beverages

BEVERAGE DEFINITIONS

The following beverage definitions may be beneficial in increasing beverage knowledge for lounge managers, supervisors, bartenders and cocktail servers. Also, this information may be of interest to other associates when shared in menu classes and / or monthly meetings.

ALCOHOL                 a colorless liquid made from any product, grain, vegetable, or fruit; the intoxicating ingredient in distilled and fermented beverages

ALE                            beverage made from brewed and fermented malt or malt and cereal; fuller bodied and bitterer than beer

AMARETTO              an Italian liqueur made from a brandy base with a blend of almond, apricot, and other ingredients; Cocktail example: Godfather & Godmother

ANISETTE                a sweet, mild liqueur with the flavor of anise (licorice); principal flavor ingredient is the anise seed; comes in red and colorless

APERITIF                  a French word meaning "appetizer"; wine-based, low alcoholic content beverage served before meals to stimulate the appetite: examples:  Dubonnet, Vermouth

APPLE JACK             a brandy distilled from the juice of apples (also called apple brandy); an American product; the French version is Calvados; Cocktail example:  Jack Rose, Ambrosia

APRICOT-FLAVORED

BRANDY                    fine brandy infused with extracts of ripe apricots; golden brown in color and bottled at no less than 70 proof; Cocktail example: Apricot Sour

B&B                            a liqueur blended with benedictine and cognac; less sweet than benedictine

BACARDI                   a brand of Cuban or Puerto Rican rum; usually light-bodied, dry and with only a slight molasses flavor; comes in light and dark (dark being a bit sweeter) Cocktail example:  Bacardi Cocktail

BARLEY MALT         (also malting) - the process of artificially germinating and sprouting barley grain by moisture and controlled heat; the sprouted barley, or barley malt, contains the enzymes which convert grain starch into fermented sugar

BEER                          a product obtained from controlled fermentation of malt and water alone, or malt and additives such as corn, rice, or sugar;  it is boiled with hops (or flavoring) to fermentation; almost all beers sold in the U.S. are of this type

BENEDICTINE        one of the world's first fine liqueurs, made in France by the Benedictine monks in the 16th century; this cognac base liqueur contains a variety of herbs, roots, flowers, bark and other secret ingredients; the famous DOM stands for the old Latin writing:  Deo, Optimo, Maximo, meaning "to God, most good, most great”)

BITTERS                    a blend of aromatics made from numerous and subtle combinations of roots, barks, berries, and herbs; characterized by a bitter taste; used in mixing drinks, or as aperitifs, liqueur or digestives; best known brands are: Angostura, Peychauds and Orange Bitters

BLACKBERRY-

FLAVORED

BRANDY                    fine brandy infused with extracts of fresh, ripe blackberries; it has a deep purple color and is bottled at no less than 70 proof

BLENDED

WHISKEY                  whiskey made from at least 20 percent 100 proof straight whiskey blended either with other whisky or neutral spirits or both, and bottled at no less than 80 proof

BOCK BEER             strong, dark, sweet beer, brewed in the spring from the residue left in the vats just before they are cleaned each year

BONDED                   straight whiskey, usually bourbon or rye, at least four years old and bottled at 100 proof under U.S.A government supervision

BOURBON                whiskey distilled in the U.S.A from grains; U.S.A government specifies that 51% or more of the grain mixture used must be corn, and it must be run off the still at 160 proof or less; bottled proof may be no less than 80

BRANDY                    distilled from a fermented mash of grapes or other fruits; these brandies, aged in oak casks, are usually bottled at 80 proof; long enjoyed as an after dinner drink, brandy is also widely used in cooking 

Cocktail examples: Brandy Alexander, Sidecar, Stinger

CALVADOS               a French apple brandy distilled in Calvados, France, from which it gets its name

CANADIAN

WHISKEY                  light-bodied blend of whiskeys, usually distilled from rye, corn and barley; produced only in Canada, under government supervision; most Canadian whiskeys are sold in the U.S. and are at least 4 years old

CREME

DE CACAO                a dark brown or clear, sweet chocolate flavored liqueur made of cocoa beans, spices, and vanilla with a brandy base; 

Cocktail examples:  White: Grasshopper, Pink Squirrel, Gold Cadillac, Angel's Tip.  Dark:  Brandy Alexander, Mother Mason's Delight

CREME

DE CASSIS                 a deep burgundy liqueur made of black currants; it is of lower proof than most liqueurs and makes a fine aperitif when mixed with either sweet or dry vermouth Cocktail example:  Kir

CREME

DE MENTHE            a delicious, cool mint-tasting liqueur made from fresh mint and peppermint leaves; the most popular is the Green Crème de Menthe, however, it also comes in white (or clear), gold, and rose.

