Glossary of Spirits

Absinthe A cordial with anise seed (licorice) flavor; contains wormwood (which is banned by the United States government). Abisante, abson, anisette, herbaaint, mistra, ojen, oxygene, and pernod are all substitutes.

Ades Served tall with ice and garnished with slices of fruit. Mainly made with sweetened lemon or lime juice and a variety of liquors and filled with plain or soda water.

Age Often this is used as a measure of quality. It is not always dependable, however, because of aging and ingredients are a factor.

Alcohol Common to all liquor. Ethyl alcohol, spirits distilled from grain, grape, fruit and cane are most common.

Ale Heavier and more bitter than lager.

Amer Picon A French cordial, bitter, orange-flavored, made from quinine and spices.

American Brandy Generally distilled in California. It is usually produced by the same firms that grow the grapes. They distill, age, blend bottle and market the brandies under their own brand names.

American Whiskey The U.S. produces more than thirty three distinct types of whiskey. American Blended Light Whiskey, another category of American Whiskey, contains 20% straight whiskey and 80% light whiskey.

Anisette A cordial made from the licorice-flavored anise seed.

Apple Brandy (Apple Jack or Calvados) Distilled from apple cider. Calvados is produced only in Normandy, France.

Armagnac A type of brandy produced only in the Armagnac region of France.

Beer A fermented malt beverage.

Benedictine A cordial made from a secret herb formula. Benedicitne monks first made this liqueur.

Bitters A very concentrated flavoring agent made from roots, barks, herbs and/or berries.

Blended Whiskey Combines straight whiskey with neutral grain spirits. Straight whiskey dominates the mix by 20%. Sold at 80 proof.

Bock Beer, Porter And Stout Heavier, darker, richer and sweeter than either lager beer or ale in that order. About 6% alcohol.

Bottled-In-Bond Whiskey Straight whiskey, usually bourbon or rye, produced under government control and supervision. Bonded whiskey must be at least four years old, bottled at 100 proof and produced in one distilling by the same distiller. It must be sorted and bottled at a bonding warehouse under government supervison.

Bourbon American Whiskey made using at least 51% corn grain mash in a wheat, oats, rye & barley combination.

Bourbon Whiskey Distilled from grain mash containing 51% corn and aged more than four years in new (charred) oak barrels. Bourbon is amber in color. Bourbon gets it's name from bourbon county in Kentucky where it originated. Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee and Missouri also produce bourbon.

Brandy Made from a fermented mash of grapes or fruit. Generally they are aged in oak casks and bottled at 80 to 84 proof. Cognac & Armagnac are special varieties made from grapes grown in specific areas of France.

Bucks Made with an ounce or so of liquor and lemon juice plus ginger ale, and topped with a twist of lemon.

Canadian Whiskey A blended whiskey, which is distilled from rye, corn, and barley. Produced only in Canada under government control. The Canadian whiskey sold in the U.S. is at least four years old. Lighter than American whiskey, it is sold at 80 proof.

Chartreuse A cordial made from herb liqueurs (either yellow or green). Carthusian monks originated this.

Cognac A type of brandy produced only in the Cognac region of France. Suberb brandy of France, made only from grapes grown in the cognac region of France

Cobblers Tall drinks generally served in a large goblet with shaved ice, fruit and liquor, decorated with berries, fresh fruit and a sprig of mint. Served with a straw.

Collins Tall cool punch-like drinks. Tom and John are the best known. Any basic liquor with juice of lemon or lime, over ice cubes in a frosted 12 ounce highball glass. Sugar and soda water added. Garnished with lemon slice and a cherry.

Coolers A tall drink made with different types of liquor, flavoring, cracked ice, carbonated beverages and fruit rinds.

Cordial A liquor (or liqueur) made by mixing or redistilling neutral spirits. Fruits, flowers, herbs, seeds, roots, plants or juices are used and a sweetening is added. Most cordials are sweet, colorful and highly concentrated. Many are made from secret recipes and processes.

Corn Whiskey A whiskey made from a mash of at least 80% corn. May or may not be aged.

Creme A cordial with a very high sugar content. Its cream-like consistency gives it its prefix. It comes in the following combinations: Creme de Cacao: Made from cacao and vanilla beans. Creme de Cassis: Made from black currant. Creme de Mint: Made from mint. Creme de Yvette: Made from violets.

Cups Made with brandy and Triple Sec, together with sweet wine, dry champagne or cider. Mixed in glass pitchers with ice cubes, served in stemmed claret glasses.

Curacao A cordial made of dried orange peels. It comes from the Dutch West Indies.

Daisies Large coctails made of liquor, grenadine or any other cordial with lemon or lime juice. Shaken with ice and served in a stein. metal cup or old fashioned glass over ice cubes, docorated with fruit.

