Glossary of Terms
A | B | C| D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z
Absinthe - A cordial with anise seed (licorice) flavor; contains wormwood. Abisante, abson, anisette, herbaaint, mistra, ojen, oxygene, and pernod are all substitutes.
Absolut - Swedish Vodka produced since 1879 in accordance with over 400 years of Swedish tradition.
Advocaat - Dutch term for 'lawyer' is also the name of a Dutch liqueur made with egg yolk and brandy and flavored with vanilla, among other ingredients.
Agave - A large plant indigenous to Mexico and a member of the lily family from which tequila is made.
Ale - The oldest style of beer where the yeast floats to the top during fermentation is served fresh without ageing.
Allspice - A ground spice made from an unripe berry with an aroma reminiscent of a cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg blend.
Akvavit - A clear Danish spirit closely resembles vodka and whose name means 'water of life'.
Amaretto - A liqueur with a slightly bitter almond flavor, made from apricot pits.
Acidity - The backbone of a wine; too much creates a tart, unpleasing taste and too little detracts from the character.
Aerate - The exposing of wine to oxygen to bring out the bouquet.
Angostura Bitters - A Skillfully blended aromatic preparation of gentian flowers in combination with a variety of vegetable coloring matter. Made with the same ingredients since 1824. Originating in Angostura, Venezuela; now produced in Trinidad
Aperitif - A term that once meant a before-dinner liqueur drink is now used almost interchangeably with the word cocktail.
Apple Brandy - (Apple Jack or Calvados) Distilled from apple cider. Calvados is produced only in Normandy, France.
Apricot Brandy - Apricot flavored brandy.
Arak - A spirit derived from the distillation of local produce in Middle East, India and Asia including coconut, date palms, rice and sugar cane.
Armagnac - A type of brandy that has been distilled from a wine made from grapes grown in the area Armagnac region of France.
Aroma (bouquet, nose) - All refer to the scent of a wine. Aroma and bouquet are similar terms alluding to the strength and type of scent in a wine (a spicy bouquet or a peachy aroma),while nose is a specific term meaning a strong and intense scent.
B
Bar Spoon - The long-handled spoon for stirring cocktails, usually with a twisted handle for twirling the spoon, to mix the cocktail.
Bacardi - A Puerto Rican light rum.
B&B - A Benedictine and brandy mix.
Bailey’s Irish Cream - Made in Ireland with Irish Liquor and fresh cream.
Beer - A fermented malt beverage.
Benedictine - An herb flavored liqueur produced by Benedictine monks of France.
Bitters (angostura, orange) - A aromatic combination of concentrated extract made from herbs, fruits, roots, barks, seeds, and flowers steeped in an alcohol base and then aged. It is Non-Alcoholic, used sparingly to flavor cocktails.
Blended Whisky - A whiskey produced with a minimum of 20% straight whiskies, blended with neutral grain whisky or light whisky.
Blue Agave - A 100% blue agave tequila is generally more expensive as the plant can take 10 years before mature enough to harvest.
Bourbon - American whiskey Distilled from grain mash containing 51% corn and aged more than four years in new (charred) oak barrels. Bourbon is amber in color. Bourbon gets it's name from bourbon county in Kentucky where it originated. Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee and Missouri also produce bourbon.
Body - The weight of a wine in the mouth, and the depth or substance of the taste. Wine ranges from light-bodied to medium-bodied to full-bodied, a full-bodied wine being the heaviest.
Boston Shaker - To shake cocktails, the slightly larger metal half is placed over the 480ml (16oz) mixing glass to form one recepticle for shaking.
Brandy - A spirit produced primarily from the juice of grapes but also made from the juice of apples, peaches, plums and other fruits. Cognac & Armagnac are special varieties made from grapes grown in specific areas of France.
C
Cachaca - Cachaca is Brazilian liquor made from distilled sugar cane juice while rum is distilled from molasses. Cachaca is distilled directly from the juice of the unrefined sugar cane.
