Portal:Liquor

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Introduction

Liquor (/ˈlɪkər/ LIK-ər) is an alcoholic drink produced by the distillation of grains, fruits, vegetables, or sugar that have already gone through alcoholic fermentation. Other terms for liquor include: spirit, distilled beverage, booze, spirituous liquor or hard liquor. The distillation process concentrates the liquid to increase its 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 UK. 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.

While the word liquor ordinarily refers to distilled alcoholic spirits rather than beverages produced by fermentation alone, it can sometimes be used more broadly to refer to any alcoholic beverage (or even non-alcoholic products of distillation or various other liquids). (Full article...)

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Smirnoff (/ˈsmɪərnɒf/; Russian: [smʲɪrˈnof]) is a brand of vodka owned and produced by the British company Diageo. The Smirnoff brand began with a vodka distillery founded in Moscow by Pyotr Arsenievich Smirnov (1831–1898). It is distributed in 130 countries, and manufactured locally in some, as in Illinois in the United States.

Smirnoff products include vodka, flavoured vodka, and malt beverages. In 2014, Smirnoff was the best selling vodka around the world.

The vodka is unaged, made using a traditional filtration method developed by P. A. Smirnov. Recipe No. 21 was created by Smirnov's son Vladimir after escaping Russia during the October Revolution. (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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Image 1

A Grasshopper is a sweet, mint-flavored, after-dinner drink named for its green color, which comes from crème de menthe. Tujague's, a bar in the French Quarter of New Orleans, Louisiana, claims its owner Philip Guichet invented the drink in 1918. The drink gained popularity during the 1950s and 1960s throughout the American South. (Full article...)
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The Penicillin is an IBA official cocktail made with Scotch whisky, ginger, honey syrup, and fresh lemon juice. (Full article...)
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A Mary Pickford is a Prohibition Era cocktail made with white rum, fresh pineapple juice, grenadine, and Maraschino liqueur. It is served shaken and chilled, often with a Maraschino cherry. (Full article...)
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Three bottles of eau de vie. The flavors are framboise (raspberry), zinfandel grape, and 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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A bottle of "O.P. Anderson", a Swedish akvavit.

Akvavit or aquavit (/ˈɑːkwəviːt, -və-/; also akevitt in Norwegian; aquavit in English) is a distilled spirit that is principally produced in Scandinavia, where it has been produced since the 15th century. Akvavit is distilled from grain or potatoes and is flavoured with a variety of herbs. It is also popular in Northern Germany.

Akvavit gets its distinctive flavour from spices and herbs, and the dominant flavour must (according to the European Union) come from a distillate of caraway and/or dill seed. It typically contains 40% alcohol by volume, or 80 proof (U.S.). The EU has established a minimum of 37.5% ABV for akvavit to be named as such. (Full article...)
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Bottles of the two most famous brands of erguotou, Red Star and Niulanshan (at far right)

Erguotou (Chinese: 二锅头; pinyin: èrguōtóu; lit. 'second pot head', 'i.e. second distillation') is a style of qingxiang baijiu originating in Beijing and primarily made in the region surrounding.

The process of erguotou production is what sets it apart from other qingxiang baijius like Fenjiu. Three ingredients, sorghum, fuqu (麸曲; a wheat bran based qū), and water make up the ingredient base. The sorghum is crushed, cooked, cooled, and mixed with the qū before being added, in a liquid state, to a stone or steel fermentation vessel where it will be left to ferment for a relatively short period of about four to eight days. After the qū has converted the starches and sugars in the sorghum into ethanol, the grain is transferred to a still that will extract the ethanol from the mixture. The distilled output is then rested in ceramic jars for a relatively short six to twelve months before being blended, proofed, bottled, and sold. ('Full article...)
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Arak with water and ice

Arak or araq (Arabic: ﻋﺮﻕ), (Phoenician: 𐤏𐤓𐤒) is a distilled Lebanese spirit of the anise drinks family. It is translucent and unsweetened. (Full article...)
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A glass and bottle of “Jiugui” (酒鬼) brand baijiu

Baijiu (Chinese: 白酒; pinyin: báijiǔ; lit. 'white (clear) liquor'), or shaojiu (烧酒/燒酒), is a colorless Chinese liquor typically coming in between 35% and 60% alcohol by volume (ABV). Each type of baijiu uses its own type of qū for fermentation to create a distinct and characteristic flavor profile.

