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ABRICOTINE An apricot liqueur made in France
ABSINTHE Absinthe reached its peak of
popularity and notoriety around the end of the
nineteenth century and is now illegal not only in
the United States but in Switzerland, the place of
its origin. Absinthe is actually a green-hued
cordial with aniseed (licorice) flavor. The
ingredient that caused all the fuss was wormwood
(actually deleterious only when taken in immense
doses). Pernod, Abisinte, Abson, Anisette, Ojen, and
Oxygene are its modern, safe, respectable
substitutes.
ABSOLUT A high quality vodka of swedish
manufacture, most commonly and appropriately taken
unmixed. Now available flavored with lemon,
blackberry, and peppers.
ADVOKAAT A bottled egg nog mixture made with
brandy and eggs that originated in the netherlands.
AMARETTO An after-dinner liqueur with an
almond flavor that is made in Italy from apricot
kernels. The original amaretto, Amaretto di Saronne,
was first made in Saronne, Italy, in 1525.
AMER PICON A bitter French cordial, bitter,
orange-flavored, made from quinine, spices, cinchona
bark, oranges, and gentiam
ANGOSTURA BITTERS (see bitters) made from a
trinidadian secret recipe.
ANISETTE A sweet, clear, aniseed-flavored
liqueur, the principle ingredient being aniseed.
APERTIF An alcoholic drink taken before a
meal or any of several wines or bitters.
APPLEJACK An apple brandy produced
principally in the United States and France. A
version produced in Normandy, Calvados, is of very
high quality. Also known as "Jersey lighting" and
"hard cider". Made from winter apples, a great deal
of applejack produced in the Unites States is of the
homemade variety, and thus of widely varying
quality.
AQUAVIT (Akvavit) Scandanavian Vodka flavored
with caraway, dill and other herbs and spices.
B&B A mixture of cognac and benidictine,
yeilding a drier product than benidictine alone.
BACARDI The single best selling brand of rum
or any other liquor in the United States. A light
bodied rum, Bacardi was formerly made in Cuba and is
now Manufactured in the Puerto Rico and several
other places. The original Bacardi plant in 1862 was
a tin roof shed housing a cast iron still, a few
fermenting tanks, a few aging barrels and a colony
of fruit bats nesting in the rafters, hence the bat
logo on every label.
BAHAI A coffee flavored Brazilian liqueur.
BAILEYS IRISH CREAM A mocha flavored whiskey
and double-cream liqueur, a combination of Irish
whiskey, cream, coffee, chocolate, and coconut.
BENEDICTINE The oldest and perhaps most
famous liqueur in the world, Benedictine dates from
1510. Its formula, which calls for twenty seven
different herbs, plants, and peels, is a secret that
has never been successfully been duplicated.
Originally produced by Benedictine monks in an abbey
in the Caux district of Normandy, Benedictine takes
three years to make, followed by four years of
aging.
BITTERS A highly concentrated flavoring agent
made from roots, barks, herbs, and/or berries.
Bitters are reputed to have medicinal qualities.
Some, such as Compari and Fernet-Branca from Italy
are believed to be such good stomach settlers and
may even be useful in treating hangovers. Bitters
such as Angostura are also effective in minute
quantities as smoothing out the taste of a
particularly harsh or bitter whiskey. Abbot's
bitters have been made in baltimore since 1865,
Peychoud bitters come from New Orleans and Orange
Bitters are made in England from the dried peels of
seville oranges.
BLENDED WHISKEY Blended whiskey came into
prominence in the United States during world war II,
when distillers made the most of their dwindling
stocks of whiskey by mixing them with unaged
grain-neutral spirits. By U.S. law, blended whiskey
must contain at least 20% straight whiskey. The rest
may be unaged grain neutral spirits, pure alcohol
with little or no flavor-and that's exactly what the
cheaper, inferior blends tend to be. Actually, there
are two types of blended whiskey: the aforementioned
cheaper brands in which straight whiskey is blended
with grain neutral spirits, and those in which
straight whiskeys of varying character and qualities
are blended together to produce a distinctive
product. Most Scotch, Bourbon, Canadian, rye, and
Irish whiskeys currently on the market, including
the very best available, are blended whiskeys and
fall into this second category.
