Portal:Liquor

The Liquor Portal

Introduction

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...)

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Scotch whisky (Scottish Gaelic: uisge-beatha na h-Alba; Scots: whisky/whiskie [ˈʍɪski] or whusk(e)y [ˈʍʌski]), often simply called whisky or Scotch, is malt whisky or grain whisky (or a blend of the two) made in Scotland.

The first known written mention of Scotch whisky is in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland of 1494. All Scotch whisky was originally made from malted barley. Commercial distilleries began introducing whisky made from wheat and rye in the late 18th century. As of May 2024, there were 151 whisky distilleries operating in Scotland, making Scotch whisky one of the most renowned geographical indications worldwide.

All Scotch whisky must be aged immediately after distillation in oak barrels for at least three years. Any age statement on a bottle of Scotch whisky, expressed in numerical form, must reflect the age of the youngest whisky used to create that product. A whisky with an age statement is known as guaranteed-age whisky. A whisky without an age statement is known as a no age statement (NAS) whisky, the only guarantee being that all whisky contained in that bottle is at least three years old. The minimum bottling strength according to existing regulations is 40% alcohol by volume. Scotch whisky is divided into five distinct categories: single malt Scotch whisky, single grain Scotch whisky, blended malt Scotch whisky (formerly called "vatted malt" or "pure malt"), blended grain Scotch whisky, and blended Scotch whisky. (Full article...)

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Hiram Walker (July 4, 1816 – January 12, 1899) was an American entrepreneur and founder of the Hiram Walker and Sons Ltd. distillery in Windsor, Ontario, Canada. Walker was born in East Douglas, Massachusetts, and moved to Detroit in 1838. He purchased land across the Detroit River, just east of what is Windsor, Ontario, and established a distillery in 1858 in what would become Walkerville, Ontario. Walker began selling his whisky as Hiram Walker's Club Whisky, in containers that were "clearly marked" and he used a process to make his whisky that was vastly different from all other distillers.

It became very popular, angering American distillers, who forced the US government to pass a law requiring that all foreign whiskeys state their country of origin on the label. From this point forward, Hiram Walker's Canadian Club whisky was Canada's top export whisky. He established and maintained the company town that grew around his distillery, exercising planning and control over every facet of the town, from public works to religious services to police and fire control. (Full article...)

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Eva Ekeblad Jack Daniel James C. Crow Isaac Wolfe Bernheim Elijah Craig Bronfman family Roustam Tariko Harry C. Hatch William Gooderham Sr. Lewis Rosenstiel John Philip Wiser John Walker (grocer) Samuel Bronfman Popcorn Sutton Dale DeGroff

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Tsipouro

Tsipouro (Greek: τσίπουρο, romanized: tsípouro) is an un-aged brandy from Greece and in particular Thessaly, Epirus, Macedonia. Tsipouro is a strong distilled spirit containing 40–45% alcohol by volume and is traditionally produced from grape pomace (the residue of the winepress) or, alternatively, directly from wine after the grapes and juices have been separated^{[citation needed]}. Tsipouro is typically produced in two varieties: pure, which is the default, and anise-flavored, which is a relatively new variation introduced during the 1900s. While tsipouro is usually not aged in barrels, barrel-aged versions are also available. It is similar to tsikoudia produced on the island of Crete, but unlike tsikoudia, which is single-distilled and contains no additional flavorings, tsipouro is typically double-distilled and may sometimes include spices, i.e. anise. (Full article...)
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Artisanal cachaça from Minas Gerais, Brazil

Cachaça (Portuguese pronunciation: [kaˈʃasɐ]) is a distilled spirit made from fermented sugarcane juice. Also known as pinga, caninha, and other names, it is the most popular spirit in Brazil. Outside Brazil, cachaça is used almost exclusively as an ingredient in tropical drinks, with the caipirinha being the most famous and popular cocktail. In Brazil, caipirinha is often paired with the dish feijoada. (Full article...)
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The Pornstar Martini is a passion fruit-flavoured cocktail made with vanilla-flavoured vodka, Passoã, passion fruit purée, and vanilla sugar. It is traditionally accompanied by a chilled shot glass of champagne. Some bars have adapted the original recipe to be more cost effective by using citrus and pineapple juice, though it creates a different flavour and texture. The cocktail was created in London in 2002 by Douglas Ankrah.

It is not a true martini, but is one of many drinks that incorporate the term Martini into their names. (Full article...)
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The Chartreuse swizzle is a Tiki cocktail made with green Chartreuse, velvet falernum, pineapple juice, and lime juice. Invented in 2003 by American bartender Marcovaldo Dionysos of San Francisco cocktail bar Harry Denton's Starlight Room, the cocktail has since emerged as a modern classic. It has been recognized by the International Bartenders Association as an official cocktail since 2024. (Full article...)
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Classic daiquiri served in a cocktail glass

The daiquiri (/ˈdaɪkəri, ˈdæk-/; Spanish: daiquirí [dajkiˈɾi]) is a cocktail whose main ingredients are rum, citrus juice (typically lime juice), and sugar or other sweetener.

