Okay, what's the difference?!
Answers: As an underinformed and easily confused person, I'd like to know--what is the difference between beer, wine, and liquor?
Nikki,
The question is so broad, it's like asking: tell me the difference between soda, juice and coffee.
However, I will give it an attempt:
Before I do, the simple answer might be to just try each one of them for yourself, after all, your sense of smell, sight and taste are very good at understanding things you haven't experienced before.
Beer is
Main Entry: beer
Pronunciation: \?bir\
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English ber, from Old English bēor; akin to Old High German bior beer
Date: before 12th century
1 : an alcoholic beverage usually made from malted cereal grain (as barley), flavored with hops, and brewed by slow fermentation
2 : a carbonated nonalcoholic or a fermented slightly alcoholic beverage with flavoring from roots or other plant parts <birch beer>
3 : fermented mash
4 : a drink of beer
It's alchohol content is usually 6-8%, it is served cold in the USA, while in Europe it is served much warmer. It is bottled in cans & bottles and manufactured all over the world. Many people also make it in their own homes with special machinery.
Beer is carbonated which is why you might see people belching after drinking a bottle or two of it. Beer like wine and liquor is an acquired taste. Most people of legal age are familiar with the term "yeah, I remember my first beer", its sort of like a coming of age ritual. In the beginning, it tastes horrible, then you begin to enjoy it and then some people even crave it. It should be noted that some people can not control their urges in the consumption of alcohol as it takes over their entire personality. That is why you might have heard of the organization called "Alcoholic Anonymous". These people known as alcoholics can not drink one drop of any alcohol or else their bodies will relapse. Alcohol to them is a disease and they have groups of people who meet on a weekly basis to help them for the rest of their lives. However, this is not the majority of people in the U.S. or the rest of the world. Just like anything else in this world, "nothing in excess, everything in moderation."
Wine: "The Fruit of the Gods"
1wine
Pronunciation: \?wīn\
Function: noun
Usage: often attributive
Etymology: Middle English win, from Old English wīn; akin to Old High German wīn wine; both ultimately from Latin vinum wine, perhaps of non-IE origin; akin to the source of Greek oinos wine
Date: before 12th century
1 a: the alcoholic fermented juice of fresh grapes used as a beverage b: wine or a substitute used in Christian communion services
2: the alcoholic usually fermented juice of a plant product (as a fruit) used as a beverage <blackberry wine>
3: something that invigorates or intoxicates
4: a dark red
Wine is probably one of the oldest beverages on the Planet as it is mentioned in the Bible many times.
Wine comes in many varieties from many different countries around the world. About 90% of the wine within the U.S. comes from the State of California.
The most popular wines of choice include :
Chardonay: (white fruity wine with an excellent bold flavor and finish) from California. There are many other whites from other countries which I have skipped here..
Pinot Noir: A fragile red grape which has a rich flavor but a short finish, typically can be served with cheese, meat and some fishes. Also, Pinor Noir is okay to drink at lunch time since it is lighter than most reds. Pinoit Noir has a sophisticated taste and is a good alternative for people who don't like to drink "heavy" reds. Some of the finest and most expensive wine in the world i.e. Burgundies are made from Pinot Noir grapes.
Merlot: A heavier red grape which produces a more full and round flavor but lacks the complexity of some of the other reds. Merlot has come into vogue over the last 10 years and does not require a sophisticated palate to enjoy it. There are some exceptions of course for very fine quality Merlot....
Zinfandel: An excellent medium bodied red grape which to this day, no one on the planet knows for sure its origin, although there are lots of theories...
Zinfandel comes in White or Red. It is the same grape; the white was discovered by accident when Zinfandel was almost lost from the earth around 25 years ago. Winemakers pressed the grapes and through out the skins since they were rotten. They discovered a white wine with a pink coloring that had lots of flavor, i.e. White Zinfandel.
To really enjoy Zinfandel, you must try it, It is a complex red wine that has many different tastes to it and has a little zing to it as well.
In the heavier full bodied reds include several different grapes which are all wonderful yet different as well:
Cabernet Sauvignon: (Califronia), the King of Red Grapes in the U.S., primarily from Nappa & Sonoma Regions in California. The complexity, richness and taste of Cabernet is truly breath taking once you have had a chance to try it. There is a whole regiment one needs to do to "properly" drink this grape or any one of these full bodied reds which include; proper aging (5 to 25 years), using the proper glass, decanting the wine before you drink it (i.e. putting the wine in a larger container so it can oxidate (breath) before you drink it and matching it with the right food. However, you can just drink the wine by itself and it is still splendid. More of the flavor comes out when you combine the wine with food due to the way human taste buds work.
Bordeaux, St. Emillion, Cote du Rhone, & Chattenueuf de Pape (France) - All fantastic tasting wines from different regions of France and typically have conformed to a Classification system dating back to the mid 18th Century. Again, these wines each have certain aging periods.
Syrah (Australia)- A full bodied red with awesome tastes filled with cherry, jam, sometimes licorice tasting and described as silky, chewy and earthy at times. Syrah comes from many regions in Australia.
Brunello di Montalchino & Barolo (Italy)- Both of these grapes are fantastic tasting full bodies reds from specific regions in Italy. Opening a bottle of one of these is like a kid in a candy store... The anticipation of what the wine will taste brings great pleasure to the individual.
There are many other reds from other countries which are very good as well including South Africa, Greece, New Zealand, Spain, Chile, Argentina and several others.
Port- A very heavy deep red wine which has been aged and typically served as an after dinner drink.
On a last note, there are also dessert wines which are quite remarkable when you drink them with ...desserts. Too much to discuss here.
Wine is typically 12-16% alcohol content depending on the fermentation process.
Liquor a.k.a. "Spirits"
also called distilled liquor, alcoholic beverage (such as brandy, whisky, rum, or arrack) that is obtained by distillation from wine or other fermented fruit or plant juice or from a starchy material (such as various grains) that has first been brewed. The alcoholic content of distilled liquor is higher than that of beer or wine.
Liquor comes in many varieties as mentioned above and the alcohol content is much higher than wine or beer. Liquor uses the term "proof" for its alcohol content which if you take the number for example Vodka at 80 proof is really 40% alcohol (i.e. the proof number is twice the % of alcohol). That is why you might have heard of the term 151 Rum... That is over 75% alcohol, very strong.
Many people drink liquor by itself or combine it with soda, fruit juice or other alcoholic beverages commonly known as a "mixed drink"
Okay Nikki, I hope this was helpful to you....
Doctor K
Wow, that is alot to answer.
Beer: It is brewed and fermented from wheats, malted barley and so on, flavored with hops (bitter) or sugar (like molasses) and is carbonated.
Wine is basically fermented grape juice. There is more to it than that, but it's a basic answer. There of course are different types of wine, like merlot, chardonnay, and the list could just keep going...
Liquor is usually distilled which separates it from beer and wine...
beer made from hops, wheat or barley ---takes more to get you drunk
Liquer is distilled ----takes little to get you drunk
wine mad from grapes---ment to be enjoyed