In this extensive post, we’ll break down the different types of liquor and alcohol names, including the difference between liquor, liqueur, and other alcoholic beverages. We'll also look at examples of each kind!
As someone who has been creating homemade cocktails for over a decade, getting to know the different kinds of liquor and spirits available to the home bartender is part of the job. The options for stocking your home bar are endless, with entire megastores dedicated to a wide variety of beverages.
Liquor is defined as an alcoholic drink that has been distilled from either a fruit, vegetable, grain, or sugar. You can drink it neat (without ice), on the rocks (over ice), or mixed into cocktails. You can also use liquor and alcohol to make infusions, which is one of my favorite ways to level-up your cocktail-making!
Jump to:
🤨 what is liquor?
🌾 distilled. Liquor is distilled from other food items, like fruits and berries, vegetables, and grains. Different types of liquor are made from different items, and the names of alcohol vary based on how they are made.
🥃 fermented. The process of fermentation creates alcohol in finished liquor. During the fermentation process, microorganisms like yeast or bacteria convert sugars into alcohol.
🚓 regulated. Because liquor contains alcohol, a mind-altering substance, it is highly regulated by respective governments. In the United States, the legal drinking age is 21 years old.
🥃 six main types of liquor
While there are hundreds and hundreds of kinds of alcoholic beverages, liquor generally falls into six main types of alcohol, sometimes called “hard liquor.”
🔴 Brandy
What it is: Brandy is made from fermented fruit juices or fortified wine. It is typically aged in oak barrels, which imparts unique flavors and aromas to the spirit.
What it's distilled from: Brandy can be distilled from various fruits, including grapes, apples, pears, and cherries. The choice of fruit used in the distillation process can significantly influence the flavor profile of the type of brandy.
Average price of a bottle: $15 - $50+
Popular drinks made with it: Brandy Alexander, Sidecar, Sangria, and Brandy Sour.
🟠 Gin
Read all about the different varieties of gin here!
What it is: Gin is a liquor known for its distinct botanical flavors. It ranges from strong to delicate in flavor, depending on the producer.
What it's distilled from: Gin is distilled from fermented grains like barley, corn, rye, or wheat. The choice of botanicals used in the distillation process can vary from producer to producer, but juniper berries are essential to give gin its characteristic flavor.
Average price point of a bottle: $20 - $40+
Popular drinks made with it: Gin and Tonic, Martini, Negroni, and Tom Collins.
🟡 Rum
Read all about the different varieties of rum here!
What it is: Rum is a distilled spirit that is known for its versatility and wide range of flavors. There is light rum, dark rum, aged rum, and even flavored rum. Rum is much less regulated than other types of alcohol, so distillers can take their own liberties when making it.
What it's distilled from: By definition, rum is made from byproducts of sugarcane, including sugar cane juice, molasses, or a combination of both.
Average price of a bottle: $15 - $50+
Popular drinks made with it: Mojito, Piña Colada, Daiquiri, and Mai Tai.
🟢 Tequila
Read all about the different types of tequila here!
What it is: Mezcal and tequila are similar because they are both distilled liquors made from fermented agave and made in Mexico. However, they are not exactly the same. Tequila is much more regulated than mezcal.
What it's distilled from: Tequila is made only from blue agave plants. The hearts of the plants are harvested, cooked, and juiced. This juice is fermented and distilled. Mezcal is made using different varieties of agave plants, but notably, it's roasted, which gives it a distinct smoky flavor.
Average price of a bottle: $20 - $50+
Popular drinks made with it: Jalapeño Margarita, Paloma, and Ranch Water.
🔵 Whiskey
What it is: There are SO many types of whiskey, like scotch whisky, Irish whiskey, bourbon, rye whiskey, and Japanese whisky. Each variety is heavily regulated and must be made using specific production standards.
What it's distilled from: Whiskey is distilled from fermented grains, such as barley, corn, rye, or wheat. The choice of grains used in the distillation process determines the whiskey's flavor profile. It’s also usually aged in a variety of wooden barrels to add additional notes of flavor.
Average price of a bottle: $20 - $100+
Popular drinks made with it: Old Fashioned, Bramble, Whiskey Sour, and Irish Coffee.
🟣 Vodka
Read all about the different types of vodka here!
What it is: Vodka is a clear, colorless, distilled spirit known for its light, versatile taste profile and wide range of flavors. If you've ever been in the vodka aisle of a liquor store, you've likely seen the incredible (and sometimes downright strange 🫣) flavors of vodka.
What it's distilled from: Vodka is distilled from grains like barley, wheat, and rye. However, it can also be distilled from other ingredients, like potatoes or fruits. The base ingredient can change the taste and character of the vodka.