BOROUVICKA A Czechoslovakian juniper brandy
similar to gin.
BOURBON An American whiskey distilled from a
fermented mash of grain that is at least 51% corn.
Bourbon is aged for at least two years in new
charred oak barrels. Bourbon, a true American
whiskey, originated in Bourbon County, Kentucky, and
even today, most bourbon distilleries in the United
States are located in kentucky. Jack Daniels is a
high quality Bourbon that is filtered through maple
charcoal befor aging.
BRANDY Brandy is distilled from a fermented
mash of grapes or other fruit and the aged in white
oak casks at least two years and usually bottled at
80 proof. Cognac is an exceptionally smooth brandy
with a heady dry aroma produced in the Cognac region
of France. Armagnac is similiar to Cognac, but with
a drier taste, it is produced in the Armagnac region
of France. American Brandy is distilled in
California and is unique in that it is produced by
the firms that grow the grapes, distill, age, blend,
bottle and market the brandies under their own name.
American brandy accounts for 75% of brandies sold in
the U.S. Apple Brandy (applejack) is distilled from
apple cider. Fruit brandies are brandy based
liqueurs made from blackberries, apricots, cherries,
and ginger and are bottled at 70 to 80 proof.
BUCKS Drink made with an ounce or so of
liquor and lemon juice plus ginger ale, and topped
with a twist of lemon.
CALVADOS One of the world's great brands of
apple brandy. Produced in Normandy.
CAMPARI A highly popular Italian patent
apertif. Usually served on the rocks with soda,
Campari is very dry with a strong quinine taste.
CANADIAN CLUB A high quality, highly popular
brand of Canadian whiskey.
CANADIAN WHISKEY Like American whiskeys,
Canadian whiskey is made primarily from corn, rye,
and malted barley, and is distilled by a process
similar to that used in making bourbon, except that
a sweet mash is used. Lighter bodied, smoother, and
less assertive than its American counterpart,
Canadian whiskey is excellent for mixing or for
summer use.
CHAMBRAISE A French liqueur made from wild
strawberries
CHAMBORD A french liqueur made from small
black raspberries
CHARTREUSE A famous herbal French liqueur
still produced by the Carthusian monks in France
from a formula dating back to 1605 and containing
130 herbs and spices. This exquisite liqueur is
available in two colors: yellow and green.
CHASER A mixer that is tossed down the throat
after one has drunk a straight shot of whiskey or
other spirit instead of being combined with a spirit
in the glass. The origonal chaser was a
boiler-maker, which was a shot and a beer.
CHERI-SUISSE A Swiss liqueur that tastes like
chocolate covered cherries.
CHERRY MARNIER A French cherry liqueur with a
hint of almond
COBBLER A tall summer style drink that
consists of ice, wine or liqueur, and a considerable
variety of fruit slices, cherries, berries, and so
forth.
COGNAC
A
type of brandy that is produced only in the Cognac
region of western France and is universally
recognized as the finest and most elegant liqueur in
the world. Not a drop of any other wine or brandy is
ever allowed to enter a bottle of Cognac. The Cognac
region is divided into six districts, with the
Cognac of Grand Champagne considered the best.
Cognac is coded on the label by the following
letters: V (very), S (superior), O (old), P (pale),
E (extra or especial), F (fine), X (extra). French
law states that Cognac with 3 stars be aged at least
1½ years old to be rated VS & 4 years to be rated
VSOP (althought 7-10 years is pretty common). By
french law the words Extra, Napolean, Reserve and
Vieille may not appear on the label unless the
cognac has been aged at least 5½ years.
COINTREAU A fine, colorless, orange-flavored
liqueur made from the dried skins of Curaçao oranges
grown on the island of the same name in the Dutch
West Indies. The Generic term is Curaçao, and if
redistilled clear is called triple sec.
COLLINS Tall, cool punch-like drinks. Any
basic liquor with lime or lemon juice, over ice
cubes in a frosted glass and sugar and soda water
added. (Tom=Gin, John=Whiskey, Joe=Scotch)
COOLER A low alcohol drink consisting of
either white or red wine mixed with either 7-UP,
ginger-ale, club soda and or a citrus juice.
