Liquor (/ˈlɪkər/LIK-ər) is an
alcoholic drink produced by the
distillation of
grains,
fruits,
vegetables, or
sugar that have already gone through
alcoholic fermentation. Other terms for liquor include: spirit, distilled beverage, booze, spirituous liquor or hard liquor. The distillation process concentrates the liquid to increase its
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 UK. 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.
While the word liquor ordinarily refers to distilled alcoholic spirits rather than beverages produced by fermentation alone, it can sometimes be used more broadly to refer to any alcoholic beverage (or even non-alcoholic products of distillation or various other liquids). (Full article...)
Single pot still whiskey is a style of
Irish whiskey made by a single
distillery from a mixed
mash of
malted and unmalted
barley distilled in a
pot still. Somewhat similar to
single malt whiskey, the style is defined by its inclusion of unmalted raw barley in the mash in addition to malt. However, small amounts of raw oats or wheat may have been used at times. This unmalted component is said to give the pot still whiskey a "spicier bristle" and "thicker texture" than the otherwise similar malt whiskeys. If the whiskey is not distilled completely on the site of a single distillery, then it may be termed pot still whiskey but not single pot still whiskey.
Once the most popular type of whiskey in the world, this style of whiskey was historically referred to as pure pot still whiskey, Irish-style pot still whiskey, or – especially in
Ireland – simply as pot still whiskey. The term "single pot still" was only introduced in recent years to overcome the
United StatesTax and Trade Bureau's objections to the use of the term "pure" in the labelling of food and drink. Some distilleries around the world have begun creating their own versions of the whiskey, following the Irish technical specifications, an example being Transportation Whiskey in
Tasmania,
Australia - which claims to be Australia's first Single Pot Still Whiskey.
The term should not be confused with the theoretical concept of whiskey produced solely in a pot still (which would also apply to
single malt whiskey as well as some examples of pot still
bourbon and
rye whiskey). (Full article...)
Isaac Wolfe Bernheim (November 4, 1848 – April 1, 1945) was an American businessman notable for starting the I. W. Harper brand of premium
bourbon whiskey (a historically important brand currently owned by
Diageo). The success of his distillery and distribution business helped to consolidate the
Louisville area as a major center of Kentucky bourbon distilling. Bernheim was also a philanthropist, establishing the 14,000-acre (5,700 ha; 22 sq mi)
Bernheim Arboretum and Research Forest in
Bullitt County. (Full article...)
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...)
The earliest known in-print recipe for the Paradise Cocktail was written by
Harry Craddock in 1930. This cocktail is prepared using
gin,
apricot brandy (apricot liqueur), and orange juice in a 2:1:1 ratio, with a splash of lemon juice. (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-distillated' 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...)
In a broader sense, the term brandy also denotes liquors obtained from the distillation of
pomace (yielding
pomace brandy), or mash or wine of any other fruit (
fruit brandy). These products are also called eau de vie (literally "water of life" in
French). (Full article...)
Image 9
Peruvian pisco sour
A pisco sour is an alcoholic
cocktail of
Peruvian origin that is traditional to
Peruvian cuisine and
Chilean cuisine. The drink's name comes from pisco, which is its base liquor, and the cocktail term sour, about sour citrus juice and sweetener components. The Peruvian pisco sour uses Peruvian pisco as the base liquor and adds freshly squeezed lime juice,
simple syrup, ice,
egg white, and
Angostura bitters. The Chilean version is similar, but uses Chilean pisco and
Pica lime, and excludes the bitters and egg white. Other variants of the cocktail include those created with fruits like
pineapple or plants such as
coca leaves.
Although the preparation of pisco-based mixed beverages possibly dates back to the 1700s, historians and drink experts agree that the cocktail as it is known today was invented in the early 1920s in
Lima, the capital of Peru, by the American
bartenderVictor Vaughen Morris. Morris left the United States in 1903 to work in
Cerro de Pasco, a city in central Peru. In 1916, he opened Morris' Bar in Lima, and his saloon quickly became a popular spot for the Peruvian upper class and English-speaking foreigners. The oldest known mentions of the pisco sour are found in newspaper and magazine advertisements, dating to the early 1920s, for Morris and his bar published in Peru and Chile. The pisco sour underwent several changes until Mario Bruiget, a Peruvian bartender working at Morris' Bar, created the modern Peruvian recipe for the cocktail in the latter part of the 1920s by adding Angostura bitters and egg whites to the mix. (Full article...)
Image 10
Feni (
Portuguese: fénnim, often misspelt as fenno or fenny) is a spiritous
liquor type originating in
Goa,
India. The two most popular types of feni are
cashew feni and
coconut feni. Depending on the ingredients; however, other varieties and newer blends are also sold by distilleries. The small-batch distillation of feni has a fundamental effect on its final character, which still retains some of the delicate aromatics, congeners, and flavour elements of the juice from which it is produced.
The word "feni" is derived from the
Sanskrit word फेनphena, in
Konkaniफेणfenn (
froth); thought to come from the bubbles that form when the liquor is shaken inside a bottle or poured into a glass. It is generally accepted that coconut feni was produced before it, and feni followed the same process until
distillation was introduced by Europeans. Coconut palms are abundant along the western coastline of the
Konkan region of India, whereas the cashew tree was an
exotic species of crops, imported by the
Portuguese in Goa and Bombay, from what was
colonial Brazil in
south America. There is ambiguity about when and who first produced a
fermented beverage of
cashew fruits, to make the
distilled spirit of feni. (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
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...)
