Liquorspeak
Here are 30 essential terms related to liquor that would be helpful for a novice:
1. ABV (Alcohol by Volume): The percentage of alcohol in a beverage. Most spirits are around 40% ABV.
2. Aging: The process of storing liquor in barrels (usually oak) to enhance flavor and character.
3. Agave: The plant used to make tequila and mezcal, specifically blue agave for tequila.
4. Amaro: A bitter, herbal Italian liqueur often used as a digestif.
5. Barrel Proof: Liquor bottled directly from the barrel without dilution, often stronger than standard spirits.
6. Bitters: Highly concentrated alcohol-based flavor extracts made from herbs, spices, or fruits, used in cocktails.
7. Blended Whisky: A mix of different types of whisky (malt and grain) from various distilleries.
8. Bourbon: An American whisky made primarily from corn (at least 51%) and aged in new, charred oak barrels.
9. Botanicals: Plants, herbs, or spices used to flavor spirits like gin.
10. Cocktail: A mixed drink typically made with a base spirit, a sweetener, bitters, and/or other flavorings.
11. Cognac: A type of brandy made in the Cognac region of France, produced from grapes and aged in oak barrels.
12. Cordials (Liqueurs): Sweetened, flavored spirits, often lower in alcohol, used in cocktails or as digestifs.
13. Distillation: The process of heating a fermented liquid to separate alcohol from water and impurities, creating spirits.
14. Digestif: A spirit or liqueur served after a meal to aid digestion, like amaro or brandy.
15. Fermentation: The process in which yeast converts sugars into alcohol, producing the base for all alcoholic beverages.
16. Gin: A spirit flavored predominantly with juniper berries and other botanicals.
17. Grain: The base ingredient for many spirits, including whisky, vodka, and gin, such as barley, corn, or rye.
18. Highball: A cocktail made with a base spirit and a larger amount of mixer (e.g., whisky and soda).
19. Maceration: A process where botanicals, fruits, or herbs are soaked in alcohol to infuse flavors into the spirit.
20. Mash: A mixture of grains and water that is fermented to create alcohol, used in making whisky and other spirits.
21. Mezcal: A Mexican spirit made from various types of agave, typically smokier than tequila.
22. Neat: A serving of liquor with no ice, water, or mixers.
23. Overproof: Spirits with a higher alcohol content than the standard 40% ABV, usually 50% ABV or higher.
24. Peat: A type of soil used in some Scotch whisky production, especially in Islay, giving the whisky a smoky flavor.
25. Proof: A measure of a spirit’s strength. In the U.S., proof is twice the ABV (e.g., 40% ABV = 80 proof).
26. Reposado: Tequila that has been aged in oak barrels for at least two months but less than a year.
27. Rye: A type of whisky made primarily from rye grain (at least 51%), known for its spicy flavor.
28. Single Malt: Whisky made from malted barley in one distillery, common in Scotch whisky production.
29. Straight: A spirit served without a mixer but can be poured over ice, unlike “neat.”
30. Tannin: A compound from wood or grape skins that adds a dry, sometimes astringent character to aged spirits or wines.
These terms will help you navigate the world of liquor and build a foundation for understanding different spirits and how they’re made, aged, and served.