Commercially bottled coolers of the latter variety
have become extremely popular in recent years.
CORDIALS Sweetened spirits distilled from
fruits, seeds, herbs & peels, same as liqueur.
CREAM OF COCONUT A coconut syrup used in many
exotic drinks.
CREME DE... An all-purpose term indicating a
liqueur in which one flavor is dominant. flavors
include almond, celery, d'anana (pineapple),
noisette (hazelnut), mocha (coffee), rose (vanilla
and roses), the` (tea), fraise (strawberry) and
violette/yvette (violets)
CREME DE BANANA A sweet liqueur flavored
with bananas.
CREME DE COCOA
A
rich, chocolate-flavored liqueur, made from cacao
and vanilla beans, quite sweet and syrupy, available
in two colors: white & brown.
CREME DE CASSIS
A
dark, medium-sweet liqueur flavored with black
currants.
CREME DE MENTHE A mint-flavored moderately
sweet liqueur that comes in green or white.
CREME DE NOYAUX
A
liqueur made from fruit pits that possesses a bitter
almond taste.
CREME YVETTE A very sweet, violet-flavored
liqueur, made in the United States by Jacquin.
CUARENTE Y TRES A brandy based liquor from
Spain containing 43 ingredients and a hint of
vanilla. Also known as Licor 43.
CURAÇAO Generic term for liqueur made from
the dried skins of small green bitter curaçao
oranges. Curaçao may be blue, white, or orange in
color. The taste is the same for all three.
DRAMBUIE A famous whiskey liqueur consisting
of Highland malt scotch whiskey, heather honey, &
herbs.
DRY A term applied to any form of wine or
liqueur to denote a lack of sweetness. "Dry"
champagne is, however, not as free of sugar as
"brut"
EGG WHITE An egg white is an excellent way to
put a head on a drink. It also cuts harshness and
makes for a smoother taste. Always add the egg white
before the liquor.
EZRA BROOKS A quality tennessee whiskey.
FALERNUM A sweet syrup of Caribbean origin
made from ginger, almonds, limes, and other various
fruits and herbs. Falernum, like grenadine, contains
little or no alcohol, and is used to flavor or
sweeten mixed drinks.
FERNET-BRANCA An extremely bitter Italian
herbal apertif or digestif made from cinchoma bark,
gentium, rhubarb, calamus, angelica, myrrh,
chamomile and peppermint. It is often employed as a
stomach settler and/or hangover remedy. It's
classified as bitters.
FINLANDIA A high-proof (94) popular vodka
imported from Finland.
FIX A sour drink, usually made with pineapple
syrup and crushed ice.
FIZZES Made from liquor, citris juices and
sugar. Shaken with ice and strained into a highball
glass. Soda "fizz" water is then added. Any
carbonated beverage even champagne may be used.
FLIPS An egg nog and fizz combination. Made
with liquor, egg, sugar, and shaved ice, shaken
well, and Sprinkled with nutmeg.
FORBIDDEN FRUIT An American liqueur made from
shaddock (grapefruit) and cognac
FRAISETTEE Cordial made from alcoholic syrup,
white wine and strawberries.
FRAMBOISE Cordial made from raspberries,with
high a alcohol content.
FRANGELICO A hazelnut liqueur from Italy.
FRAPPES A drink made by packing a glass with
crushed ice and pouring liqueur over it.
GALLIANO A sweetish, golden, Italian liqueur
with an herby, spicy taste.
GEORGE DICKEL A quality Tennessee whiskey.
GIN Gin is basically grain alcohol, mostly
corn (75%) with some malted barley (15%) and other
grains (10%) thrown in. It is then redistilled with
or through juniper berries and botanicals such as
coriander seed, cassia bark, orange peels, fennel
seeds, anise, caraway, angelica root, inis root,
licorice, lemon peel, almonds, cassia bark,
cardomann seeds, cinnoman bark, bergomat and cocoa.
It is this secondary process that imparts to each
gin its particular taste. Most of the gin now
produced is London dry, which is clean light,
unsweet, and perfect for making for martinis. The
Dutch still produce a sweeter, more robust version
of their own called Hollands gin, which, while is
unsuitable for mixing purposes is drunk neat and
cold. Gin does not require aging.