An eau de vie (
French for
spirit,
lit.'water of life') is a clear, colourless
fruit brandy that is produced by means of fermentation and double distillation. The fruit flavor is typically very light.
In English-speaking countries, eau de vie refers to a
distilled beverage made from fruit other than grapes. Similar terms may be local translations or may specify the fruit used to produce it. Although eau de vie is a French term, similar beverages are produced in other countries (e.g., German
Schnaps, Greek ούζο, Turkish rakı, Balkan rakia, Romanian țuică, Czech and Slovak
pálenka, Hungarian pálinka, and Sri Lankan
coconut arrack). In
French, however, eau de vie is a generic term for distilled spirits. The proper French term for fruit brandy is eau-de-vie de fruit, while eau-de-vie de vin means wine spirit (
brandy), and several further categories of spirits (distilled from grape
pomace,
lees of wine, beer, cereals, etc.) are also legally defined as eau-de-vie in a similar fashion. Many eaux de vie made from fruits, wine, pomace, or rye have a
protected designation of origin within the European Union. (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. It is not to be confused with the
anise-flavored
distilled spirit called
arak or araq. 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 Russian spring punch was created in London, England by
Dick Bradsell in the 1980s. He claims not to remember which bar he was working at at the time, but tells the story of how he created the recipe for personal friends wishing to hold a cocktail party while minimizing the amount of money they had to spend on alcohol. Participants were provided with the vodka, cassis, sugar syrup and lemon juice, and were asked to bring their own sparkling wine. It is named for the Russian vodka, and the
Tom Collins, which is a spring drink. (Full article...)
Image 21
A liquor store is a
retailbusiness that predominantly sells prepackaged
alcoholic beverages, including
liquors (typically in
bottles),
wine or
beer, usually intended to be consumed off the store's premises. Depending on region and local idiom, they may also be called an off-licence (in the UK and Ireland), off-sale (in parts of Canada and the US), bottle shop, bottle store (South Africa) or, colloquially, bottle-o (in Australia, New Zealand and parts of Canada), liquor store (in Canada, the US, Australia and New Zealand) or other similar terms. A very limited number of jurisdictions have an
alcohol monopoly. In US states that are
alcoholic beverage control (ABC) states, the term ABC store may be used. (Full article...)
Image 22
A bee's knees cocktail made with gin, 1:1 honey syrup, and lemon juice
The name comes from prohibition-era slang meaning "the best". (Full article...)
Image 23
A whiskey sour with ice cubes and a lemon slice
A whiskey sour is a
mixed drink or
shot containing
whiskey (or
bourbon),
lemon juice, and
sugar (Simple Sugar), and traditionally garnished with a cherry or sometimes a lemon wedge. It is a blend of
sour, bitter, and sweet flavors. It can be made as a shot or mixed drink, either choice with a base spirit (whiskey or bourbon), citrus juice (lemon juice or sweet & sour mix), and a sweetener (Simple Sugar).
Sometimes, an egg white is included, which is sometimes called a Boston sour. When the whiskey used is a
Scotch, it is called a Scotch sour. With a few
bar spoons of full-bodied red wine floated on top, it is usually referred to as a New York sour. It is
shaken and served either
straight up or over ice. (Full article...)
Image 24
Moonshine is
high-proofliquor, traditionally made or distributed
illegally. Its clandestine distribution is known as bootlegging. The name was derived from a tradition of creating the
alcohol during the nighttime, thereby avoiding detection. In the first decades of the 21st century, commercial distilleries have adopted the term for its outlaw cachet and begun producing their own legally sanctioned, novelty "moonshine", including many flavored varieties, that in some sense continue its tradition, generally having a similar method and/or location of production. (Full article...)
Image 25
A Brandy Alexander is a
brandy-based dessert cocktail consisting of
cognac,
crème de cacao, and cream, that became popular during the early 20th century. It is a variation of an earlier, gin-based cocktail called simply an
Alexander. The cocktail known as Alexander today may contain
gin or
brandy. Ice cream can be added for a "frozen Brandy Alexander". (Full article...)
... that WNJU, a Spanish-language television station serving
New York City, was the first in the United States to air a hard-liquor advertisement?
... that Thomas Dickson Archibald, when speaking against increasing fines for violating liquor licenses, said "we need only go a step further and make the violation a hanging matter"?
... that to comply with a law that restricted liquor sales near churches, the Peninsula New York placed its cocktail lounge up a flight of stairs and down a long hallway?
This is a
Good article, an article that meets a core set of high editorial standards.
Caesar made with 2 shots of vodka, a pinch of horseradish, a little spicy with 5 dashes of tabasco, made muddy with about 10 dashes of Worcestershire, all over ice, and filled to the top of a celery salt and spice rimmed glass with Clamato juice.
A Caesar is a
cocktail created and consumed primarily in
Canada. It typically contains
vodka,
Clamato,
hot sauce, and
Worcestershire sauce, and is served with ice in a large,
celery salt-
rimmed glass, typically garnished with a stalk of
celery and wedge of
lime. What distinguishes it from a
Bloody Mary is the inclusion of clam broth. The cocktail may also be contrasted with the
Michelada, which has similar flavouring ingredients but uses beer instead of vodka. Festivals dedicated to the cocktail are held in many cities, with the largest in Calgary. The first liquor store dedicated to the Caesar opened on July 1 2023 in Calgary, Alberta. (Full article...)
The following are images from various liquor-related articles on Wikipedia.
Image 1Map 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 7A 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)