                                    Cocktail examples:  Crème de Menthe Frappe, Grasshopper, Stinger

CREME

DE NOUYAUX         a liqueur made from apricot and peach pits and having an almond flavor

CURACAO                 (also known as Orange Curacao) a brandy based liqueur flavored with the distillation of the dried peel of green oranges grown on the Island of Curacao; it is similar to Triple Sec, but not as highly refined:  it has the flavor of orange and is amber in color; however, there is also Blue Curacao

DISTILLATION        the process of reducing the water content of alcoholic liquids so that they will contain a greater proportion of alcohol; this is done by heating the liquid until the alcohol boils and vaporizes, then catching and cooling the vapors so they condense again into liquid form

DRAMBUIE               a reasonably dry liqueur with a scotch base, flavored with heather honey from Scotland; amber in color (Cocktail example:  Rusty Nail)

DRY                            not sweet; a term used to describe wines and other drinks

DUBONNET             an aperitif wine flavored with herbs, originally made in France; it was originally a red wine, but now is also made as blonde or white Dubonnet; it has a slight quinine taste

FERMENTATION    a process by which yeast acts on sugar, converting it first into alcohol and carbon dioxide gas (CO₂) and then, unless it is protected from the air, into vinegar; this process is basic to the making of all alcoholic beverages

FRAPPE                     a liqueur served over finely crushed ice, usually mounded

CHARTREUSE          green and yellow--one of France's great liqueurs made by the Carthusian monks since 1607;  it is a brandy base liqueur distilled with a combination of herbs, roots, barks, flowers, spices, fruits, etc.; the formula is highly secret and the famous Green Chartreuse, which is 110 proof, contains some 130 different ingredients;  Yellow Chartreuse, which is lighter and sweeter and now marketed in the U.S. at 86 proof, contains some 120 different ingredients  Cocktail example:  Pousse Café

CHERRY FLAVORED

BRANDY                    fine brandy infused with extracts of ripe cherries; it is a rich, deep burgundy red color and is bottled at no less than 70 proof;

Cocktail examples:  Singapore Sling, Dubonnet Fizz, Bulldog

Cocktail

CHERRY

HEERING                  a delicious, cherry flavored liqueur made in Denmark from Danish cherries; the name is proprietary, and it is imported into the U.S.A at 49 proof

CIDER                        a product usually referred to as the juice from apples:  when fermented it is known as hard cider; there is also a bottled sparking cider

COGNAC                   a fine brandy made from grapes grown in the region of Cognac, France, and known for its smoothness and heavy dry aroma; the name is protected by the French government and no other brandy, distilled elsewhere, may be called Cognac, regardless of quality

COINTREAU             a proprietary name of a sweet, colorless liqueur, made with a brandy base and flavored with peels of oranges grown in the West Indies; similar products under other brands are known as Triple Sec, meaning thrice dry, although Cointreau is more refined.  Cocktail examples: Margarita, Sidecar

COGENERS              the oils, esters and traces of acid found in newly distilled grain spirits; the amounts of cogeners are controlled by the proof at which the spirit is distilled; they are further removed by the aging process in charcoal barrels; some congeners must remain as they constitute the natural flavor of the whiskey

CORN WHISKEY     a colorless whiskey distilled from a mash of grain containing not less than 80 percent corn and some barley malt; it is aged in paraffin-lined oak barrels

CORDIAL                  (see liqueur)

CREME DE

BANANA                   liqueur made from bananas & brandy Cocktail example: Banshee

GALLIANO               a superior strega-style yellow Italian liqueur, bottled in a distinctively tall bottle with a mild spicy flavor; it enjoys particular popularity in the U.S.A perhaps due to the introduction of the Harvey Wallbanger;