The daiquiri is one of the six basic drinks listed in David A. Embury's classic The Fine Art of Mixing Drinks, which also lists some variations. (Full article...)
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Smirnoff Red Label vodka

Vodka (Polish: wódka [ˈvutka]; Russian: водка [ˈvotkə]) is a clear distilled alcoholic beverage. Its varieties originated in Poland and Russia. Vodka is composed mainly of water and ethanol but sometimes with traces of impurities and flavourings. Traditionally, it is made by distilling liquid from fermented cereal grains and potatoes since the latter was introduced in Europe in the 18th century. Some modern brands use maize, sugar cane, fruit, honey, and maple sap as the base.

Since the 1890s, standard vodkas have been 40% alcohol by volume (ABV) (80 U.S. proof). The European Union has established a minimum alcohol content of 37.5% for vodka. Vodka in the United States must have a minimum alcohol content of 40%. (Full article...)
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Bottles of legally produced poitín

Poitín (Irish pronunciation: [ˈpˠɛtʲiːnʲ]), anglicized as poteen (/pəˈt(ʃ)iːn, pɒˈtiːn/) or potcheen, is a traditional Irish distilled beverage (40–90% ABV). Former common names for Poitín were "Irish moonshine" and "mountain dew". It was traditionally distilled in a small pot still, and the term is a diminutive of the Irish word pota, meaning "pot". In accordance with the Irish Poteen/Irish Poitín technical file, it can be made only from cereals, grain, whey, sugar beet, molasses and potatoes. (Full article...)
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Nemiroff Honey Pepper horilka

Horilka (Ukrainian: горілка [ɦoˈr⁽ʲ⁾ilkɐ] ; Belarusian: гарэлка [ɣaˈrɛlka] ) is a Ukrainian alcoholic beverage.

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 Polish samogon). 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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A horse's neck is an American cocktail recognised by the International Bartenders Association (IBA), identifiably sporting a long, curling strip of lemon rind. (Full article...)
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The zombie is a Tiki cocktail made of fruit juices, liqueurs, and various rums. It first appeared in late 1934, invented by Donn Beach at his Hollywood Don the Beachcomber restaurant. It was popularized on the East coast soon afterwards at the 1939 New York World's Fair. (Full article...)
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White lady (also known as a Delilah, or Chelsea sidecar) is a classic cocktail that is made with gin, Cointreau or triple sec, fresh lemon juice and an optional egg white. It belongs to the sidecar family, made with gin in place of brandy. The cocktail sometimes also includes additional ingredients, for example egg white, sugar, cream, or creme de menthe.

The classic concoction is most commonly served in a martini cocktail glass. When an egg white is added a champagne coupe is preferable; the silky foam clings more pleasingly to the curved glass. (Full article...)
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A brandy crusta is an IBA Official Cocktail made of brandy, Maraschino Luxardo, curaçao, fresh lemon juice, sugar syrup, and Angostura bitters.

The cocktail, named for the crust of sugar on the rim, was invented by Joseph Santini, a bartender in New Orleans at his bar, Jewel of the South. (Full article...)
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Illegal at Satan's Whiskers in London

The Illegal is an IBA official cocktail. This cocktail is named after the mezcal brand Ilegal Mezcal, which is one of its key ingredients. Mezcal is a type of Mexican distilled spirit made from agave plants, similar to tequila but with a distinct smoky flavor. (Full article...)
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Cashew apples after plucking in Chorão, Goa.

Feni (Portuguese: fenim, 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 फेन phena, in Konkani फेण fenn (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 is 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...)
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Spicy Fifty

A Spicy Fifty is a cocktail containing vanilla-flavored vodka with elderflower cordial, lime juice, honey syrup, and red chili pepper. To prepare, the ingredients are added to a cocktail shaker and shaken with ice. The chili optionally can be muddled in the base of the shaker. More chili can be added to make it spicier. The drink is then double-strained into a chilled cocktail glass. A whole pepper is used as garnish sitting at the rim of the glass. The drinker should be cautioned against eating the pepper.