Dry Gin Gin that is very low in sweetness.

Dubonet An apertif wine made from aromatics. It has a quinine taste and is mostly made in France.

Egg Nog First achieved popularity in the American colonies in 1775. The word "noggin" is an English word for a small drinking cup. The liquors usually used in egg nog have historically been rum and brandy. Whiskey, sherry, ale and cider can also be used. It is basically a combination of eggs, milk and liquor.

Fixes A drink mixed in a serving glass. Sometimes another name for a highball. Served over lots of ice.

Fizzes Made from liquor, citrus juices and sugar. Shaken with ice and strained into small highball glasses. Soda water is then added (the fizz). Any carbonated beverage, even champagne, may be used. Some add egg whites or yolks.

Flavored Vodka Generally served straight or in mixed drinks. It is sweetened and flavored, usually with orange, lemon, lime or grape. Sold at 70 proof.

Flips An agg nog and fizz combination. Made with liquor, egg and sugar with shaved ice, shaken well. Strained into short stemmed glasses for serving. Sprinkled with nutmeg.

Frappes Small drinks. Several liqueurs combined and pourved over shaved or crushed ice.

Fruit Brandies Fruit flavored liqueurs produced from blackberries, peaches, apricots, cherries and ginger. They are usually brandy-based at 70 to 80 proof.

Gin Distilled from grain. Juniper berries and other botanical give it its flavor. Most gin is colorless, however, some gins appear golden or straw-colored because of aging in barrels. Gin is bottled at proofs varying from 80 to 94.

Grain Neutral Spirits Alcohol distilled from grain at 190 proof. Used in blended whiskeys for making gin and vodka and other liquors. It is almost tasteless and colorless.

Grenadine A flavoring for drinks. It is made from pomegranates or red currants.

Heavy-Bodied Rums Dark, sweet with a pugent bouquet and a rich molasses-like body. They come from Jamaica, Demerara, Martinique, Trinidad, Barbados and New England.

Highballs Any liquor served with ice, soda, plain water, ginger ale or other carbonated liquids.

Holland, Geneva Or Schiedam Gins These are highly flavored and rich in aromatic oils. They are made in Holland where gin originated.

Hot Drinks Made with liquor in any beverage and served piping hot with not much liquor.

Irish Whiskey A blend that contains barley malt whiskeys and grain whiskeys. The malt is dried in coal-fired kilns. The aroma of the fires does not influence the malt. Irish whiskey is heavier than Scotch and is usually 86 proof. It is produced only in Ireland.

Juice Of One Lemon For recipes specifying the "Juice of one Lemon" use 2 to 3 tablespoons of Lemon Juice.

Juleps Made with Kentucky bourbon and fresh mint leaves (muddled, crushed or whole). May also be made with rye, brandy, gin, rum or champagne. Served with shaved ice in an ice-frosted glass with a mint or fruit garnish and a straw.

Kentucky Whiskey A blend of straight bottled whiskies. Distilled in Kentucky.

Kummel A cordial liqueur made from caraway and anise seeds with herb flavors added.

Light-Bodied Rums Dry with slight molasses flavor. They come from Puerto Rico, Cuba, Haiti, Venezuela, Mexico, Hawaii, the Virgin Islands, the Dominican Republic and the Philippines.

Light Whiskey A type of American wiskey produced at 160 to 190 proof, stored at least four years in used, charred oak containers. Light in flavor and smooth tasting, the color of light whiskey ranges from amber to clear.

London Dry Gin Accepted as a generic term but originated in England. it sometimes appears on American-made labels.

Maraschino A liqueur made from cherries. These cherries come from Dalmatia, Yugoslovia.

Mezcal The end product of the fermentation & distillation of pulque; a fermented mash made from agave species of cactus plant. The distillation of Mezcal results in the production of Tequila.

Old Tom Gin A gin that contains sugar syrup. It is made in England.

Passion Fruit A mix made from the Passion Flower. It is nonalcoholic.

Pernod A liqueur, anise-flavored and used as an absinthe substitute.

Peppermint Schnapps A creme de menthe that is rather light in body.

Pousse-Cafe Made from several cordials and liqueurs poured in series so that one floats atop another. Each has a different color and specific weight that permits "floating".

Proof The measure of the strength of the alcohol. One (degree) proof equals one-half of one percent of alcohol. For example, 100 proof equals 50% alcohol.

Punches Citrus juices with two or more liquors or wines. Served cold. Hot punches use milk, eggs and cream.

Rickeys Made with lime, cracked ice, soda or any carbonated beverage and whiskey, gin, rum or brandy. Served with the rind of lime. Similar to a collins or sour.

Rock And Rye A fruit juice that combines rock candy, rye whiskey and fruit slices.

