Portal:Liquor

Distilled beverages at a bar The Liquor Portal Liquor shelves at a hotel

Introduction

Swan necked copper pot stills in the Glenfiddich distillery

Liquor (/ˈlɪkər/ LIK-ər, sometimes hard liquor), spirits, distilled spirits, or spiritous liquor are alcoholic drinks produced by the distillation of grains, fruits, vegetables, or sugar that have already gone through alcoholic fermentation. While the word liquor usually refers to distilled alcoholic spirits rather than drinks produced by fermentation alone, it can sometimes be used more broadly to refer to any alcoholic beverage (or even non-alcoholic ones produced by distillation or some other practices, such as the brewed liquor of a tea).

The distillation process concentrates the alcohol, so the resulting condensate has an increased 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 United Kingdom. Some examples of liquors are vodka, rum, gin and tequila. Liquors are often aged in barrels, such as for the production of brandy, tequila, and whiskey, or are infused with flavorings to form flavored liquors, such as absinthe. (Full article...)

Selected article -

Willett Distillery Ltd, is a private family-owned and operated company located on the outskirts of Bardstown, Kentucky, on a site that began as a farm owned by the Willett family. Over the years, the company has bottled whiskeys that range from two years of aging maturity up to 28 years. The company was named Kentucky Bourbon Distillers (KBD) between 1984 and 2012. (Full article...)

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Selected biography -

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. He 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. He began selling his whisky as Hiram Walker's Club Whisky, in containers that were "clearly marked". 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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General articles -

Image 1

A selection of bottled gins for sale in Georgia, United States, 2010

Gin (/dʒɪn/) is a distilled alcoholic drink flavoured with juniper berries and other botanical ingredients.

Gin originated as a medicinal liquor made by monks and alchemists across Europe. The modern gin was modified in Flanders and the Netherlands to provide aqua vita from distillates of grapes and grains, becoming an object of commerce in the spirits industry. Gin became popular in England after the introduction of jenever, a Dutch and Belgian liquor. Although this development had been taking place since the early 17th century, gin became widespread after the 1688 Glorious Revolution led by William of Orange and subsequent import restrictions on French brandy. Gin emerged as the national alcoholic drink of England during the Gin Craze of 1695–1735. (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 naked and famous is an IBA official cocktail, consisting of equal parts mezcal, yellow Chartreuse, Aperol, and fresh lime juice. (Full article...)
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Tuxedo No. 2

The tuxedo is an IBA Official Cocktail composed of gin, dry vermouth, orange bitters, maraschino and absinthe.

Related to the martini, the tuxedo has had many variations since its inception in the 1880s. The cocktail is named after the Tuxedo Club in Orange County, New York where it was first mixed. Tuxedo Park, the planned community where the club was built, is itself a derivation of the Lenape word tucseto. The form of menswear by the same name originated at the same country club around the same time. (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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The suffering bastard is the name for two different mixed drinks, one being more of a standard cocktail (essentially a gin-and-brandy buck with added Angostura bitters) associated with World War II and the other being more of an exotic drink associated with Tiki bars. As is the case with many cocktails, there are multiple recipe variations and historical origins have been argued and changed over time. Two of the earliest recipe versions have very different ingredients. One from bartender Joe Scialom (1942) calls for brandy and gin, while another from Tiki pioneer Victor J. Bergeron (AKA Trader Vic) primarily uses rum along with "secret ingredients" and is known for being garnished with a cucumber. (Full article...)
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Khortytsia Platinum horilka

Horilka (Ukrainian: горілка [ɦoˈr⁽ʲ⁾iɫkɐ] ; Belarusian: гарэлка, romanized: harelka [ɣaˈrɛɫka] ) is a Ukrainian alcoholic beverage.

The word horilka may also be used in a generic sense in the Ukrainian language to mean vodka or other strong spirits and etymologically is similar to the Ukrainian word for 'to burn' - hority. Home-distilled horilka, moonshine, is called samohon (Ukrainian: самогон, lit. 'self-distilled' or 'self-run' - almost identical to the Russian and Polish samogon). Horilka is usually distilled from grain (usually wheat or rye), though it can, less commonly, also be distilled from potatoes, honey, sugar beets etc. One type of horilka, called pertsivka (Ukrainian: перцівка), is horilka with chili peppers. Historically, outside Ukraine, pertsivka is generally referred to when people speak of horilka, although pertsivka itself is just one type of horilka. (Full article...)
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The Last Word is a gin-based cocktail originating at the Detroit Athletic Club in the 1910s, shortly before the start of Prohibition. After a long period of obscurity, it enjoyed a renewed popularity in the cocktail renaissance of the 2000s after being discovered by bartender Murray Stenson of the Zig Zag Café in Seattle. (Full article...)
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A tequila sunrise demonstrating its resemblance to an inverted sunrise, in a stemware rather than the usual collins glass

The tequila sunrise is a cocktail made of tequila, orange juice, and grenadine syrup. The drink is served unmixed in a tall glass. The modern drink originates from Sausalito, California, in the early 1970s after an earlier iteration created in the 1930s in Phoenix, Arizona. The cocktail is named for its appearance when served—with gradations of color resembling an inverted sunrise. (Full article...)
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Caipirinha

Caipirinha (/ˌkaɪpɪˈriːnjə/ KY-pi-REEN-yə; Brazilian Portuguese pronunciation: [kajpiˈɾĩɲɐ]) is a Brazilian cocktail made with cachaça, sugar, lime, and ice. The drink is prepared by mixing the fruit and the sugar together, then adding the liquor. Known and consumed nationally and internationally, caipirinha is one of the most famous components of Brazilian cuisine, being the most popular national recipe worldwide and often considered the best drink in the country and one of the best cocktails/drinks in the world, having reached third place in 2024, according to the specialized website TasteAtlas.

