Ale
A malt brew similar to but darker than beer. Usually made with deeply malted barley and at a higher temperature than beer by a process know as top fermentation.

American Whiskey
Any one of several types of whiskey made in the U.S. These include straight rye, straight bourbon, straight corn, blended straight bourbon, bonded whiskey and blends.

American Blended Whiskey
A mixture of American straight whiskies and matured grain neutral spirits, bottled at least 80 (U.S.) proof. The blending process gives this type of whiskey consistent uniformity, light body, mild flavor, and aroma. Through confusion in terms it is common in many places for Americans to order “Rye” when what they really want is Blended Whiskey.

American Bottled-in-Bond
A straight whiskey is called Bottled-in-Bond (or Bonded Whiskey) provided it is at least four years of age, bottled at 100 (U.S.) proofs and distilled at a single distillery, in a single season. It is held under government supervision until withdrawn for marketing. The term “Bottled-in-Bond” does not indicate nor guarantee quality. It is merely a tax designation.

American Bourbon Whiskey
Whiskey which has been distilled at not exceeding 160 (U.S.) proof form a fermented mash of not less than 15% corn grain and stored in charred new oak containers.

American Rye Whiskey
Rye is stilled from a mash of not less than 51% of rye grain at not more than 160 (U.S.) proof and stored in charred new oak containers. Although true Rye is not popular these says, the name “Rye” is often used by Americans in asking for Blended Whiskey or occasionally even Canadian Whisky.

American Straight Whiskey
Any rye, bourbon, wheat, malt, rye malt, or corn whiskey which, distilled at not exceeding 160 (U.S.) proof, is (a) withdrawn form the distillery at not more than 24 calendar months in charred new oak barrels. Straight whiskies when mixed with each other are then labeled as Blends of Straight Whiskey (or Blends of Bourbon, Rye, etc.)

Anisette
A mild, colorless liqueur with an anise flavor. Sweet and reminiscent of licorice.

Aperitif
A broad term used to describe any drink taken before meals, to improve your appetite.

Applejack
Common name for brandy distilled from apples.

Armagnac
One of the two great grape brandies of France. The other, of course, is Cognac. Armagnac is fuller-bodied than Cognac, less delicate, and generally somewhat drier. It is produced in a legally defined area of the Gers Department in southwest France.

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Beer
A beverage made from the fermentation of cereal grains and malt and flavored with hops. Beer is generally brewed at lower temperatures than ale and by a process known as bottom fermentation.

Bitters
An infusion of roots, barks, herbs and other botanicals used for flavoring cocktails and other drinks, as an ingredient in cooking and sometime as a tonic for stomach distress caused by overindulgence.

Bock beer
A special brew, darker, heavier, and somewhat sweeter in taste than regular (or lager) beer. Its production is traditionally timed for sale in the spring.

Bordeaux Wines
Wines form the most famous wine producing regions of France. Bordeaux is comprised of five main wine districts - Graves, M?doc, Pomerol, Sauternes and St.Emilion, which give their names to the red white wines they produce.

Brandy
Liquor distilled from wine or fermented mash of grapes or other fruits. Brandy distilled from grape wine requires no other identification on the label. When Brandy is distilled from other fruit, the type of fruit must be stated, such as Apple Brandy or Apricot Brandy. Popular as an after dinner drink, and as a basic ingredient in many cocktails.

Burgundy Wines
Named for the province of eastern France which produces red wines ranking with the worlds finest and a number of superb dry, white wines. Burgundy Wines are named for the town in which the vineyard lies, or for the most famous vineyard in the parish. The Burgundy region consists of four main wine-producing districts: C?te d’Or (which comprises the C?te de Nuits and C?te de Beaune), the Ma?on, Beaujolais and Chablis.

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Canadian Whisky
A distinctive product of Canada-distilled, aged, blended and bottled-in-bond under the supervision of the Canadian Government. Canadian Whiskies are premium whiskies, usually bottled at six years of age or more, light-bodied, and, though delicate in flavor, retain a distinct positive character. Corn, rye and barley malt are the principal grains used in the production of Canadian Whiskies.