GLENFIDDICH A famous high-quality single malt
brand of unblended Scotch whiskey made by William
Grant of Glenfiddich in the Glenlivet region of the
Scottish Highlands.
GLENLIVET The greatest name in Scotch
whiskey. The ultra whiskey-producing area in
scotland is a 900 square mile chunk of territory on
the river spey in the eastern portion of the
Scottish highlands. It is there that the most famous
whiskeys are produced in the Glenlivet style.
GOLDEN RUM Also known as anejo, a
light-bodied rum of golden color from Cuba, Puerto
Rico, and the Virgin Islands. This rum, though still
of the light bodied type, has more taste and
pronounced character than white rum.
GOLDWASSER Orinally made by Danzig in 1598,
goldwasser is a spicy citrus flavored liqueur with
22k gold flakes mixed in.
GRAIN-NEUTRAL SPIRITS Otherwise known as
grain alcohol, alcohol distilled from grain at 190
proof. Colorless and tasteless, it is used in making
blended whiskeys and, as well as gin, gin, vodka,
homemade liqueurs and other liquors.
GRAND MARNIER An orange-flavored cognac based
French liqueur of the curaçao type.
GRAPPA An Italian brandy distilled from the
pulpy mass of skins, pits, stalks left in the wine
press after the juice of the grapes have been
extracted. Young grappa is fairly fiery, but mellows
with age.
GRENADINE A sweet syrup flavoring for drinks
made from pomegranate juice, containing little or no
alcohol.
GROG Originally a mixture of rum and water
that was issued to sailors in the royal navy and
later improved with the addition of lime juice and
sugar. Now a grog is any kind of drink usually made
with a rum base, fruit and various sweeteners and
served hot or cold in a large mug or glass .
HIGHBALLS Any liquor served with ice, soda,
plain water, ginger-ale or other carbonated
beverages.
HOLLANDS GIN
(Genievive)
The type of old-style gin still produced and favored
by the Dutch. Hollands gin is hearty, robust, and
sweet, not for mixing. The Dutch like it cold and
neat, often with herring.
IRISH MIST A famous liqueur produced in
Ireland, consisting of Irish whiskey and heather
honey.
IRISH WHISKEY The Irish have been making
whiskey for 700 years and are said to have invented
the stuff. The main difference between Irish and
Scotch whiskey is that Irish Whisky is entirely
lacking in the smoky taste that characterizes
Scotch. The reason for this is that the Scots use
peat in the kilns in which they dry their malt,
while the Irish use coal. Irish whiskey is distilled
from a grain mixture that consists of malted as well
as unmalted barley, along with small proportions of
wheat, oats, and rye. Irish whiskey tends to be old
(at least seven years) and more mature than Scotch,
probably because it is not purchased at the same
rate as Scotch. Full-bodied, unblended Irish
whiskeys produced in pot stills have a very
pronounced character, which makes them very
unpopular with many american palates. There are many
blended Irish whiskeys that are lighter and less
strong in character. The distillery at Bushmills in
County Antrim dates from 1608 and is believed to be
the oldest in the world. Irish whiskey is unique in
that it is the only whiskey distilled 3 times.
JACK DANIEL'S A whiskey of the bourbon type,
made in Tennessee, which is perhaps the most famous
whiskey made in America. The Jack Daniel's
distillery in Lynchburg, Tennessee, dates from 1866
and is the oldest registered distillery in the
United States. Jack Daniel's is made according to
the sour-mash process, mellowed by a process of
filtration through sugar maple charcoal.
JAEGERMEISTER This complex, aromatic
concoction containing some 56 herbs, roots and
fruits has been popular in germany since its
introduction in 1878. It may be used as cocktail
bitters but is more frequently consumed as an
apertif or after dinner drink.
JAMAICAN RUM Full-bodied, pungent rum, dark
in color, and decidedly heavier and richer in taste
than light bodied rums produced elsewhere in the
Caribbean. High-quality Jamaican rums, such as
Myer's, are usually drunk straight.
JULEPS Made with Kentucky bourbon and fresh
mint leaves (muddled, crushed or whole), served in
an ice frosted glass with shaved ice and a mint
garnish.
