The world of liquor is perplexing to the uninformed. Understand the fundamental words before we discuss liquor types. First, liquor is distilled from fermenting materials. That’s probably gibberish if you don’t understand fermentation or distillation. Basic explanations:
Sugar ferments into alcohol. That makes beer, wine, and cider. Distillation goes further. Distillation separates alcohol from water to make fermented drinks stronger. Water removal concentrates alcohol in the liquid. Check out https://spiritsoffrance.com.au/.
Vodka
Clear vodka is neutral-flavored. Vodka should be clear, tasteless, and odorless. Vodka has unique flavors that vary by brand. Some are creamy, spicy, citrusy, or grainy. Even when drinking vodka straight, these differences are hard to detect. Vodka is the purest and least-flavored beverage.
Vodka’s flavorlessness makes it flexible in drinks. Its capacity to display other products’ flavors and smells is unmatched because it has none of its own! Other spirits with stronger flavors don’t blend well.
Potatoes or grains make vodka (mostly grains). However, vodka is manufactured from anything. Ciroc vodka is grape-based. Vodka must be transparent, flavorless, and 40% ABV.
Gin
Gin is always popular. However, distilleries experimenting with botanicals have made it increasingly mainstream. Juniper berries dominate gin’s taste and scent. Juniper berries are essential to gin, although lemon peel, grapefruit, fennel, anise, and others are often added.
Whisky
Whisk(e)y is the most puzzling spirit. Spelling confuses many! Before spelling, let’s review the basics. Whisk(e)y is distilled from fermented grains. Whisk(e)y is aged in oak barrels after distillation, unlike vodka. Whisk(e)y gets flavors, scents, and color from hardwood barrels, unlike vodka. Whisk(e)y is created worldwide. Each country has distinct whisk(e)y labeling rules. Whiskeys vary by country due to these rules and criteria.
Scotch
Scotch leads all whiskies. It’s Scottish and brewed from malted barley. Scotch must be made in Scotland and aged in oak barrels for three years.
Rum
Rum has the most intriguing history of all liquors. Rum is sugarcane- or molasses-distilled (thick dark brown juice obtained from raw sugar, most rums are made from molasses). Rum, which is mostly prepared in the Caribbean, is aged in wooden barrels.
Tequila
Tequila is the least-appreciated of the 7 most-used spirits. People think all tequila is cheap and low-quality because they drank cheap tequila shooters in college or university.
Tequila must be manufactured in one of Mexico’s five tequila-producing states from fermented blue agave juice. Jalisco, Michoacan, Guanajuato, Nayarit, and Tamaulipas.
Brandy
Brandy is the least used of these 7 liquors. It’s still a vital beverage. Brandy is fruit-fermented brandy. Brandy, like wine, is manufactured by distilling fermenting grapes. Wooden barrels offer brandy taste, texture, and scent. The best brandies are aged for decades!