Due to its importance and popularity, the caipirinha was declared Brazilian Cultural Heritage in 2003; in 2019, it was considered Intangible Heritage of Rio de Janeiro, despite its origins in Piracicaba, São Paulo. It is part of the list of official cocktails of the International Bartenders Association (IBA). (Full article...)
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The piña colada (/ˌpiːn.jə koʊ.ˈlɑː.də, -.nə-, -kə.-/; Spanish: piña [ˈpi.ɲa], "pineapple", and colada [ko.ˈla.ða], "strained") is a cocktail made with rum, cream of coconut, and pineapple juice, usually served either blended or shaken with ice. It may be garnished with either a pineapple wedge, maraschino cherry, or both. The drink originated in Puerto Rico. (Full article...)
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Slivovitz from (clockwise) Croatia, the Czech Republic, Hungary and Serbia

Slivovitz is a fruit spirit (or fruit brandy) made from damson plums, often referred to as plum spirit (or plum brandy). Slivovitz is produced in Central and Southeastern Europe, both commercially and privately. Primary producers include Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Greece, Hungary, North Macedonia, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Ukraine. In the Balkans, slivovitz is considered a kind of rakia. In Hungary it is considered a kind of pálinka, but in Romania and Moldova it is considered pălincă, similar to țuică. In the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Galicia, and Carpathian-Ruthenia it is considered pálenka. UNESCO put it in a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage Lists in 2022 on request of the country of geographic origin Serbia. (Full article...)
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A brandy crusta is an IBA Official Cocktail made of brandy, Maraschino Luxardo, curaçao, fresh lemon juice, sugar syrup, and Angostura bitters.

The cocktail, named for the crust of sugar on the rim, was invented by Joseph Santini, a bartender in New Orleans at his bar, Jewel of the South. (Full article...)
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Reservoir glass with naturally coloured verte absinthe and an absinthe spoon

Absinthe (/ˈæbsɪnθ, -sæ̃θ/, French: [apsɛ̃t] ) is an anise-flavoured 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 colour but may also be colourless. 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 physician 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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Various bottles of Colombian aguardiente

Aguardiente (Spanish pronunciation: [ˌaɣwaɾˈðjente]; lit. 'ardent water'), known in Portuguese as aguardente (pronounced [ˌaɡwaɾˈdẽtɨ] or [ˌaɡwaʁ̞ˈdẽt͡ʃi]), is a type of distilled alcoholic spirit that contains between 29% and 60% alcohol by volume (ABV). It is a somewhat generic term that can refer to liquors made from various foods. It originates from and is typically consumed on the Iberian Peninsula and in Ibero-America. (Full article...)
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The Chartreuse swizzle is a tiki cocktail made with green Chartreuse, velvet falernum, pineapple juice, and lime juice. Invented in 2003 by American bartender Marcovaldo Dionysos of San Francisco cocktail bar Harry Denton's Starlight Room, the cocktail has since emerged as a modern classic. It has been recognized by the International Bartenders Association as an official cocktail since 2024. (Full article...)
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Rusty nail

A rusty nail is a cocktail made by mixing Scotch whisky with Drambuie in a ratio ranging from 1:1 to 2:1. It is typically served on the rocks in an old-fashioned glass (also known as a rocks glass), though it can be served "up" in a stemmed glass. The cocktail's origin goes back to the 1937 British Industries Fair, but it gained widespread popularity in the 1950s after being endorsed by New York's 21 Club. Its prominence grew further a decade later when it became the go-to cocktail of the Rat Pack. (Full article...)
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Two mimosas

A mimosa cocktail consists of champagne (or other sparkling wine) and chilled citrus juice, usually orange juice. It is often served in a tall champagne flute at brunch, or at festive occasions such as weddings, or as part of business or first class service on some passenger railways and airlines. The mixing ratio varies. (Full article...)
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The Americano is an IBA official cocktail composed of Campari, sweet vermouth, and for the sparkling version, club soda and garnished with a slice of lemon or an orange twist. (Full article...)
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Arak with water and ice

Arak or araq (Arabic: عرق, Hebrew: ערק), is a distilled Levantine spirit of the anise drinks family. (Full article...)
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A liquor store in Breckinridge, Colorado, United States (2009)