KAHLUA Coffee liqueur originating in Mexico
made from mexican coffee beans.
KIRSCHWASSER A strong, dry black cherry fruit
brandy made by both the Germans and the French.
KUMMEL A cordial liqueur of Dutch origin made
from caraway seeds, cumin seeds, coriander seeds and
aniseed, with herb flavors added.
LIGHT RUM Rums lighter in body though not
necessarily in color than their dark, heavy-bodied
Jamaican cousins. Light rums may be white, "silver",
or golden in color. They usually hail from Puerto
Rico, Cuba, and the Virgin Islands.
LIGHT WHISKEY American whiskey, lighter in
taste and body than its conventional whiskey
predecessors. It is distilled at a much higher proof
(161 to 189) than traditional whiskeys and aged in
reused barrels rather than in new charred barrels.
LILLET An increasingly popular French apertif,
light and dry, that comes in two versions, white and
red.
LIQUEUR An alcoholic beverage that is
manufactured by adding flavorings such as
strawberry, orange, or almond to a distilled spirit.
the flavorings can be added in one of three
fashions; steeping, percolating/filtering, and
redistilling. Combinations of flavors, such as mint,
chocolate, vanilla, and coffee are also used.
Because of the way they are produced, the
differences in quality among liqueurs are dramatic.
Some liqueurs, especially those manufactured in
Europe, are still made by natural processes and
contain natural ingredients. Unfortunately, many of
the larger liqueur firms, including most American
firms, use chemical flavor concentrates in the
manufacture of their liqueurs. Where such chemical
concentrates are used, the law stipulates that the
liqueur must be designated on the label as
"artificial", or "imitation". One line of liqueurs
still manufactured entirely by natural process is
France's Marie Brizard, Bols of Holland (which makes
superb triple-sec, and curaçao), and the original
Amaretto di Saronne.
LIQUOR Alcoholic beverage most often
distilled, rather than fermented.
LONDON DRY GIN The type of clear dry gin
popular in Britain and the United States, highly
suited to mixing drinks in general and martinis in
particular.
LOW BALL A short drink consisting of spirits
served with ice alone, or with water or soda in a
short glass. Also known as an on-the-rocks or
old-fashioned.
MALIBU A jamaican coconut flavored rum
liqueur.
MANDERINE NAPOLEAN A liqueur made from
manderine orange flavored cognac.
MARASCHINO A very sweet white cherry liqueur
made from the marasca cherry of dalmatia,
Yugoslavia. This liqueur is sometimes used in sours
in place of sugar.
MARIE BRIZARD French producer of high quality
liqueurs.
METAXA A strong, sharp-tasting, aromatic
Greek brandy.
MIDORI MELON LIQUEUR A pale green liqueur of
Japaneese origin that tastes of fresh muskmelon or
cantaloupe.
MIST A glass packed with crushed ice to which
spirits are added, usually straight.
MULL A warm drink containing wine, sugar,
spices, and possibly a liquor. Also a verb meaning
to warm, spice, and sweeten, a technique that is
applied to both wine and ale.
MYER'S RUM A famous line of high-quality dark
Jamaican rums.
NAPOLEAN BRANDY The term is related to age
and usually means a cognac that is at least 5 years
old.
NEAT A straight shot of any spirit taken in a
single gulp, usually without any accompaniment, also
called a shooter.
NOILLY PRAT An excellent and well known brand
of French dry vermouth that is perfectly suited to
the making of dry martinis.
ORANGE BITTERS Made from the dried peel of
the bitter Seville oranges, orange bitters are less
aromatic and fruitier then the more popular and
sophisticated Angostura bitters.
ORANGE FLOWER WATER A light, non-alcoholic
preparation based on the oil of orange blossoms,
used as a flavoring in drinks.
ORGEAT A syrup with a pronounced almond
flavor.
OUZO an anise flavored liqueur of Greece,
usually served on the rocks. Also an Absinthe
substitute.
PARFAIT AMOUR Cordial made of citron,
cinnamon, coriander, and brandy.
PASSION FRUIT A liqueur made in Hawaii from
peaches or mangos.
PEANUT LOLITA A liqueur made from peanuts.