The Spicy Fifty cocktail was added to the list of IBA official cocktails in 2020 in the new era drink category. (Full article...)
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An Aperol spritz

A spritz is an Italian wine-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: [ˈsprits venetˈtsjaːno]) uses the bitter apéritif Select as its flavouring ingredient and was created in Venice in 1920. Popular variants are 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...)
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Tipperary

The Tipperary is an IBA official cocktail made with Irish whiskey, sweet red Vermouth, green Chartreuse, and Angostura bitters. (Full article...)
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A Vieux Carré

The Vieux Carré is an IBA official cocktail made with rye whiskey, cognac, sweet vermouth, Bénédictine, and Peychaud's bitters. It originated with Walter Bergeron, a bartender at the Carousel Bar in Hotel Monteleone, New Orleans. The name is French for "old square”, in reference to the city's French Quarter neighborhood. The drink is classified as one of the Unforgettables by the IBA. (Full article...)
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A French Connection is a cocktail made with equal parts Cognac and Amaretto liqueur. The cocktail is named for the Gene Hackman film of the same name. (Full article...)
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A whiskey sour with ice cubes and a lemon slice

A whiskey sour is a mixed drink or shot containing whiskey, lemon juice, and simple syrup, and traditionally garnished with a cherry or sometimes a lemon wedge. It is a blend of sour, bitter, and sweet flavors.

Sometimes, an egg white is included, which is sometimes called a Boston sour. When the whisky 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...)
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Three bottles of eau de vie. The flavors are framboise (raspberry), zinfandel grape, and Kirsch (cherry).

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...)
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Schnapps (/ʃnɑːps/ or /ʃnæps/) or schnaps is a type of alcoholic beverage that may take several forms, including distilled fruit brandies, herbal liqueurs, infusions, and "flavored liqueurs" made by adding fruit syrups, spices, or artificial flavorings to neutral grain spirits.

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 liquor store in Breckinridge, Colorado, United States (2009)

A liquor store is a retail business 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 (in Australia, New Zealand and South Africa), bottle store (South Africa) or, colloquially, bottle-o (in Australia, New Zealand, and parts of Canada), liquor store (in Canada and the US, and less commonly, in Australia and New Zealand), party store (in parts of the US, particularly Michigan) 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...)

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... 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?
... that Governor of Svalbard Håkon Balstad was described as a "roaring bull of a man with a fabulous capacity for raw liquor"?

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This is a Good article, an article that meets a core set of high editorial standards.

The Glenlivet distillery is a Speyside single malt Scotch whisky distillery near Ballindalloch in Moray, Scotland, that produces single malt Scotch whisky. It is the oldest legal distillery in the Highlands of Scotland. It was founded in 1824 and has operated almost continuously since.

The distillery remained open throughout the Great Depression and its only closure came during World War II. The Glenlivet distillery has grown in the post-war period to become one of the biggest single malt distilleries. The Glenlivet brand is the biggest selling single malt whisky in the United States and the second biggest selling single malt brand globally after Glenfiddich. (Full article...)

List of Good articles
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Old fashioned (cocktail)

The Old Fashioned is a cocktail made by muddling sugar with bitters, then adding alcohol, such as whiskey or brandy, and a twist of citrus rind.

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General images - show new batch

The following are images from various liquor-related articles on Wikipedia.

Image 1Abandoned 19th-century vodka distillery in Estonia (from Liquor)
Image 2Viru Valge, an Estonian vodka (from Liquor)
Image 3A Queen Mary beer cocktail: beer, grenadine and maraschino cherries (from List of cocktails)
Image 4Corpse reviver #2 (from List of cocktails)
Image 5An illustration of brewing and distilling industry methods in England, 1858 (from Liquor)
Image 6A pisco sour (from List of cocktails)
Image 7These flaming cocktails illustrate that some liquors will readily catch fire and burn. (from Liquor)
Image 8Some single-drink liquor bottles available in Germany (from Liquor)
Image 9A Ramos gin fizz (from List of cocktails)
Image 10A row of alcoholic beverages – in this case, spirits – in a bar (from Liquor)
Image 11Mulled wine steeping (Swedish glögg) (from List of cocktails)
Image 12A display of various liquors in a supermarket (from Liquor)
Image 13Distillation equipment used by the 3rd century alchemist Zosimos of Panopolis, from the Byzantine Greek manuscript Parisinus graecus 2327. (from Liquor)
Image 14Map 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.
  Wine
  Beer
  Spirits
(from Liquor)
Image 15A Caipirinha with lime (from List of cocktails)
Image 16An old whiskey still (from Liquor)
Image 17A Brandy Alexander being served (from List of cocktails)
Image 18A grasshopper (from List of cocktails)
Image 19A B-52 (from List of cocktails)
Image 20A piña colada (from List of cocktails)
Image 21A cosmopolitan (from List of cocktails)
Image 22Reservoir glass with naturally coloured verte absinthe and an absinthe spoon (from List of cocktails)
Image 23A martini cocktail (from List of cocktails)