Calvados - Made from up to forty-eight different apple varieties, Calvados is an aged brandy, from the region of Normandy, France.
Campari - Campari is a bitter Italian aperitif made according to a secret recipe originally developed in 1860 by Gaspare Campari in Milan.
Cassis - A liqueur made of blackcurrants. Having originated in Dijon, Burgundy, it is now made throughout France.
Champagne - A sparkling white wine named after a region just east of Paris, France where it was first produced.
Chartreuse - A cordial made from herb liqueurs (either yellow or green). Carthusian monks originated this. Produced since 1605 from a secret recipe consisting of over 100 alpine herbs.
Cherry Brandy - A colorless spirit produced from the distillation of cherries, often distillation of cherries, often called by its German name, Kirschwasser.
Cobbler - An iced drink combining wine or liqueur with fruit juice and sugar.
Coffee Brandy - A spirit made from distilled coffee beans.
Coffee Liqueur - Coffee flavored liqueur
Cognac - The world’s best-known and most highly regarded brandy. Distilled from grapes, true Cognac originates only in the Cognac region of west-central France
Cooler - A mixture with a base of either wine, malt, or a spirit, combined with ingredients such as fruit flavors of popular cocktail flavors.
Coco Lopez - A cream of coconut. A canned preparation made from coconut milk, sugar, and other non-alcoholic ingredients useful in making tropical cocktails.
Cointreau - A French made, bitter-sweet orange flavored liqueur. Produced by Cointreau family since 1849.
Crème de Banana - Banana flavored liqueur
Crème de Cacao - A white or brown colored liqueur made from cocoa beans, vanilla and spices.
Crème de Cassis - A French Liqueur made from black currants.
Crème de Grand Marnier - A French liqueur made with fresh sweet cream and Grand Marnier.
Crème de Menthe - A red, green, or white colored, peppermint flavored liqueur.
Curacao - A liqueur of spirits flavored with the peel of bitter oranges and is the name of the Caribbean island producing these oranges.
D
Dash - 3 to 5 drops.
Drambuie - A Scotch based, honey flavored liqueur first produced in Skye, Scotland in 1745. Now produced in Edinburgh.
Dry Vermouth - French made, herb flavored wine. Used in making drinks such as the Martini.
Dubonnet - An aperitif wine made from aromatics. It has a quinine taste and is mostly made in France.
E
Estate Bottled - The term on a bottle indicating that the wine was produced completely by one vineyard (cultivation of grapes, fermentation, aging & bottling).
F
Fermentation - The conversion of ripe grapes to alcohol and carbon dioxide gas through a yeast agent.
Fino Sherry - A pale, very dry Spanish sherry.
Frappes - Small drinks. Several liqueurs combined and poured over shaved or crushed ice.
Fixes - A drink mixed in a serving glass. Sometimes another name for a highball. Served over lots of ice.
Fizzes - Made from liquor, citrus juices and sugar. Shaken with ice and strained into small highball glasses. Soda water is then added (the fizz). Any carbonated beverage, even champagne, may be used. Some add egg whites or yolks.
Flips - An egg nog and fizz combination. Made with liquor, egg and sugar with shaved ice, shaken well. Strained into short stemmed glasses for serving. Sprinkled with nutmeg.
Fruit Brandies - Fruit flavored liqueurs produced from blackberries, peaches, apricots, cherries and ginger.
G
Galliano - A yellow herb and spice flavored liqueur made in Solaro, Italy.
Garnishes - Various configurations of fruit and/or spices intended to enhance the visual, aromatic or taste appeal of a drink.
Gin - Distilled from grain. Juniper berries and other botanical give it its flavor. Most gin is colorless, however, some gins appear golden or straw-colored because of aging in barrels.
Grappa - An Italian brandy made from distilling, grape skins that remain after wine production.