Chablis
Dry white wine originating from the district surrounding the town of Chablis in Burgundy, France. Also the generic mane for similar dry, straw-colored table wines produced in the United States, Chile and elsewhere.

Champagne
Celebrated sparkling wine produced from still wine. Champagne is originally fermented in barrels like other wines, but then is blended and bottled with a small amount of sugar syrup and yeast. This causes it to go through a second fermentation in the bottle and gives Champagne its natural effervescence. Later all sediment is removed and each bottle receives a small amount of sweetened, aged wine. The exact amount added determines whether the Champagne shall be Brut (very dry), or Extra Dry (slightly sweeter), Dry (sweeter still) or Demi-Sec (very sweet).

Cherry Kijafa
Spanish cherry wine

Chianti
A dry, red, is very robust Italian table wine originating in the Tuscany region of Italy. Most Chianti comes in round bottom flasks bound in straw. A few finer, aged Chiantis are shipped in regular claret bottles. There is also a small amount of white Chianti made which is sometimes available outside Italy.
“Classical Chianti” is wine produced in the three Communes of the ancient League of Chianti and in some other neighboring districts. Classical Chianti is usually marked by a label showing a black rooster as a symbol of authenticity.

Claret
The name Claret originally referred to the red wines of the Bordeaux region in France. Today, dry red wines produced in almost every country in the world, and of varying quality, are sold as Claret or Claret types.

Cognac
Probably the greatest of the world’s Brandies. Produced in a legally limited and defined area surrounding the city of Cognac in the southwest of France. Various qualities of Cognac are sometimes indicated by stars, in ascending quality, and by letter: “E” meaning “Especial” “F” Fine; “V” Very; “S” Superior; “O” Old; “P” Pale; “X” Extra; “C” Cognac. “V.S.O.P.” on a Cognac label means “Very Superior Old Pale”.

Cordial
A synonym for liqueur.

Cr?e de Cassis
A very sweet, dark, red liqueur or syrup made from black currants.

Cura?ao
A liqueur made from the peel of oranges of the West Indian Island of Cura?ao. It is usually orange-colored, but there are also green and blue varieties.

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Geneva Gin
(Also Genever Gin or Holland Gin.)
A Dutch Gin, heavy in body and very aromatic. It is produced by immersing a mixture of juniper berries and other botanicals directly into the grain mash before distillation. Or the essential oils can be extracted from the botanical mixture with the heavy distillate from the fermented grain mash of corn, rye, and barley malt.
Serve it ice cold, straight or with a dash of bitters.

Gin
Gin may be either distilled originally from a grain mash or redistilled from grain neutral spirits. (Beets, cane, potatoes or grapes may also be used.) It gets its characteristic flavor from juniper berries (and usually other botanicals).

Golden Gin
Dry Gin which, due to aging in wood, has acquired a golden or straw-yellow color. Even though a distiller ages his Gin, he cannot, by law, make any age claim for his product.

Grain Neutral Spirits
An alcoholic distillate from a fermented mash of grain (usually corn) distilled at or above 190 (U.S.) proof. Used in Blended Whiskies and in making Gin, Vodka and many other liquors.

Grappa
After wine is made, there is always a residue of skins, pips and stalks, which can be distilled. This strong, rough spirit is known in Italy as Grappa and in France as Marc.

Grenadine
Bright red syrup used for sweetening mixed drinks. It is artificially flavored to taste like a blend of pomegranate, strawberry and raspberry fruits.

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Half and Half
A mixture of two fermented malt beverages. Generally half beer and half ale. Occasionally, half beer and half porter or stout.

Hawaiian Rum
Distinctive rum, light, fragrant, dry and delicate, distilled in Hawaii from molasses made of sugar cane grown in soil rich with lava loam and aged in old charred oak barrels.

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Irish Whisky
A distinctive whisky of Ireland. Made from barley, both malted and unmalted, together with oats, wheat and sometimes a small portion of rye. Generally, a blend of straight pot still whiskies, but sometimes including lighter column still grain whiskies. The malt is dried in kilns fueled with coal instead of peat, and constructed so that the smoke from the fires does not reach the malt. Aged seven years or longer, Irish Whiskey is generally heavier and more full-bodied than Scotch.

