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 almost anything. As long as the spirit is a neutral-flavoured 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 flavoured with various botanicals to give gin its distinct taste. For gin to be gin, it MUST be flavoured with juniper berries as the primary botanical, as juniper is what gives the spirit its distinct ‘piney’ profile.
- Whisky/Whiskey: Whisky is a spirit that’s distilled from fermented grains. It is aged/matured in wooden barrels for a period of time after distillation. The wooden barrels impart flavours, aromas, and colour onto the whisky.
- 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 the Caribbean. Dark rum and light rum are two of the most popular styles.
- 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 colour. Gold tequila 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 tequila is aged between 60 days to 1 year and is yellow in colour. Anejo must be aged for a minimum of 1 year (often more) and is gold in colour. Extra-anejo must be aged for a minimum of 3 years, and once again, they’re gold in colour.
- 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 flavour, texture, and aroma. And these brandies are almost always accompanied by an age statement.