Cocktail examples:  Golden Cadillac, Golden Dream

GIN                             most often colorless, it is distilled from neutral spirits and receives its flavor and aroma from juniper berries, coriander and other ingredients;  Gin sold around the world at 80 proof is bottled in the U.S.A. at proofs varying from 80 to 94 per cent

GRAND

MARNIER                  a French liqueur made from Cognac, West Indies orange peel, and other ingredients; this has a vague similarity to Curacao, but is quite distinctive and enjoys a very high reputation

GRENADINE            bright red, sweet, non-alcoholic syrup made from pomegranate and raspberries; it is used principally in flavoring cocktails and mixed drinks

HOPS                          the ripened and dried blossom of the female hop vine; in the U.S.A. it is grown in the states of Washington and Oregon;  it is used principally in the brewing of beer;  it gives beer its particular flavor and aroma

HYDROMETER -      an instrument used to measure the proof of alcoholic beverages

INFUSION                 one of the methods used in the making of cordials; aromatic ingredients are steeped in neutral spirits or brandy which imparts the particular flavor to the product

IRISH MIST               a liqueur made with an Irish whiskey base and flavored with honey, herbs and other ingredients

IRISH WHISKEY      produced only in Ireland, it is blended whiskey containing both barley malt and grain whiskeys; similar processing as Scotch, but heavier and more full-bodied than Scotch and is usually 86 proof

Cocktail example: Irish Coffee

JAMAICA RUM          a heavy bodied rum produced on the Island of Jamaica from sugar cane molasses and other by-products of sugar cane;  rum may vary from light amber to almost black, and proof may vary 80 to 151 

Cocktail example:  Planter's Punch

KAHLUA                    a Mexican coffee liqueur made from coffee beans, cocoa beans, vanilla beans, and brandy; it is dark brown in color and has low proof; 

Cocktail examples:  Black Russian, White Russian

KIRSCH                      a colorless brandy distilled from a small black cherry

KUMMEL                   originally made in Germany and Switzerland from coriander, anise, and caraway seed; it has the distinctive flavor of the caraway seed; the word kummel means caraway, and, it is a rather sweet, colorless liqueur; Cocktail example:  Silver Bullet

LAGER                       a dry, light, carbonated beer aged in storage from 6 weeks to 6 months before use.

LIQUEUR                   alcoholic beverage produced by combining a spirit (usually brandy) with fruits, flowers, herbs, seeds, roots, plants, or juices to which sweetening has been added;  practically all liqueurs are sweet and colorful with highly concentrated, dessert-like flavor; liqueurs are said to aid in digestion

LIQUOR                     a distilled alcoholic beverage, rather than a fermented one; in brewing and distilling terms, liquor means water; in American usage it means spirits

MALT                         germinated grain, usually barley, used in brewing and distilling

MARASCHINO          a colorless, semi-sweet liqueur made from wild black marasca cherries grown on the Dalmatian Coast; it has a distinctive, slight cherry seed flavor Cocktail example:  Silver Cocktail

MASH                         in whiskey making, grain steeped in hot water to change its starch to sugar;  sweet mash is produced by adding all or nearly all fresh yeast to the mash;  sour mash is produced by adding some spent beer (yeast from a previous fermentation) to the fresh mash and fresh yeast

NEUTRAL

SPIRIT                        a practically tasteless, colorless, alcohol distilled from grain (like whiskey) but at 190 proof or above, whereas whiskey must be distilled at less than 190 proof;  used in blended whiskeys, in making gin and vodka, and in many other liquors

OJEN                          a Spanish liqueur with an absinthe (licorice flavor)

ORGEAT                   non-alcoholic almond flavored syrup used principally in the making of Polynesian drinks

OUZO                        a Greek brandy with anisette flavor

PASSION FRUIT

NECTAR                    a non-alcoholic fruit juice concentrate from Australia, made from a passion fruit, used principally in the flavoring of Polynesian drinks

PEPPERMINT

SCHNAPPS                a peppermint flavored liqueur similar to white Crème de Menthe, but lighter in body and drier in taste