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Jamaican Rum
Rich, dark, full-bodied and heavily aromatic rum distilled in Jamaica in old-fashioned pot stills. May be enjoyed straight, in many mixed drinks, or as a flavoring in cooking and baking.

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Kirsch (Kirschwasser)
A colorless fruit brandy distilled from small black cherries.

K?mmel (Kuemmel)
A colorless liqueur with a flavor of the caraway seed.

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Liqueur
A sweet alcoholic drink usually made by adding an infusion of fruits or herbs to grain alcohol, brandy or whiskey. Also called Cordial.

London Dry Gin
A dry colorless gin originating in England, but now considered a generic term that may appear on the labels of American-made gins as well. English-made gins are inclined to be slightly heavier-bodied and somewhat more aromatic than the American product.

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Madeira Wine
Wine produced on the Portuguese island of that name on the North African Coast. It is made from ripe grapes fortified with brandy made from the wine, and matured at high temperature in special hot houses. Most Madeira is sweet and it is generally served chilled.
Maraschino
A strong, white aromatic liqueur with a bittersweet, cherry-based taste.

Marc
The French name for Grappa.

May Wine
A light, sweet white wine flavored with an aromatic herb called Waldmeister or Woodruff. Generally made and marketed in the spring. Served chilled, often with a strawberry or other fruit in the glass.

Moselle Wines
Light, delicate, fragrant, dry white wines produced in Germany from Riesling grapes grown in the valley of the Moselle River and its tributaries.

Muscatel
Sweet, white dessert wine made from the Muscat grape.

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Ouzo
A colorless high-proof Greek liquor, Flavored with anise seed.

Orange Bitters
A flavoring with a bittersweet orange taste. Used in cocktails and other drinks.

Orange Flower Water
A delicate flavoring made in the Middle East from an infusion of the petals of orange blossoms. Used in White Ladies and other drinks.

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Pisco
A Chilean brandy, similar to Grappa, with a piquant taste.

Port
A rich, sweet dessert wine originally only from the Upper Douro River Valley of Portugal, but now made also in the United States, Africa, and South America. The genuine Portuguese product is made and shipped under rigid legal standards. These standards are not followed outside of Portugal, so that while California or South American Port may be excellent in its own right, it seldom resembles the Portuguese product. True Port is fortified with grape brandy and always aged.

Proof
The proof of liquor is twice its alcohol content. 100 proof, for example, indicates the spirit is 50% alcohol.

Puerto Rican Rum
Dry, light-bodied rum distilled at high proof in column stills, aged one to three years and generally a blend of several different distillates. There are two varieties-white label and gold label, the gold label being a little sweeter and darker with a more pronounced rum flavor. It is nowhere near as dark and flavorful, however, as heavy-bodied rum such as from Jamaica. It is enjoyed straight, in a wide variety of mixed drinks, and is also used as a flavoring in cooking and baking.

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Rhine Wines
German white wines produced in the Rheingau, the RheinBhessen and the Rheinpfalz or Palatinate. Each produces wine of distinctive character. The finest being made from the Riesling grape. Rhine Wines are generally full-bodied, semi-dry, with a fruity bouquet. Also a generic name for similar wines made in the U.S. and elsewhere.

Riesling
Dry, tart white wine made from the Riesling grape.

Rock and Rye
An original American product made by mixing 50% Rye Whiskey with rock candy and fruit juices. Serve straight, in hot toddies, Old-Fashioned and other mixed drinks.

Rose Wines
Any of a number of light red or pink table wines. Generally very light-bodied, slightly dry, fresh tasting, with a fruity bouquet. Rose is an all occasion wine. It goes well with practically any food. It doesn’t improve with age.