PEAR LIQUEUR A Hungarian made liqueur, some
even have a pear in the bottle.
PEPPERMINT SCHNAPPS A mint flavored liqueur
similar to creme de menthe, but lighter bodied and
less sweet.
PERNOD A famous French anise-flavored liqueur
and Absinthe substitute.
PERRIER A highly effervescent bottled water
that the French use in highballs instead of club
soda. It has a sharp edge that works well as a
counterpoint to the stickiness of fruit juices.
Highly popular on this side of the Atlantic, Perrier
can be taken alone or with lime juice.
PETER HEERING A famous, deep red,
cherry-flavored liqueur made in Denmark, formerly
known as Cherry Heering.
PEYCHOUD'S BITTERS Made in louisiana from an
old closely guarded french family recipe. It is a
pungent anise flavored bitter.
PICK-ME-UP Any concoction designed to allay
the effects of overindulgence in alcaholic
beverages.
PIMM'S CUP A Pimm's No. 1 is a liqueur-style
prepackaged preperation with a gin base. Pimm's No.
2 has a whiskey base, while No. 3 is a rum base and
No. 4 a brandy base.
POUSSE-CAFE A sweet, multilayered
after-dinner drink. Success in making it depends
upon keeping each layer seperate and distinct from
the others-a neat trick. The secret is knowing the
relative heaviness of of the various liquids that
make up the Pousse-cafe.
PRALINES A New Orleans liqueur that recreates
the butter pecan/brown sugar/vanilla flavor of the
traditional praline candy
PROOF The measure of the strength of the
alcohol. one degree of proof equals one-half of one
percent of alcohol. I.E., 80 proof is 40% alcohol.
PRUNELLA A liqueur made from meat, plum pits,
figs, and vanilla beans.
RICKEY A drink that is a cross between a
collins and a sour. It consists of lime or lemon
juice, club soda, and alcohol. Unlike the collins
and sour, it contains no added sugar.
ROCK AND RYE A fruit juice that combines rock
candy, rye whiskey and fruit slices.
RUM Rum can be made from 2 different raw
materials: it can be distilled directly from the
fermented juice of crushed sugar cane, or, once the
sugar is extracted, it can be made from the
remaining molasses. Some rums contain dunder, which
is a residue from the previous distillation and
makes for a more pungent product. Three main types
of rum are made in the West Indies today. Very
light(white or silver) rums hail from the Virgin
Islands or Puerto Rico. These require little aging
and are relatively tasteless and oderless. Golden
rum, also known as anejo, though still of the
light-bodied type, has more taste and pronounced
character. Darker, aromatic, full bodied rums such
as Myer's are produced in Jamaica. These are
distilled by a slower and different fermentation
process, which allows for a fuller richer, molasses
like body to develop. All rum is colerless when
first distilled, and those that are aged for only a
year are often colored with caremel. Even heavy
bodied rums that are aged in charred oak casks for
as long as twenty years are subject to artificial
coloring. Medium and heavy bodied rums are usually
aged between two and twenty years.
RYE The oldest native American whiskey,
originally manufactured in the 1600s by Scotch and
Irish settlers in New York. Rye is a very full
bodied drink with a pronounced character, and
perhaps for that reason, it has faded in popularity
in the land of its origin to the point where it lags
behind all other varities of whiskey in consumption.
Many people confuse rye with blended whiskey, but
the two are far from being the same. Rye must be
made with at least 51% rye grain, the rest being
corn and barley. Rye is aged in in new charred oak
barrels for at least 2 years.
SABRA An orange flavored liqueur with a hint
of chocolate, from Israel.
SAKE This traditional drink of Japan, a bit
on the sweet side, is commonly referred to as "rice
wine", when in fact it is actually rice beer.
Although it resembles a wine in taste and
appearance, it is not made from grapes. It is
fermented from rice and malted barley. Sake is
usually served warm, as the heat brings out its
superior bouquet.
SAMBUCA An Italian liqueur flavored with
anise. The Italians often serve it "with flies",
which is actually 3 or 4 coffee beans on top of a
glass of sambucca which is then flamed.
SANGAREE Made with whiskey, gin, rum, or
brandy, with port wine floated on top, or with wine,
ale porter or stout, with a sprinkle of nutmeg.