Baijiu is a clear liquid usually distilled from fermented sorghum, although other grains may be used; some southeastern Chinese styles may employ rice and glutinous rice while other Chinese varieties may use wheat, barley, millet, or Job's tears (Chinese: 薏苡; pinyin: yìyǐ) in their mash bills. The qū starter culture used in the production of baijiu is usually made from pulverized wheat grain or steamed rice. (Full article...)
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The Old Cuban was created in 2001 by mixologist Audrey Saunders. It is also an IBA official cocktail. (Full article...)
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The French martini is a vodka-based cocktail. It was invented in the 1980s at one of Keith McNally's New York City bars. It next appeared on the drinks menu at McNally's Balthazar in SoHo in 1996. The cocktail was produced during the 1980s–1990s cocktail renaissance.

It is not a true martini, but is one of many drinks that incorporate the term martini into their names. The key ingredient that makes a martini "French" is Chambord, a black raspberry liqueur that has been produced in France since 1685. (Full article...)
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A Barracuda cocktail

The barracuda is an alcoholic cocktail based on gold rum, Galliano liqueur, pineapple juice, fresh lime juice and topped with Prosecco, according to International Bartenders Association specified ingredients. (Full article...)
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The Monkey Gland is a cocktail of gin, orange juice, grenadine and absinthe created in the 1920s by Harry MacElhone, owner of Harry's New York Bar in Paris, France.

Some recipes substitute absinthe with pastis or Bénédictine. (Full article...)
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Rakija, rakia, rachiu, rakı or rakiya (/ˈrɑːkiə, ˈræ-, rəˈkiːə/), is the collective term for fruit spirits (or fruit brandy) popular in the Balkans. The alcohol content of rakia is normally 40% ABV, but home-produced rakia can be stronger (typically 50–80%). (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 among distilled alcoholic beverages in Brazil. Outside Brazil, cachaça is used almost exclusively as an ingredient in tropical drinks, with the caipirinha being the most famous cocktail. In Brazil, caipirinha is often paired with the dish feijoada. (Full article...)
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The between the sheets is a cocktail consisting of white rum (or other light rum), cognac, triple sec, and lemon juice. When made with gin, instead of rum and cognac, it's called a "maiden's prayer". (Full article...)
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The paper plane is a whiskey-based cocktail created in 2008. In 2020 it was added to the International Bartenders Association's (IBA) list of official cocktails as a new era drink. (Full article...)
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Canchanchara

The Canchanchara is an IBA official cocktail made with Cuban aguardiente, honey, and fresh lime juice. (Full article...)
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A Russian spring punch cocktail

The Russian spring punch is a highball cocktail of vodka and liqueur, per IBA specified ingredients. The International Bartenders Association lists the beverage in its New Era Drinks category.

The Russian spring punch was created in London, England by Dick Bradsell in the 1980s. He claims not to remember which bar he was working at at the time, but tells the story of how he created the recipe for personal friends wishing to hold a cocktail party while minimizing the amount of money they had to spend on alcohol. Participants were provided with the vodka, cassis, sugar syrup and lemon juice, and were asked to bring their own sparkling wine. It is named for the Russian vodka, and the Tom Collins, which is a spring drink. (Full article...)
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A rượu đế still

Rượu đế is a distilled liquor from Vietnam, made of either glutinous or non-glutinous rice. It was formerly made illegally and is thus similar to moonshine. It is most typical of the Mekong Delta region of southwestern Vietnam (its equivalent in northern Vietnam is called rượu quốc lủi). Its strength varies, but is typically 40 percent alcohol by volume. It is usually clear, and a bit cloudy in appearance. (Full article...)
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A selection of popular Chilean piscos

Pisco is a colorless or yellowish-to-amber colored spirit produced in winemaking regions of Peru and Chile. Made by distilling fermented grape juice into a high-proof spirit, it was developed by 16th-century Spanish settlers as an alternative to orujo, a pomace brandy that was being imported from Spain. It had the advantages of being produced from abundant domestically grown fruit and reducing the volume of alcoholic beverages transported to remote locations. (Full article...)
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A modern DIY pot still

Moonshine is high-proof liquor, traditionally made or distributed illegally. Its clandestine distribution is known as bootlegging. The name was derived from a tradition of creating the alcohol during the nighttime, thereby avoiding detection. In the first decades of the 21st century, commercial distilleries have adopted the term for its outlaw cachet and begun producing their own legally sanctioned, novelty "moonshine", including many flavored varieties, that in some sense continue its tradition, generally having a similar method and/or location of production. (Full article...)
Image 22

A Bloody Mary garnished with celery served with ice cubes in a Highball glass

A Bloody Mary is a cocktail containing vodka, tomato juice, and other spices and flavorings including Worcestershire sauce, hot sauces, garlic, herbs, horseradish, celery, olives, pickled vegetables, salt, black pepper, lemon juice, lime juice and celery salt. Some versions of the drink, such as the "surf 'n turf" Bloody Mary, include shrimp and bacon as garnishes. In the United States, it is usually consumed in the morning or early afternoon, and is popular as a hangover cure.