Grenadine - A thick, red syrup used in many cocktails and traditionally made from pomegranate juice or red currants
H
Hot Drinks - Made with liquor in any beverage and served piping hot with not much liquor.
J
Jack Daniels - Produced since 1866, this charcoal mellowed, sour mash whiskey hails from America’s oldest registered distillery, located in Lynchburg, Tennessee.
Juice of One Lemon - For recipes specifying the "Juice of one Lemon" use 2 to 3 tablespoons of Lemon Juice.
Juleps - Made with Kentucky bourbon and fresh mint leaves (muddled, crushed or whole). May also be made with rye, brandy, gin, rum or champagne. Served with shaved ice in an ice-frosted glass with a mint or fruit garnish and a straw.
K
Kahlua - A coffee flavored liqueur made in sunny Mexico.
L
Layering - A technique whereby liqueurs are slowly poured over the back of a spoon so that they will remain separated according to their density.
Liqueur - A class of spirit that is usually sweet and traditionally served after dinner. It is produced by either mixing or redistilling spirits with natural ingredients such as fruits, plants, flowers, or chocolate.
M
Madeira - A wine resembling sherry, traditionally produced in the Madeira Islands, a chain of eight islands off the northwest coast of Africa.
Malibu - A liqueur made with Caribbean rum, neutral alcohols, coconut and other natural flavorings.
Mezcal - The end product of the fermentation & distillation a fermented mash made from agave species of cactus plant. The distillation of Mezcal results in the production of Tequila.
Midori - A green colored, melon flavored liqueur made in Japan.
Mist - A shot of any liquor over crushed ice.
Monte Alban - A superb mescal named after an Aztec mountain-top settlement in Oaxaca, Mexico where mescal has been produced since the mid 1500’s. True Oaxacan mescal has an agave cactus worm in each bottle.
Muddling - The thorough smashing of fruits with a muddling stick or other blunt object.
N
Noble - A term referring to a wine having exceptional balance and character.
Nutmeg - A spice made from the marble sized seed of an East Indian evergreen tree.
O
Oenology or (enology) - The science of winemaking.
Ouzo - An unsweetened, anise flavored liqueur made in Greece.
P
Passion Fruit - A mix made from the Passion Flower. It is nonalcoholic.
Pernod - A liqueur, anise-flavored and used as an absinthe substitute.
Peppermint Schnapps - A crème de menthe that is rather light in body.
Pousse-Cafe - Made from several cordials and liqueurs poured in series so that one floats atop another. Each has a different color and specific weight that permits "floating".
Proof - The measure of the strength of the alcohol. One (degree) proof equals half of one percent of alcohol. For example, 100 proof equals 50% alcohol.
Punches - Citrus juices with two or more liquors or wines. Served cold. Hot punches use milk, eggs and cream.
Peach Schnapps - A peach flavored schnapps.
Peppered Vodka - A pepper flavored vodka.
Port - A sweet fortified Portuguese wine. Ruby port is young, tawny is old. Consumed mostly as an after dinner drink
R
Raspberry Liqueur - A raspberry-flavored cordial, sometimes called crème de framboise.
Residual Sugar - The unfermented sugar left in a wine following fermentation that provides the sweetness.
Rosé - A pink, fruity type of wine made from red grapes.
Rum - Made by distilling the fermented juice of sugar cane, cane syrup and molasses Aged in uncharred barrels, it picks up very little color. Caramel is added to create dark rums. Most rums are a blend of several kinds.
Rye - A whiskey distilled from a mash containing not less than 51% rye grain, traditionally produced n the United States and Canada. It is usually aged in reused, charred oak barrels.
S
Sake – Japanese wine produced from rice.
Sambuca - An Italian liquorice-flavored liqueur made from elder-berries.
Schnapps - A dry European spirit. Popular flavors include apple, pepper-mint, peach, black cherry, cinnamon, and wild berry.
Sangarees - Made with whiskey, gin, rum or brandy, with port wine floated on top, or with wine, ale, porter or stout, with a sprinkle of nutmeg. Actually a tall, sweet, old fashioned (sans bitters).
