A spirit distilled from fruit such as grapes, apples, or berries Armagnac: slightly drier in taste; only produced in the Armagnac region of France Brandy de Jerez: Spanish brandy aged a minimum of six months in sherry casks; fruit-based concentrates and oak essence used   Reserva: aged a minimum of one year   Gran Reserva: aged a minimum of three years Calvados (Apple Brandy, Applejack): Brandy distilled from an apple cider; the name “Calvados” indicates that it was produced in Normany, France Cognac: highly-regarded Brandy that is only produced in the Cognac region of France Fruit Brandy: general term that describes a Brandy that is fermented from any fruit other than grapes (Don't confuse this with flavored brandies in which fruit flavoring is added to a grape brandy.) General Classifications: (regarding French Cognacs and Armagnacs; no legal status)   V.S. (Very Superior): minimum of two years aging in a cask (industry average of 4-5 years)   V.S.O.P (Very Superior Old Pale): minimum of four years aging (industry average of 10-15 years)   X.O (Extra Old): minimum of six years aging (industry average of 20+ years) Grape Brandy: distilled from fermented grape juice and aged in wood (usually oak) Kirsch: colorless brandy made from small black cherries Penedès Brandy: hearty, dry Spanish Brandy that comes from Penedès region of Catalonia Pomace Brandy/Grappa: (called Marc or Eau de Vie in France)  made from pressed grape skins, pulp, and stems that remain after the bulk of the juice has been extracted for wine; minimally aged and rarely see wood     A clear, colorless neutral spirit distilled from grain and flavored with botanicals London Dry Gin: dry gin that originated in England but is now also widely produced in America; lends itself particularly well to mixing Golden Gin: dry gin aged in wood to acquire a golden color Holland/Geneva/Schiedam Gins: highly flavored and aromatic gins imported from Holland   Oude ("old"): relatively sweet and aromatic   Jonge ("young"): drier and lighter-bodied Flavored Gin: a generally sweet gin in which flavor (usually citrus) has been added Plymouth Gin: relatively full-bodied and aromatic; once the local style of the English Channel port of Plymouth; now made only by one distillery FUN FACT: Gin was discovered in 1650 by Dr. Sylvius of Holland as a remedy for kidney disorders     spirits distilled at 190 proof or above; generally tasteless and colorless     Typically sweet and highly concentrated spirits made by mixing or re-distilling neutral spirits with fruit, flowers, herbs, seeds, roots, plants, or juices to which sweetening has been added. Absinthe: (illegal in the US); licorice flavored liqueur; contains wormwood (“Absente” is produced with southern wormwood and available in the US) Amaretto: almond-flavored liqueur that originated in Italy Anisette: sweet, clear liqueur made with anise seeds; licorice flavored Aquavit: Scandanavian clear liquor distilled from potato or grain mash and flavored with caraway seed Benedictine: brandy-based herbal liqueur that was first produced by Benedictine Monks; believed to be the oldest liqueur made Bitters: known as stomach settlers; flavored with herbs, roots, and botanicals Chartreuse: herb liqueur (yellow or green) first produced by Carthusian Monks in France in the 1760’s Cream Liqueurs: use dairy cream among ingredients Crème Liqueurs: (general) has a syrup-like consistency due to the addition of large amounts of sugar   Crème de Cacao: made with cacao/vanilla   Crème de Cassis: made with black currant   Crème de Menthe: made with mint Curacao: orange-flavored liqueur made from dried orange peels grown on the Carribean Island of Curacao Kummel: colorless liqueur produced with caraway seeds, herbs, and spices Limoncello: lemon liqueur produced in southern Italy; generally sweet Mezcal: Mexican spirit made from various agave plants (often confused with Tequila which is made of the blue agave plant) Ouzo: anise-flavored Greek liqueur Peppermint Schnapps: lighter-bodied Crème de Menthe Sambuca: anise-flavored Italian liqueur Schnappps: German and Dutch term for spirits; can be made from potatoes, grain, or molasses and flavored with virtually anything Sloe Gin: liqueur (not gin) made from “sloes” (wild European plums with a tart flesh) Triple Sec: colorless orange-flavored liqueur     made by distilling fermented sugar and water (most rum is made from molasses); originates in the Caribbean islands Silver/White/Light: generally clear with subtle flavors; light-bodied; This style of rum mixes well in most cocktails Gold: medium-bodied; generally aged from 6 months to several years in oak casks to attain a smooth, mellow flavor; works well on the rocks or in warm cocktails Dark: rich, full-bodied; aged 2-4 years (or more); best savored on its own Spiced: white, golden, or dark rums infused with spices or fruit flavors     Mexican liquor distilled from the fermented juice of agave plants; To be called Tequila (otherwise Mezcal), it must be made from blue agave and produced only in specially designated geographic areas Basic Designations:   Agave: higher quality tequila made from fermenting and distilling agave juice mixed with water   Mixto (mixed): made from fermenting and distilling agave juice mixed with sugar and water Silver/Blanco: clear with little or no aging Gold: unaged silver Tequila colored with caramel Reposado ("rested"): aged in wood for a minimum of two months Anejo ("old"): aged in wood for a minimum of 12 months     clear, odorless, and flavorless spirit that is carbon-filtered to remove impurities created by distillation; originally made in Russia from potatoes; In America, vodka is usually distilled from grain; also produced in many other countries such as Poland, Sweden, and Finland     spirit distilled from a fermented mash of grain (usually rye, corn, barley, or wheat); aged in wooden barrels American Whiskey   Straight Whiskey: unblended whiskey distilled from corn, rye, barley, or wheat and aged in charred oak barrels for a minimum of two years (although most straight whiskeys are aged four years)     Bourbon: To be called a Bourbon, a whiskey must meet the following requirements...(contain no less than 51% corn; distilled in the United States; no higher than 80% ABV; aged a minimum of two years in new charred barrels)       Small Batch: bourbon bottled from a blend of specially selected barrels       Single Barrel: bourbon from one specific barrel     Rye: distilled from a mash of grain that contains a minimum of 51% rye     Corn: distilled from a mash of grain containing a minimum of 80% corn     Bonded: indicates that a whiskey was bottled at a bonded warehouse under government supervision; must be produced from a single distillery in a single season, aged at least four years, and bottled at 100 proof   Blended Whiskey: a blend of two or more straight whiskeys and/or neutral grain spirits; must contain at least 20% straight whiskey     Kentucky Whiskey: a blended whiskey in which all of the straight whiskeys were produced in Kentucky Canadian Whisky: blended whisky made primarily from corn or wheat; must be aged at least three years (although most are aged four years or more); 80 proof Scotch Whisky: blend from Scotland containing both malt whisky and grain whisky; malted barley is dried over peat fires to give Scotch it's smoky flavor; aged at least four years and is usually 80 to 86 proof   Single Malt: whisky of a single distillery in Scotland   Regions:     Campbeltown: produces malts with spicy/salty flavor characteristics     Islay: produces malts that are intensely smoky and pungent in character;  medicinal quality often present     Highlands: broad region producing an even broader spectrum of styles     Lowlands: produces malts that are light-bodied and relatively sweet Irish Whiskey: blend from Ireland containing both malt whiskey and grain whiskey; usually 80 proof; malt is dried in coal-filtered kilns but the aroma of the fires does not influence the malts; generally heavier than Scotch