PERNOD                   a French anise-flavored liqueur and absinthe substitute, it is  used as an aperitif and an ingredient in cocktails

PILSNER                    a light, lager type of beer

PORTER                    rich, sweet ale with a heavy foam, darker and thicker than stout

PROOF                       system of measuring the alcoholic content of spirit; in the U.S.A., proof is double the percent of alcohol (e.g., a whiskey marked 86 proof is 43% alcohol)

ROCK AND RYE      rye whiskey sweetened with rock candy and fruit juices; may have slices of fruit or crystals of rock candy in it

RUM                            an alcoholic distillate produced from the fermented juice of sugar cane, cane syrup, and molasses, bottled at no less than 80 proof; most rums are blends of several aged rums, ranging from heavy, pungent types to light brandy-like varieties; selected for aroma, flavor and color, there are two main types of rum:  light-bodied--dry with only a very slight molasses flavor, heavy-bodied--darker, sweeter, and more pungent

RYE WHISKEY         distilled from a mash of grain containing not less than 51% rye and is much like bourbon in color, but it is different in taste and heavier in flavor

SABRA                        a liqueur produced in Israel, made from Jaffa oranges and chocolate

SAKE                          Japanese wine-like beverage fermented from rice; usually served lukewarm to enhance its delicate flavor

SCOTCH

WHISKEY                  produced only in Scotland, Scotch whiskeys are blended whiskeys deriving their individual personalities from native barley grain and traditional pot stills; all Scotch blends contain malt and grain whiskeys; Scotch's distinctive smoky flavor comes from drying malted barley over peat fires; all the scotch imported into this country is at least four years old and is usually 80 to 86 proof

SHERRY                     a wine that is characterized by its "nutty" flavor;  it ranges in color from pale to dark amber, and is made either extra dry, dry, medium dry or sweet;  the sweet type is sometimes called "cream" or "golden" sherry

SLOE GIN                 not really a gin, but a liqueur distilled from sloe-berries;  it is rich, deep red in color;  sloe berries are a type of plum that comes from the black-thorn blush;  Cocktail example:  Sloe Gin Fizz

SOUTHERN

COMFORT                 an American-made liqueur with a bourbon base, containing peach and other fruit flavors

STOUT                       (English or Irish) very dark, sweet ale with a strong malt flavor

STREGA                     a delicious liqueur imported from Italy, made with citrus and various herbs and spices, and with a delicate anise flavor; light amber in color;

Cocktail example:  Velvet Hammer--variation

TEQUILA                   a distilled spirit of Mexico, made from the fermented juice of the base or heart of the maguey plant; only that made near Tequila, Mexico, may bear the name: elsewhere the spirit is known as mescal

Cocktail example: Margarita

TIA MARIA                extremely popular Jamaican liqueur, not rum-based, but made from rectified cane sugar distillate flavored with a concentrate of the famous Blue Mountain coffee

TRIPLE SEC              an alcoholic base, triple distilled, colorless liqueur made from Dutch West Indies orange peel; it has a definite orange flavor

Cocktail examples: Ambrosia, Frozen Daiquiri, Mai-Tai, Margarita, Sidecar

VANDERMINT         a chocolate liqueur flavored with peppermint

VERMOUTH             a wine-flavored appetizer with as many as thirty to forty different herbs, roots, berries, flowers and seeds; these are two varieties: dry (French) is light gold in color and has a delightful nutty flavor, and sweet (Italian) is richer in flavor and more syrupy; both are delicate and will lose their freshness if left too long in an unopened bottle

Cocktail examples: Gibson, Martini, Manhattan, Rob Roy

VODKA                     most versatile of all alcoholic beverages, is a highly refined and filtered liquor distilled at or above 190 proof, bottled at not less than 80 or more than 110 proof; it was originally made in Russia, from potatoes, but in the U.S.A. Vodka is usually distilled from grain, primarily corn and wheat:  Vodka is not aged; it is colorless and virtually tasteless and odorless

WHISKEY                  the general name for liquors at not less than 80 proof, distilled from a mash or grain

WINE                         beverage made from the fermented juice of grapes; occasionally from the juices of other fruit or even flowers like dandelions