Scotch Whisky - Distilled in Scotland, usually from malted barley, broadly divided into two types- blended and single-malt. Blended whiskeys from native barley grain and Scottish pot stills. All Scotch blends contain malt whiskey. The smoky flavor comes from drying malted barley over peat fires. Produced only in Scotland. Exported Scotch is at least four years old.
Scoop - 4 Oz or 120 ML
Sherry - A dessert wine from southern Spain. Sherry is produced in the region surrounding the city of Jerez, Spain. A unique “Solera” aging process greatly enhances the maturity of the taste.
Shot - 1 ½ Oz or 45 ML
Soda Water / Club Soda - Salted or otherwise ‘added to’ carbonated waters.
Sour Mix - A mix of real lemon/lemon juice and water to 1 cup sugar and 1 egg white and blended.
Sweet and Sour Mix - Lemon Juice and Powdered Sugar Mix
Southern Comfort - An excellent liqueur with a bourbon whiskey base and peach flavoring. Made on the banks of the Mississippi in St. Louis, Missouri.
Sour Mash - A blended grain-mash used to make whiskeys.
Sugar Syrup - A combination of water and granulated sugar that, when boiled, condenses into a clear, sweet, syrup, used in many recipes.
Sweet Vermouth - An Italian made, herb flavored wine. Used in making drinks such as Rob Roy’s and Manhattans.
Swizzle Stick - A twig with a few forked branches on its end. It is usually inserted into the glass or pitcher and twirled rapidly between the hands. Used in cool drinks of lime, sugar, liquor, bitters which are packed with shaved ice.
T
Tabasco pepper sauce - A world renowned brand of hot sauce produced in New Iberia, Louisianna. Made of Vinegar, red peppers, and salt, it is used in the making of cocktails and is non-alcoholic.
Tablespoon - ½ Oz. 15 ML
Tannin - An acid found in grape stems and skins, as well as oak fermentation casks that assign bitterness to the wine.
Tea Spoon - 1/6 Oz. or 5 ML
Tequila - A spirit distilled from the agave produced in Mexico
Tia Maria - A superb Jamaican coffee liqueur made from a secret recipe.
Tonic Water - A carbonated beverage containing lemon, lime, and quinine, an alkaloid obtained from cinchona bark.
Triple Sec - A cordial similar to Curacao but less sweet and colorless.
Twist - A long narrow cutting of fruit peel used for garnishing drinks, using a zester / twist cutter insures getting only the colored portion of the peel.
V
Vermouth - An aperitif wine derived from grapes. Herb flavored wine fortified with Brandy.
Vodka - A clear spirit that is generally made from grain, but can be distilled from other starches such as potatoes, corn and beets. Vodkas are commonly flavored with essences of citrus or other fruits, or spices such as pepper. Originally made in Russia from potatoes. The difference between various vodkas depends on the types of grains used and the distilling and filtering processes. Vodka is colorless, tasteless and odorless. It is not aged. Makes a good base for cocktails.
Vilification - The process of winemaking.
Vintage - The year in which a wine was bottled, often displayed on the label. (May also refer to a 'good' year).
W
Whipped Cream - A dairy product fluffed up by pressurized gas and used to top a variety of mixed drinks.
Whisky - A spirit distilled from fermented grain mash, stored in oak containers - Spelling - Whisky (without the 'e') for those produced only in Scotland. Made from grains like corn, rye, barley, or wheat. It is distilled from a fermented mash of the grain, then aged in oak barrels. During the aging period, it gradually attains its amber color, flavor and aroma. Whiskey of each country is distinct from that of the others because of the local grain characteristics, distillation techniques and formulas. Scotland, Ireland, the U.S. and Canada are major producers.
Worcestershire Sauce - A brand of tangy flavored sauce used to flavor cocktails like Bloody Mary among others.