SCHNAPPS The word "schnapps" (from the German
Schnappen, to snap) refers to a mixture of vodka,
gin, brandy or other spirit. In Scandanavia the word
is snaps and almost always means Akvavit. In the
U.S. the term has taken on a new meaning to identify
a whole new generation of intensely flavored, sweet,
inexpensive liqueurs of moderate strength (22 to 30%
alcohol by volume). The Dekuyper brands of
Applebarrel and Peachtree schnapps, while not the
first in the U.S market,are generally credited with
launching the schnapps craze due to a technical
breakthrough that yielded a fresh rather than cooked
fruit flavor. Other flavors such as cola, cinnamon,
rootbeer, tropical(hot shot), butter scotch,
strawberry hazelnut, lemonade, apricot, peppermint,
blueberry, bubble gum, tequila, and numerous others
are making the schnapps a dominant force in the
liqueur market. The most unique schnapps has to be
Gold schnapps, which is peppermint schnapps with
very fine flakes of gold foil added in.
SCOTCH Scotch whiskey is produced only in
Scotland. Some Scotch whiskeys sold in the United
States are produced in Scotland and then bottled in
the U.S. Most are blends of malt whiskeys and grain
whiskeys and typically contain the products of fifty
or more distilleries, with the better and more
expensive brands containing more malt than grain.
Some Scotches are blends of different malts and
these are known as vatted malts. In recent years,
unblended scotches or single malts like Glenfiddich
have achieved a considerable popularity.
SHOOTER A straight shot of spirits taken
neat.
SLINGS Made like sangarees with the addition
of lemon juice and a twist of lemon peel. Served in
an old fashioned glass.
SLIVOVITZ A brandy made from plums, fermented
and distilled. Very high alcohol content.
SLOE GIN Sloe gin is a liqueur made from the
sloe berry, a kind of small, wild plum, which is
soaked in gin.
SMASHES Small juleps, served in an old
fashioned glass. Made from muddled sugar, ice cubes,
whiskey, gin, rum or brandy and soda water.
SOUR MASH The term is usually applied to
bourbon whiskey; this whiskey is made from a blended
grain mash consisting of new mash and a portion of
mash from a preceding mash.
SOURS Made of lemon juice,ice, sugar, with
any basic liquor.
SOUTHERN COMFORT The oldest American liqueur,
well known the world over, Southern Comfort is a
blend of bourbon, peaches, and peach liqueur. It is
dry and strong (100 proof) as liqueurs go. Produced
in St. Louis.
STEINHAGER A German gin
STOLICHNAYA A high quality vodka produced in
the Soviet Union and favored by many serious vodka
drinkers on the other side of the iron curtain,
where they enjoy vodka without mixers of any type.
Some store their Stoli in the freezer, where it
thickens up slightly, and serve it in chilled
liqueur glasses.
STRAIGHT WHISKEY In the United States, a
blended straight whiskey is a blend of several
mature rye or bourbon whiskeys, as opposed to a
blended whiskey in which bourbon or rye whiskey is
mixed with an inferior whiskey or a grain-neutral
spirit.
STREGA Cordial made from orange peel, spices
and very strong spirits, very sweet. Italian in
origin.
SWEDISH PUNCH (Caloric Punch) a Scandanavian
liqueur made from batavia, arak, tea, lemon peel and
70 other spices. Also called caloric punch for its
warming properties.
SWIZZLE Originally a tall rum cooler filled
with cracked ice that was swizzled with a long twig
or stirring rod or spoon rotated rapidly between the
palms of the hands to produce frost on the glass.
TENNESSEE WHISKEY Tennessee whiskey is made
in the same way as a sour-mash bourbon whiskey
except that the tennessee whiskey is filtered
through charcoal from hard Tennessee maple trees.
TEQUILA Tequila is a product of the mezcal
plant. (specifically the blue agave) One
misconception is that mezcal and mescaline are
related; only the words mezcal and mescal are alike.
