List of cocktails)
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Shrimp (from Cocktail garnish)
Pineapple wedge (from Cocktail garnish)
Raspberry (from Cocktail garnish)
Cocktail olive (from Cocktail garnish)
A whiskey sour, served in a coupe glass, is garnished with a spiral of lemon peel and two maraschino cherries on a cocktail pick, along with drops of bitters swirled into the foam (from egg white) atop the drink. (from Cocktail garnish)
Lemon slice (from Cocktail garnish)
Lime twist (from Cocktail garnish).jpg)
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