Average price of a bottle: $15 - $40+
Popular drinks made with it: Espresso Martini, Cosmopolitan, and Vodka Tonic.
🍹 liqueurs vs. liquor
What it is: Liqueur is a sweetened and flavored alcoholic beverage that is enjoyed on its own or used as an ingredient in cocktails. It has a lower alcohol content than the above six types of liquors and is known for its distinct and often intense flavors.
What it’s distilled from: Typically, liqueurs are made by infusing spirits with various fruits, herbs, spices, or other flavorings. They usually start with a type of grain alcohol or wine as the base, and have other ingredients added. Sugar is a common addition as well, and most liquers are sweeter in taste than liquor because of this.
Average price of a bottle: $10 - $40+
⚫️ types & varieties of liqueur:
Apérol
A bright orange-red bitter Italian liqueur that is most famously known for the Apérol Spritz cocktail. It is made using bitter rhubarb, gentian root, and other very vegetal herbs and botanicals, which give it its bitter taste. It is much milder in flavor than Campari, but made by the same company.
Amaretto
A sweet Italian almond-flavored liqueur that adds a nutty, slightly bitter taste to cocktails and coffee drinks. It's also sometimes used to flavor baked goods.
Irish Cream
A creamy smooth liqueur with the flavors of Irish whiskey, cream, and hints of chocolate and vanilla. Bailey's is a popular brand of Irish Cream liqueur. Often mixed with coffee drinks, like an Irish Coffee!
Campari
A bitter and herbal Italian liqueur with a vibrantly bright red color, often used in classic cocktails like the Negroni and the Campari Spritz. It is higher in alcohol than Aperol, and much more bitter in taste. Both Apérol and Campari are considered aperitifs and are meant to be enjoyed before a meal.
Chambord
A raspberry liqueur with a rich and sweet flavor, adding a fruity and floral note to cocktails. Popular in drinks like a Chambord Royale or a Chambord Margarita.
Chartreuse
A complex herbal liqueur made by Carthusian monks, known for its striking, almost neon green color and intense herbal flavors. There are a few varieties of Chartreause available, but overall it's a quite indulgent or luxurious liqueur due to the strict regulations around making it.
Crème Liqueurs
Syrup-like liqueurs are made by adding sugar to fruits, juices, or extracts. They do not actually contain cream and are instead named for their consistency, which is syrup-like thanks to the added sugars.
- Cremé de Cassis - A blackcurrant liqueur with a sweet and tart flavor, often used in classic cocktails like a Kir Royale.
- Cremé de Mure - a blackberry liqueur with a sweet berry flavor used in cocktails like a Blackberry Bramble. Sometimes Cremé de Mure can be hard to find, but you can also easily make a homemade blackberry liqueur at home!
- Crème de Menthe - A mint-flavored liqueur available in clear or green varieties, adding a refreshing and cooling taste to cocktails like a Thin Mint Martini.
Disaronno
An Italian liqueur with an amaretto flavor featuring notes of almonds, marzipan, and hints of apricot.
Frangelico
A hazelnut liqueur with a smooth and nutty flavor often enjoyed on its own or used in cocktails like the Nutty Irishman.
Galliano
A golden herbal liqueur with flavors of anise, vanilla, and herbs commonly used in cocktails like the Harvey Wallbanger.
Kahlúa
A coffee-flavored liqueur made from Rum with a sweet and rich flavor, often used in cocktails like the White Russian and Espresso Martini.
Limoncello
A lemon-flavored liqueur with a bright and refreshing taste, commonly enjoyed as a digestif or used in cocktails like the limoncello spritz. It is made from a high-proof alcohol that has been infused with lemon peels and sugar.
Orange Liqueurs
- Cointreau - A French clear and orange-flavored liqueur with a sweet and slightly bitter taste, commonly used in cocktails like the Margarita and the Cosmopolitan. Similar to Dry Curaçao or Triple Sec.
- Blood Orange Liqueur - A specialty Italian orange liqueur that is flavored exclusively with blood oranges. It's also called Arancello Rossa, as in "red orangecello." A popular brand is Solerno. Similar to limoncello, you can make a DIY blood orange liqueur at home!
- Blue Curaçao - A notably blue liqueur that is orange in flavor. Famously used in nearly any blue drink for its sweet and citrusy flavor.
- Dry Curaçao - A Dutch-flavored liqueur made from the dried peels of the laraha citrus fruit, which is native to the island of Curaçao. My favorite brand is Pierre Ferrand.