All tequilas are mezcals, but the very finest of the
mezcals. True tequila is produced in a very small
region of Mexico, around the town of Tequila in the
state of Jalisco. Tequila must be distilled at least
twice, and quality gold tequilas are aged in wood
three years. Jose Cuervo, a high quality tequila is
widely available in the United States and is usually
drunk straight. Harsher, white tequilas are often
treated with the "three pals" or los tres cuates
treatment, in which the participant takes a good
lick of salt from the back of his hand, knocks back
a slug of tequila, and then quickly sucks on a lemon
or lime slice. The tequila's that have met the
Mexican standard of quality are stamped DGN on the
label. Mezcals are not regulated like tequila is and
often harsher tasting, plus there's the worm in the
bottom.
TIA MARIA A coffee flavored liqueur from
Jamaica. Dryer than Kahlua, Tia Maria is Jamaican
rum based and flavored with spices.
TODDY Originally a hot drink made with
spirits, sugar, spices such as cinnamon, cloves, etc
and a lemon peel mixed with hot water and served in
a tall glass. Toddy's can also be cold.
TONIC WATER Another term for quinine water,
and a great mixer.
TRIPLE SEC A highly popular sweetener and
flavoring agent in many drinks, triple-sec is the
best known form of curaçao, a liquer made from the
skins of the curaçao orange. Cointreau is a high
quality brand of triple sec.
TUACA Italian brandy based liqueur flavored
with vanilla, citrus, almond, coconut, orange and
cocoa.
VANDERMINT A liquid after dinner chocolate
mint is the best way to describe this liqueur from
the netherlands.
VERMOUTH Though the product is mostly an
Italian/French undertaking, the word comes to us
from the German Vermutwein, meaning wormwood wine.
While wormwood is indeed one of the many botanicals
that goes into its manufacture, vermouth has escaped
the stigma that has followed absinthe. Actually,
vermouth is a highly sophisticated product of a
great many botanical flavorings such as cloves,
nutmeg, seeds, marjoram, angelica root, gentian,
nutmeg, linden, elder flower, iris root, citrus
peels, and over a hundred others. The French (dry)make
it by selecting and combining their botanicals, then
pouring mixture of fortified wine and mistelles over
them. The brew is allowed to steep for a few weeks;
the wine is then drawn off and the process repeated
until all the flavor has been extracted from the
botanicals. A selection of these flavored wines are
blended together and then mixed with unflavored
wines, Brandy is added to raise the alcohol level,
and the vermouth is chilled almost to the freezing
point to eliminate any sediment. The Italian (sweet)
vermouth is red, richer in flavor and more syrupy.
VODKA By United States law, vodka must be
colorless, odorless, and tasteless, a combination
that has made it the great universal mixer of our
time and the most popular selling spirit today with
18% of the market. Vodka was unknown in the U.S. 40
years ago and yet it has been around since the 14th
century in Russia when at one time there were 4000
brands available. That and the fact that it is less
likely to induce a hangover or show up on ones
breath than other varities of alcoholic drinks have
combined to make it the most popular spirit in the
United States. A popular myth about vodka is that it
is made from potatoes. Though it was made that way
in the past and could still be made that way, it is
usually made from grain-wheat, corn, or rye. The
grain is crushed and mixed with water to produce the
mash, which is then infused with yeast. Once
fermentation takes place, it is then put through a
continous still to obtain the purest possible grain-nuetral
spirit. Water is added to reduce its alcoholic
content to 40 or 50% (80 or 100 proof). There is no
aging.
WHISKEY The Irish invented it and in Gaelic,
it means "the water of life". In the Unites States
and Ireland, the word is spelled with an e, the
British, Scots, and the Canadians usually drop the
e. All basic whiskeys, whatever the type, are made
from one type of grain or another Straight whiskeys
are bottled from the casks in which they are aged,
with water added to reduce their proof. Blended
whiskeys are of two types: Blended straight whiskeys
are a blend or combination of different straight
whiskeys of the same general type. Many Scotches and
bourbons fit this description. However, "blended
whiskeys" as the term is used in the United States,
refers to whiskeys in which a straight whiskey has
been blended with grain nuetral spirits. The basic
varieties of whiskey are blended, bourbon, Canadian,
corn, rye, Scotch and Tennessee. The grains used to
make whiskey are corn, rye, wheat and barley.
YUKON JACK A Canadian whiskey based liqueur,
flavored with citrus and herbs.
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