Rum Made by distilling the fermented juice of sugar cane, cane syrup and molasses at 190 proof (160 proof for New England rums). It is bottled and sold at 80 proof. Aged in uncharred barrels, it picks up very little color. Caramel is added to create dark rums. Most rums are a blend of several kinds.

Rye Whiskey Distilled from a grain mash of 80% corn. It is usually aged in reused, charred oak barrels.

Sambuca A liqueur produced by the infusion of Witch elder bush and licorice. It can be flavoured with sweet anise and now can be found in different varieties. It is similar to Anisette but has a higher alcoholic level and is less sugary. (See Anisette).

Sangarees Made with whiskey, gin, rum or brandy, with port wine floated on top, or with wine, ale, porter or stout, with a sprinkle of nutmeg. Actually a tall, sweet, old fashioned (sans bitters).

Scotch A product of Scottland. A whiskey who's flavor is obtained from the smoked malted barley component of it's mash. The barley is soaked in water, or malted, & then smoked over peat to lock-in the sugar created by the malt.

Scotch Whiskey Blended whiskeys from native barley grain and Scottish pot stills. All Scotch blends contain malt whiskey. The smoky flavor comes from drying malted barley over peat fires. Produced only in Scotland. Exported Scotch is at least four years old and is usually 80 to 86 proof.

Slings Made like sangarees with the addition of lemon juice and a twist of lemon peel. Served in an old fashioned glass.

Sloe Gin A liqueur made from blackthorn bush (sloe) berries.

Sugar Syrup in saucepan, gradually stir one pound granulated sugar into 13 oz. hot water to make 16 oz. simple/sugar syrup.

Swedish Punch A liqueur made from Batavia Arak rum, tea, lemon and spices. Sometimes comes as Arack Punch and Caloric Punch.

Sweet And Sour Mix Sweet and Sour Mix can be made with 1 - 1 1/2 tbs. Lemon Juice and 1 tsp. of Powdered Sugar.

Smashes Small juleps, served in old fashioned glasses. Made with muddled sugar, ice cubes, whiskey, gin, rum or brandy and soda. Garnished with sprigs of mint and fruit.

Sours Made of lemon juice, ice, sugar, with any basic liquor. Similar to highly concentrated punch. Decorated with lemon slice and a cherry.

Straight Whiskey A whiskey that is distilled from grain but not blended with neutral grain spirits or any other whiskey and aged in a charred oak barrel for at least two years.

Sour Mash Whiskey A broad category of whiskey whereby a portion of old mash is mixed with new to help advance the character & smoothness of the flavor.

Swizzle Stick A twig with a few forked branches on its end. It is usually inserted into the glass or picher and twirled rapidly between the hands. Used in cool drinks of lime, sugar, liquor, bitters which are packed with shaved ice.

Tequila A distillate of the sap of the century plant. Sometimes called "Cactus Whiskey". Mexican spirit distilled from the fermented juice of the mezcal plant.

Toddies Served hot or cold. A lump or teaspoon of sugar dissolved in a little hot water, with liquor, ice or hot water added and stirred. Served with nutmeg, clove, cinnamon or lemon peel.

Triple Sec A cordial similar to Curacao but less sweet and colorless.

Vacuum-Distilled Gin Distilled in glass-lined vacuum stills at low temperature to preserve the light, volatile flavors and aromas without the bitterness found in other gins.

Vermouth Herb flavored wine fortified with Brandy.

Vodka A refined and filtered liquor distilled at 190 proof and bottled for sale at 80 to 110 proof. Originally made in Russia from potatoes. It is usually distilled from corn and wheat in the U.S. The difference between various vodkas depends on the types of grains used and the distilling and filtering processes. Most American vodkas are filtered through activated charcoal. Vodka is colorless, tasteless and odorless. It is not aged.

Whiskey Made from grains like corn, rye, barley, or wheat. It is distilled from a fermented mash of the grain, then aged in oak barrels. At this stage it is a water-colord liquid. During the aging period, it gradually attains its amber color, flavor and aroma. It is bottled and sold at 80 proof. Whiskey of each country is distinct from that of the others because of the local grain characteristics, distillation techniques and formulas. Scotland, Ireland, the U.S. and Canada are major producers.

Wine Made from the fermented juice of grapes. If another fruit is used it appears on the label. Under 14 to 20% alcohol.

Zubrovka In many countries zubrovka is the best-known type of Polish dry flavored vodka, a Polish specialty whose unique taste and aroma derive from bison grass. Zubrovka is an original, authentic, native vodka of Poland known since the mid-seventeenth century, first sent out into the world by the J.A. Baczewski Liquor and Liqueur Distillery in Lvov. Each bottle of zubrovka contains a blade of bison grass for decoration.