Liquor categories?!
Liquor categories?
differences
Answers:
Strictly speaking, Mary, just 2.
That's right. Brown and white, grouped by color. Whiskey, bourbon and such like are the browns, as you would imagine, and gin, vodka, etc. are the whites.
But let's cover some subgroups while we're here, alright. The word, "liquor" generally refers to spirits; that is, drinks with an alcoholic content of 40% (80 proof) or more. And that includes bourbon, scotch, rye and all other whiskey. What they have in common is that all are distilled from grains, and all are aged. Most are made from a blend of grains, or a blend of more-or-less finished product. Some are "single malts," meaning they originate with a particular grain and are mixed with NOTHING else. They're expensive.
In the white category are rum, vodka, gin, tequila and similar booze. And what they have in common is that they're made up quickly, usually NOT aged and are cheap. There are exceptions -and your milage will vary. Some, such as vodka, are bottled in various flavors, mainly because they taste like crap -or taste like nothing. Others, like gin, have always been flavored, usually with juniper berries as a base, then other spices that are brand-specific (secret formula, that sort of thing). And rum sometimes is brown in color, because of added spices and the type of sugar used. A lot of myth about all of it, and people are very loyal to certain brands, believeing they are superior. But lemme tell you, the alcohol doesn't know where it is and is the same stuff (C2 H6 O) no matter what you buy.
Next is the category of liqueres, referring here to a mixture of booze as discussed above and also of wine. Examples: Kahlua -a coffee flavored rum (I think) and Bailey's Irish crean which is dairy cream and whiskey. You can make up your own tasty stuff: soak prunes in a jar of vodka and sugar for 6 months ..yummy. Some liqueres come from other beverages, such as brandy or cognac, which are highly distilled wine and carry quite a kick. In general though, when you think of this kind of stuff, think "candy." Alcoholic content varies widely from 15% to 50% -and more, but usually on the lower end.
Next down the scale is wine: red, white, and blends (blushes, white zin, etc.) About 12-14%. Choose your poison. "Fortified" wines (Thungerbird, MD 20/20) include sweet after-dinner versions which have extra booze added. The "grape juice" part often does NOT come from the winery that sells the stuff -it is shipped to them in barrels and they make it up. Wines are mostly made from fermented grape juice, but you can use orange peels if you wanna.
Wines also includes aprkling wines, like champagne and Asti or Cold Duck. They either naturally develop the fizz as part of fermentation -or it is added, just like a soft drink.
At the bottom are beers, which are made from fermented grains and usually hops (for flavor). The aging process here is calculated in weeks at the most. Content: 3-5%. The "ales" are at the higher end.
Ther's your tour. Hope it helps. Drink what you like -forget reputation or price. And remember this: not drinking never hurt anyone.
Is this a question?
tons and tons buddy. Every different kind has different production, ingredients, and cultural backgrounds.
I can't even start to explain all of them, here's a good wiki page for that question;
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/liquor...
Wow, it might be a one word subject but there are volumns of books written on it.
Mostly liquor refers to beverages with higher ethal alcohol contents derived form distillation of a fermented liquid or mash. A few of the most common catergories are as follows.
Vodka - mostly made from grains, potatoes.
Gin - simular to vodka but with herbs and spice such as juniper berries, anise and cloves infused during distillation for added flavor.
Rum - Made from sugar cane. Can be dark or light, aged or unaged.
Tequila - Made from blue agave (not a cactus), light or dark, aged or unaged.
Brandy - Made from fruits (not just grapes), mostly aged and dark.
Whisky - Made from grains, mostly aged and dark.
Rice wines - actually they are high proof liquors made from fermented rice. Like Maotai.
Liqueurs, Schnapps & Aqua Vie - Grain based alcohol infused with a combination of honey, flowers, beans, roots, herbs, spices and fruits.
Beyond the major catergories, they continue to subdivide into smaller more specific catergories depending on origin, style and specific production formulas.