Base 6 Liquors for Your Home Bar
Understanding the differences between these 6 base liquors will allow you to use them more effectively in your cocktails and mixed drinks.
- Vodka - Vodka is an odorless, colorless spirit distilled from potatoes, corn, rye, grapes or wheat. Vodka can be made from also anything. As long as the spirit is a neutral-flavored clear spirit and is bottled at around 40% ABV, it can be called vodka. Vodka is the most popular poured spirit in the US.
- Gin - Like vodka, gin is a clear spirit and it mixes well with other ingredients. What makes gin different is that it’s flavored with various botanicals to give gin its distinct taste. For gin to be gin, it MUST be flavored with the Juniper Berry which gives it a ‘piney’ flavor.
- Whiskey - Whisk(e)y is a spirit that’s distilled from fermented grains. Whisk(e)y is aged/matured in wooden barrels for a period of time after distillation. The wooden barrels impart flavors, aromas, and color onto the whisk(e)y.
- Rum - A spirit made by fermenting and then distilling sugarcane molasses or sugarcane juice. The distillate, a clear liquid, is usually aged in oak barrels. Most rums are produced in Caribbean.
- Tequila - Made from distilling fermented blue agave (a plant native to Mexico) juice. Blanco is aged for less than 60 days and is white in color. Gold is similar to blanco tequila in that it isn’t really aged. Its golden color generally comes from the addition of caramel as opposed to any barrel aging. Reposado is aged between 60 days to 1 year and is yellow in color. Anejo must be aged for a minimum of 1 year (often more) and is gold in color. Extra-anejo must be aged for a minimum of 3 years, and once again, they’re gold in color.
- Brandy - Made by distilling fermented grapes (essentially, it’s like distilling wine). Other fruits can also be used to make brandy. Brandy is generally aged in wooden barrels to give the spirit flavor, texture, and aroma. And these brandies are almost always accompanied with an age statement.