The Bloody Mary was invented in the 1920s or 1930s. There are various theories as to the origin of the drink and its name. It has many variants, most notably the red snapper, Bloody Maria (made with tequila blanco), and the Virgin Mary. (Full article...)
Image 23

Reservoir glass with naturally coloured verte absinthe and an absinthe spoon

Absinthe (/ˈæbsɪnθ, -sæ̃θ/, French: [apsɛ̃t] ) is an anise-flavored spirit derived from several plants, including the flowers and leaves of Artemisia absinthium ("grand wormwood"), together with green anise, sweet fennel, and other medicinal and culinary herbs. Historically described as a highly alcoholic spirit, it is 45–74% ABV or 90–148 proof in the US. Absinthe traditionally has a natural green color but may also be colorless. It is commonly referred to in historical literature as la fée verte ("the green fairy"). While sometimes casually referred to as a liqueur, absinthe is not traditionally bottled with sugar or sweeteners. Absinthe is traditionally bottled at a high level of alcohol by volume, but it is normally diluted with water before being consumed.

Absinthe was created in the canton of Neuchâtel in Switzerland in the late 18th century by the French doctor Pierre Ordinaire. It rose to great popularity as an alcoholic drink in late 19th- and early 20th-century France, particularly among Parisian artists and writers. The consumption of absinthe was opposed by social conservatives and prohibitionists, partly due to its association with bohemian culture. From Europe and the Americas, notable absinthe drinkers included Ernest Hemingway, James Joyce, Lewis Carroll, Charles Baudelaire, Paul Verlaine, Arthur Rimbaud, and Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec. (Full article...)
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A Clover Club cocktail is a shaken cocktail consisting of gin, lemon juice, raspberry syrup, and egg white. The egg white acts as an emulsifier, forming the drink's characteristic foamy head. (Full article...)
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The New York sour is an IBA official cocktail. Largely similar to the whiskey sour, the New York sour adds a float of dry red wine to the drink. (Full article...)

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... that Thomas Dickson Archibald, when speaking against increasing fines for violating liquor licenses, said "we need only go a step further and make the violation a hanging matter"?
... that to comply with a law that restricted liquor sales near churches, the Peninsula New York placed its cocktail lounge up a flight of stairs and down a long hallway?
... that one-sixth of all liquor establishments in Bombay were attacked in the 1921 Prince of Wales riots?

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

The facade of the 5-8 Club

The 5-8 Club Tavern & Grill is a restaurant in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Founded in 1928 as a speakeasy, the eatery is one of two Minneapolis establishments that claim to have invented the Juicy Lucy cheeseburger in the 1950s, the other being Matt's Bar. The 5-8 Club also serves its Saucy Sally burger and other dishes including fried cheese curds and onion straws. The restaurant, which has been featured on several Travel Channel TV series, has three additional locations in Minnesota. (Full article...)

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Lemon drop (cocktail) The Glenlivet distillery Alcoholic beverages in Oregon Rum and Coke Black Cat Bar Stork Club Caesar (cocktail) Gypsy Restaurant and Velvet Lounge Sip 'n Dip Lounge Lutz Tavern Christian views on alcohol Whiskey Rebellion

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Grain whisky

Barrels waiting to be filled with grain whisky at the Whyte and MacKay Grain Distillery in Invergordon, Scotland

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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 2An illustration of brewing and distilling industry methods in England, 1858 (from Liquor)
Image 3Some single-drink liquor bottles available in Germany (from Liquor)
Image 4A martini is a classic gin-based cocktail. (from List of cocktails)
Image 5A grasshopper (from List of cocktails)
Image 6Mulled wine steeping (Swedish glögg) (from List of cocktails)
Image 7A Queen Mary beer cocktail: beer, grenadine and maraschino cherries (from List of cocktails)
Image 8A B-52 (from List of cocktails)
Image 9A cosmopolitan (from List of cocktails)
Image 10These flaming cocktails illustrate that some liquors will readily catch fire and burn. (from Liquor)
Image 11A Ramos gin fizz (from List of cocktails)
Image 12Map 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 13A display of various liquors in a supermarket (from Liquor)
Image 14A martini cocktail (from List of cocktails)
Image 15Distillation equipment used by the 3rd century alchemist Zosimos of Panopolis, from the Byzantine Greek manuscript Parisinus graecus 2327. (from Liquor)
Image 16A row of alcoholic beverages – in this case, spirits – in a bar (from Liquor)
Image 17A piña colada (from List of cocktails)
Image 18A pisco sour (from List of cocktails)
Image 19An old whiskey still (from Liquor)
Image 20This fruity, blended piña colada is typical of many rum-based cocktails. (from List of cocktails)
Image 21A mojito served in Slovakia (from List of cocktails)
Image 22Viru Valge, an Estonian vodka (from Liquor)