- Grand Marnier - A French orange-flavored liqueur made from bitter oranges, adding a rich and citrusy taste to cocktails like the margarita. Unlike Cointreau or Triple Sec, which is made from sugar beet alcohol, Grand Marnier uses cognac to blend with citrus.
- Triple Sec - A clear orange-flavored liqueur with a sweet and citrusy taste, commonly used in a wide range of cocktails. Triple sec is the French answer to Curaçao, which was invented by the Dutch. Cointreau is a type of triple sec, whereas Grand Marnier is made with cognac brandy.
Midori
A bright green melon-flavored liqueur, adding a sweet and fruity taste to cocktails like the Midori Sour. (side note: I can never think of Midori without thinking of Kim K. Does anyone else remember Kim Kardashian's long-running Midori endorsement?! 😅)
Pernod
An anise-flavored liqueur with a licorice-like taste, it is often used as a substitute for absinthe in cocktails like the Sazerac.
Sambuca
An Italian liqueur with a strong anise flavor is often enjoyed as a digestif or used in cocktails like the Black Sambuca Shot.
St-Germain
An elderflower liqueur with a delicate and aromatic taste, adding a unique floral flavor profile to cocktails.
🍻 beer, cider, & wine
🍺 beer
What it is: Beer is a fermented alcoholic beverage made from cereal grains, hops, water, and yeast. It is known for its wide range of flavors, varying from light and crisp to rich and complex. There are many different types of beer, varying from region to region.
What it's fermented from: Beer is made through a process called brewing. To make beer, brewers malt, mash, and boil grains. Then, they add hops for bitterness and aroma. Next, they add yeast to ferment the sugars, resulting in alcohol and carbonation.
Average price per pack: $10 - $15+
- Dark Beers:
- Brown Ale - Malty beer with flavors of caramel, nuts, and chocolate.
- Porter - Dark and rich beer with roasted malt flavors and hints of chocolate and coffee.
- Stout - Full-bodied and dark beer with roasted malt flavors, coffee, and dark chocolate.
- Light Beers:
- Pale Lager - Crisp and light-bodied beer with a mild hop bitterness.
- Blonde Ale - Refreshing and balanced beer with a light malt flavor.
- Hefeweizen - Cloudy and unfiltered wheat beer with notes of banana and clove.
- Pale Ale - Hoppy beer with a citrusy aroma and moderate bitterness.
- IPA (India Pale Ale) - Hop-forward beer with a strong hop flavor and high bitterness.
- Amber Ale - Malty and balanced beer with a caramel-like sweetness.
- Irish Red Ale - Toasty and slightly sweet beer with a reddish hue.
🍎 cider
What it is: Hard cider is an alcoholic beverage made from fermented apple or fruit juice. Hard cider often has carbonation and comes in several flavors, ranging from traditional dry and crisp varieties to sweeter options infused with fruits like berries or pears.
What it's fermented from: Similarly to beer, cider is produced by fermenting juice using yeast. The fermentation process converts the natural sugars in the fruit juice into alcohol, creating hard cider.
Average price per pack: $5 - $15
🍷 wine
What it is: Wine is an alcoholic beverage made from fermented grape juice.
What it's fermented from: Wine is made through the process of fermentation, where yeast consumes the sugars in the grapes and converts them into alcohol. The grapes are harvested, crushed, and fermented in tanks or barrels, depending on the desired style of wine. After fermentation, the wine is aged, filtered, and bottled for consumption.
Average price of a bottle: $15 - $30+
Types & varieties:
- Sparkling
- Bubbly and typically reserved for celebrations, sparkling wine is known for its effervescence and light, bright flavors. Varieties include Champagne, Prosecco, and Cava.
- White
- Refreshing and crisp, white wine ranges from light and zesty to rich and buttery. Varieties include Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, and Riesling.
- Rosé
- Delicate and pink-hued, rosé wine offers a balance between red and white. It can range from bone-dry to slightly sweet. Varieties include Provence Rosé, White Zinfandel, and Grenache Rosé.
- Red
- Bold and complex, red wine showcases a wide range of flavors, from fruity to earthy. Varieties include Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec, and Pinot Noir.
- Port
- Sweet and fortified, port wine is rich and full-bodied. It often has flavors of dark fruits and is traditionally a dessert wine.
🧯alcohol safety
Alcohol is a highly regulated substance because of its mild-altering capabilities. Therefore, it's important to understand your own personal relationship and limitations relating to alcohol use and consumption.
- Always adhere to legal drinking ages and adhere to local alcohol laws. In the United States, the legal age for consuming alcohol is 21 years old.
- Consume alcohol in moderation. On average, that means one alcoholic beverage per hour while also consuming a glass of water per alcoholic beverage. I'm also a big fan of Pedialyte. 😇
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