Rum
Rum is distilled from the fermented juice of sugar cane, cane syrup, sugar cane molasses or other sugar cane by-products at less than 190 (U.S.) proof. Typical of light-bodied rums are those of Puerto Rico, Cuba, the Virgin Islands, the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, Mexico and the Philippines. Heavy-bodied rums are darker, sweeter and more aromatic. They include those from Jamaica, Demerara, Martinique, Trinidad, and Barbados. Differences in the final product result from different methods of distilling, aging and blending and variations in water, climate and soil. Serve rum straight or in an infinite variety of mixed drinks. Different types of rum are usually preferred for particular uses.

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Sake
A rice wine produced principally in Japan. Usually warmed slightly before serving.

Sauternes
Natural sweet white wines produced in the Sauternes district of the Bordeaux region in France. Usually delicate, very smooth, extremely fragrant and fruity to the taste. Sauterne (without the final “s”) is the generic name for U.S. wine of similar type and character.

Scotch Whisky
A distinctive product of Scotland, manufactured under British laws. Most Scotches are blends of grain whiskies and malt whiskies and are aged for at least four years. The subtle “smoky” flavor of Scotch comes from the drying of malted barley over peat fires. The kind and amount of peat used determines the intensity of flavor in the final product.

Sherry Wine
Sherries are white wines ranging in color from a very pale straw to a dark brown, and in taste from very, very dry to rich and sweet. True Sherry is produced in Spain in the region surrounding the town of Jerez. The name Sherry is also used to identify American Wines which attempt to imitate the original Spanish product.

Slivovitz
A brandy distilled from plums and cinnamon and usually aged in wood. Originally from Central Europe.

Sloe Gin
A liqueur made of gin and sloe berries.

Sparkling Wine
A general term used to describe any effervescent or carbonated wine, including Champagne - and regardless of quality, character or place of origin.

Still Wine
Any wine, regardless of color or quality, which is not carbonated (as opposed to sparkling wine).

Stout
A type of Ale, very dark in color and with a strong flavor of malt and hops.

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Tequila
A Mexican alcoholic drink distilled from the fermented juice of the maguey, or mescal plant, a special variety grown only in the state of Jalisco. Tequila is made in pot stills and sold in two varieties - white label and gold label. The white label is colorless. The gold label is light amber as a result of aging in oak barrels. Tequila may be served straight or in mixed drinks, and adapts itself to most any recipe as a replacement for either gin or vodka.

Tokay
The most notable of Hungarian wines. The name Tokay is also used to describe a dessert wine made in the United States, but completely different from the Hungarian original.

Tonic Water
A colorless, effervescent, non-alcoholic mixer with a bittersweet taste. Also called Quinine Water. This is the “tonic” referred to in drinks like “Gin and Tonic” “Vodka and Tonic” and “Rum and Tonic” etc.

Triple Sec
A colorless liqueur with a sweet orange flavor.

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Vermouth, Dry
A dry, aromatic aperitif wine sometimes called French Vermouth. It is tart, light-bodied and white in color. The characteristic flavor of Vermouth derives from a delicate blend of white wines infused with a variety of herbs and spices.

Vermouth, Sweet
Sweeter, more heavy-bodied, mellower and more highly flavored than Dry Vermouth. It is produced in just about every major wine-making region in the world.

Vodka
Of Russian or Polish origin, Vodka is now produced in other parts of the world, especially the United States. It is a colorless, practically tasteless and odorless spirit usually distilled from a grain mash at or above 190? (U.S.) proof. It is further treated or refined by the use of charcoal or activated carbon or redistillation processes. It is used straight or in a variety of cocktails and mixed drinks.

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Whiskey
A general name for liquors of not less than 80 (U.S.) proof distilled from a mash of grain.

Wine
Any alcoholic beverage produced from the naturally fermented juice of grapes. “Wine” may also be produced from any fruit and from any other agricultural products including nuts, berries and flowers. The word “wine” when used alone identifies the product of the grape. Wine comes in two colors - red and white. Red wines range from the palest pink to a deep, rich, ruby color. The short fermentation of red grapes creates the light pink color of ros? wines. White wines range form very pale straw to deep dark brown. There is no wine that is absolutely colorless.