Advokaat

A thick and creamy egg liqueur, similar to egg nog.

Anisette

A sweet liqueur with licorice-like aroma and flavor, made from aniseed.

Apricot flavored brandy

Pure grape brandy, flavored with apricot. A type of cordial or liqueur.

Apricot liqueur

A sweet apricot-flavored liqueur that has more body and is lower in proof than apricot-flavored brandy.

Armagnac

A grape brandy product of France. Armagnac is produced only in an area surrounding the city of Armagnac in southwest France. Related to Cognac, but less delicate.

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Banana liqueur

A yellow banana-flavored liqueur.

Barbados rum

An amber-colored medium-bodied rum distilled in pot stills. More pungent than Puerto Rican rum, but less pungent than Jamaican rum.

Bitters

An infusion of roots, barks, herbs and other botanicals mixed in special proportions. Bitters are classified for different uses as aromatic, flavoring, or laxative.

Blackberry liqueur

A blackberry liqueur that has more body and is lower in proof than blackberry-flavored brandy.

Blackberry-flavored brandy

A pure grape brandy flavored with blackberries. A type of cordial or liqueur.

Bourbon

A notable American whiskey named after Bourbon County, Kentucky where the whiskey was first produced in the post-Revolutionary period. All Bourbons use the fermented mash of corns, rye and barley malts. Straight Bourbons have been aged at least two years; Bourbons without the designation “straight” are aged less than two years.

Brandy

A family of liquors distilled from the wines of grapes or other fruits.

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Cherry liqueur

A sweet cherry-flavored liqueur.

Coffee liqueur

A distinctive coffee-flavored liqueur.

Cognac

A premium brandy produced only in a 150,000 acre area surrounding the city of Cognac in southwest France.

Cordial

Sweetened, flavored liquors, also called liqueurs, produced with fruits or plants in a brandy or neutral spirit base.

Creme de almond

A clear red cordial produced from the almond-like kernel within apricot seeds.

Creme de coffee

A coffee-flavored cordial produced from coffee and vanilla beans.

Creme de mandarine

An orange-flavored cordial produced from Mandarine oranges. More delicate than Curacao.

Curacao

An orange-flavored cordial produced from Curacao and sweet oranges. More delicate than Triple Sec.

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Dutch gin

See Gin.

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Edelkirsch liqueur

A German cherry liqueur produced from fresh cherryjuice and Kirshwasser (a cherry brandy).

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Flavored gin

Traditional Dry gin flavored with fruit or other flavors, plus sucrose or dextrose of at least two and one-half percent of the finished product.

Fruit brandy

Brandy distilled from the wine of a particular fruit; since all brandy is fruit-based (most often grape), the term is somewhat redundant.

Fruit-flavored brandy

Brandy infused with fruit; the fruit is typically soaked in the brandy to impart flavor and color.

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Geneva gin

See Gin.

Gin

A type of liquor produced by adding juniper and other aromatic herbs to a neutral spirit base. Dry gin, or London gin, tends to be lighter-bodied than Dutch, Geneva, or Holland’s gin.

Goldwasser

A white, spicy, citrus-like cordial that contains nonpalatable flakes of gold leaf.

Grappa

A brandy distilled from the pulpy residue of the wine press. In France, this brandy is called Marc, or eau de vie (i.e., brandy) de Marc.

Grenadine

A red syrup used for flavoring, made from pomegranates, strawberries and raspberries.

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Himbeer liqueur

A red raspberry liqueur from Germany.

Hollands gin

See Gin.

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Irish whiskey

A notable whiskey from Ireland that may be prepared traditionally as a blend of straight pot still whiskies, or in the new style, as a blend of pot still and column still whiskies.

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Jamaican rum

A full-bodied, dark rum of Jamaica that is produced in pot stills.

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Kirschwasser

A clear brandy distilled from cherries.

Kummel

A white liqueur produced using caraway and other seeds, herbs, and spices.

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Liqueur

Sweetened, flavored liquors, also called cordials.

London dry gin

See Gin.

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Marc

Short for eau de vie de Marc, the French term for Grappa; see Grappa.

Martinique rum

An amber rum distilled in Martinique and shipped to Bordeaux for blending and distribution

Mirabelle

A brandy distilled from plums; mirabelle is the French word for plum. Originated in Alsace, France. Also known as Quetsch, or Slivovitz.

Mocca

A type of coffee liqueur produced from mocca (coffee) and vanilla beans.

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Neutral spirits

An alcoholic spirit purified in the still to a minimum of 95 percent of absolute alcoholic purity. The proof, which is calculated as twice the percent alcohol, is 190.

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Ouzo

Sweet, Greek licorice-flavored liqueur produced from aniseed. Sweeter than mastic, and stronger than anisette.

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Peach-flavored brandy

A pure grape brandy flavored with peaches. A type of cordial or liqueur.

Peppermint schnapps

A peppermint-flavored liqueur that is less sweet than crFme de menthe.

Puerto Rican rum

Light rum of Puerto Rica. White Label is more delicate than Cold Label.

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Quetsch

A brandy distilled from plums. See Mirabelle.

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Raspberry liqueur

Sweet raspberry-flavored liqueur.

Rum

A type of liquor distilled from the fermented juice of the sugar cane (i.e., molasses). Rum is produced in many Caribbean countries that also produce sugar, as well as in new England, from West Indies molasses.

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Scotch whisky

A notable whiskey from Scotland that is prepared as a blend of hearty pot-distilled barley malt whiskies and light column-distilled grain whiskies.

Sloe gin

A red liqueur with a cherry-like flavor produced from sloe berries and other fruits in a neutral spirit base.

Sour mash

A term describing a production process typical of straight whiskies, as opposed to sweet mash. The resulting whiskey itself is not sour in taste.

Spanish brandy

Brandy distilled from sherry wine; typically less dry than traditional brandy.

Straight Bourbon whiskey

See Bourbon.

Straight corn whiskey

A white or colorless whiskey distilled from a grain mash of which not less than 80% must be malted com, and aged in oak for a minimum of two years. Typically lighter than Bourbon.

Straight malt whiskey

Whiskey distilled from a mash of grain of which not less than 51% must be malted barley, and aged in oak containers for a minimum of two years.

Straight rye whiskey

A hearty, full-bodied whiskey, stronger in aroma and character than Straight Bourbon. This notable American whiskey is produced from fermented mash of rye, corn and malted barley and aged a minimum of two years

Straight whiskey

An alcoholic distillate of a fermented grain, bottled directly from the container in which it has matured, and with the addition of only pure water to reduce the proof.

Strawberry Liqueur

A sweet, strawberry-flavored liqueur.

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Tequila

A type of liquor from Mexico distilled from the fermented juice of the Mescal plant, which resembles an oversized pineapple and takes years to grow.

Triple Sec

A white, orange-flavored liqueur. Similar to Curacao, but more tangy and higher in proof.

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Virgin Island rum

A light, dry rum of the Virgin islands, produced either as White Label, which is pale and light, or Gold label, which is stronger.

Vodka

A light, dry distilled type of liquor with very little aroma. Produced by passing highly-refined neutral spirits through charcoal, or a redistillation process.

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Whiskey

Distilled from a fermented mash of grain; many variations based on the type of grain, still, aging time, and blending used. Straight whiskies have been aged at least two years.