A liquor store is a retail business that predominantly sells prepackaged alcoholic beverages, including liquors (typically in bottles), wine or beer, usually intended to be consumed off the store's premises. Depending on region and local idiom, they may also be called an off-licence (in the UK and Ireland), off-sale (in parts of Canada and the US), bottle shop (in Australia, New Zealand and South Africa), bottle store (South Africa) or, colloquially, bottle-o (in Australia, New Zealand, and parts of Canada), liquor store (in Canada and the US, and less commonly, in Australia and New Zealand), party store (in parts of the US, particularly Michigan) or other similar terms. A very limited number of jurisdictions have an alcohol monopoly. In US states that are alcoholic beverage control (ABC) states, the term ABC store may be used. (Full article...)
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The Ve.n.to is an IBA official cocktail made of Grappa, honey syrup, fresh lemon juice, and chamomile liqueur. (Full article...)
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Planter's punch

Planter's punch is an IBA Official Cocktail made of Jamaican rum, fresh lime juice, and sugar cane juice. The cocktail originated in Jamaica.

The September 1878 issue of the London magazine Fun listed the recipe as follows: (Full article...)
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A gin fizz is the best-known cocktail in the fizz family. A gin fizz contains gin, lemon juice, and sugar, which are shaken with ice, poured into a tumbler and topped with carbonated water. The drink is similar to a Tom Collins, with a possible distinction being a Tom Collins historically used "Old Tom gin" (a slightly sweeter precursor to London Dry Gin), whereas the kind of gin historically used in a gin fizz is unknown.

Simple variations on the gin fizz are
- Silver fizz – addition of egg white
- Golden fizz – addition of egg yolk
- Royal fizz – addition of whole egg
- Diamond fizz – sparkling wine instead of carbonated water, more commonly known as a "French 75".
- Green fizz – addition of a dash of green crème de menthe
(Full article...)
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Rectified spirit made in Poland by Polmos

Rectified spirit, also known as neutral spirits, rectified alcohol or ethyl alcohol of agricultural origin, is highly concentrated ethanol that has been purified by means of repeated distillation in a process called rectification. In some countries, denatured alcohol or denatured rectified spirit may commonly be available as "rectified spirit", because in some countries (though not necessarily the same) the retail sale of rectified alcohol in its non-denatured form is prohibited.

The purity of rectified spirit has a practical limit of 97.2% ABV (95.6% by mass) when produced using conventional distillation processes, as a mixture of ethanol and water becomes a minimum-boiling azeotrope at this concentration. However, rectified spirit is typically distilled in continuous multi-column stills at 96–96.5% ABV and diluted as necessary. Ethanol is a commonly used medical alcohol — spiritus fortis is a medical term for ethanol solutions with 95% ABV. (Full article...)

Did you know -

... that the former Natick station building became the basement of a liquor store?
... that instead of drinking liquor with prospective clients, Arthur Harrison Motley sent them notes written in red pencil crayon, 10,000 times a year?
... that Governor of Svalbard Håkon Balstad was described as a "roaring bull of a man with a fabulous capacity for raw liquor"?
... that a liquor-drinking celebrity goat named Ioiô won an election for city councilman in Fortaleza?

Good article -

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

Exterior in 2024

Lutz Tavern is a bar in the Woodstock neighborhood of Portland, Oregon, in the United States. It was established by the Lutz family in 1947, who maintained ownership until the business was purchased by the Barisich family in 1954. Working-class locals and Reed College students frequent the bar, which is known for popularizing the beer Pabst Blue Ribbon. Lutz closed in 2010 after being run by the Barisich family for 56 years, then re-opened under new ownership and management in 2011. (Full article...)

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Selected image -

Mezcal

Credit: AlejandroLinaresGarcia

A cantaro jar, made from barro negro pottery, used for serving mezcal

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Topics

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General images -

The following are images from various liquor-related articles on Wikipedia.

Image 1A Queen Mary beer cocktail: beer, grenadine and maraschino cherries (from List of cocktails)
Image 2An old whiskey still (from Liquor)
Image 3Map 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 4A martini cocktail (from List of cocktails)
Image 5Viru Valge, an Estonian vodka (from Liquor)
Image 6A Brandy Alexander being served (from List of cocktails)
Image 7Some single-drink liquor bottles available in Germany (from Liquor)
Image 8Reservoir glass with naturally coloured verte absinthe and an absinthe spoon (from List of cocktails)
Image 9A row of alcoholic beverages – in this case, spirits – in a bar (from Liquor)
Image 10A Caipirinha with lime (from List of cocktails)
Image 11A pisco sour (from List of cocktails)
Image 12A piña colada (from List of cocktails)
Image 13A grasshopper (from List of cocktails)
Image 14A B-52 (from List of cocktails)
Image 15Mulled wine steeping (Swedish glögg) (from List of cocktails)
Image 16These flaming cocktails illustrate that some liquors will readily catch fire and burn. (from Liquor)
Image 17A cosmopolitan (from List of cocktails)
Image 18A display of various liquors in a supermarket (from Liquor)
Image 19An illustration of brewing and distilling industry methods in England, 1858 (from Liquor)
Image 20Abandoned 19th-century vodka distillery in Estonia (from Liquor)
Image 21A Ramos gin fizz (from List of cocktails)
Image 22Corpse reviver #2 (from List of cocktails)