Abbey Beer
An ale brewed using the traditional methods used by Belgian Trappist monks, though not necessarily by a Trappist monastery. Leffe, brewed by Belgian multinational Interbrew, is the best known brand. It comes in a number of delicious variants, the best known of which are the Blond and Brown varieties.
A strong greenish- yellow or opal often bitter tasting liqueur, made with star anise, wormwood (Artemisia absinthium) and a selection of other herbs, which often becomes cloudy (or louches) with the addition of water. It’s ABV is typically above 50% and some brands contain as much as 80% ABV. Because of its high strength and mild psychoactive properties, it is illegal in many countries, including France and the US (both nations where it used to be popular). Though still available in some other countries, it has mostly been replaced by anisette, ouzo, arak and other pastis- type drinks.
Absolut
A good quality Swedish vodka.
Advocaat
A creamy Dutch liqueur made with egg yolks, around 18 % ABV. Often flavoured with vanilla, it also may be found in coffee and chocolate flavour.
Aftershock
A very strong and strongly flavoured liqueur available in several varieties, including mint (green) and cinnamon (red) which can be mixed into shooters or cocktails or drank ice cold and neat. It is often drank in a single swig, swilled around in the mouth and then swallowed quickly, leaving a burning sensation that has been compared to that left by an antiseptic mouthwash.
Aguardiente
Literally “fire water”. A Spanish word used for brandies and other spirits, including rum and cachaca.
Ale
A kind of beer made with malt and hops, top-fermented at room temperature. Ales are usually darker in colour than most other lagers, and stronger in flavour and alcohol. They are popular in England, where traditionally they were served warm. Best known brands include Boddington’s (brewed solely at Strangeways, Manchester, next to an infamous prison) and Newcastle Brown.
Amaretto
An Italian liqueur flavoured with bitter almonds. Golden-brown, rich and sweet, it is excellent served on the rocks or mixed into fruity cocktails.
Anisette
A liqueur, such as Pernod and Ricard, that is flavoured with liquorice or star anise. It usually becomes cloudy when water is added. Anisette is a pastis or absinthe replacement, similar to Greek ouzo and arak.
Angostura
A popular brand of bitters, primarily made from the bark of a South American tree and used to flavour cocktails.
Arak
There are a many varieties of arak, some of which is distilled from the sap of sugar palms. However, Middle Eastern arak is often made with grape alcohol and always flavoured with star anise. An excellent accompaniment to Lebanese or Arabic food, Arak is mixed with ice cold water, very much like Greek ouzo is. Arak is actually also the name of a city in Iran, and the name of the spirit probably derives from this.
Armagnac
A strong French grape brandy from the Armagnac region.
Aquavit
Also knows as Akvavit, this word is used to describe any grain based spirit, often flavoured with herbs in Scandinavia. It literally means “water of life”.
Aperitif
A drink, often flavoured with herbs or fruit, which is served before a meal.
Bailey’s Irish Cream
A sweet and creamy liquer made from Irish whiskey and cream. Best served on the rocks.
Beer
A generic name for low alcohol beverages made with cereals (such as corn, wheat, barley or rice) and flavoured with hops. The two main varieties are ales and lagers. Most beers contain around 5% alcohol by volume, although some have over 10%. Non alcoholic or lite beers have had the alcohol removed after brewing.
Bitter
A type of English beer or ale.
Bitters
Not to be confused with bitter ale, bitters are alcoholic liqueurs made from various herbal extracts which are used sparingly to flavour cocktails. Angostura, probably the best known, contains extracts from the bark of a South American tree which give it is bitter flavour. Other well known brands are Underberg and Peychaud’s bitters (used in the cocktail Sazerac).
Bloody Mary
A cocktail made with tomato juice and vodka, and flavoured variously with Tabasco, Worcestershire sauce, pepper and lemon juice, often garnish with a slice of lemon or lime or a sprig of celery. Every barman and would be barman has their own way of making this, and most will promise that their version is the best.
Bols
Dutch distillery producing almost every kind of spirit or liqueur imaginable, many of high quality, originally known for its Genever (Dutch gin) but now the oldest continuing distillery in the world.
Bordeaux
This region in southern France is possibly the best known wine-producing region in the world.
Bourbon
American whiskey made of no less than 51% corn, rye, wheat, malted barley, or malted grain.
Brandy
Normally, a liqueur distilled from wine and aged in wooden casks, usually at least 40% ABV. The best brandy comes from the Cognac region in France and is most often served at room temperature or slightly above in a brandy snifter. Armagnac brandy is often distilled at a lower proof. Some liqueurs distilled from fruit juice, such as the Calvados from apples, are also considered brandies.
Brut
A dry champagne.
Burgundy
Burgundy or Bourgogne is, like Bordeaux, one of the, justifiably, most famous wine making regions in the world, although the term is often used loosely, to apply to any wine similar to those produced in the region.
Cabernet Sauvignon
A red grape variety. It is possibly the most used variety of red in the world.
Cachaca
The most popular spirit in Brazil, the fiery cachaca is a type of rum, distilled from sugar cane. It is muddled with Brazilian lime and sugar and served on the rocks for the perfect caipirinha.
A popular Brazilian cocktail made with cachaca, sugar and muddled limes.
Calvados
An apple brandy produced in northern France.
Campari
The brand name of a red- coloured bitter aperitif usually served mixed with soda or orange.
Champagne
A sparkling wine made in the Champagne region, primarily from Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grapes, Champagne’s fizz comes from the addition of sugar and yeast after the original fermentation. Genuine Champagne, from the dry Brut, to the semi-sweet Demi-Sec and sweeter Doux, is known and loved the world over, but sparkling wines are also produced with some success elsewhere, notably in Italy, Spain and the US, where the traditional methods are often combined with regional grape varieties to great effect. Genuine Champagne, however, can only be made in one particular region and is the benchmark by which all other sparkling wines are judged.
Chardonnay
A variety of white grape that can be used, either solely or in combination, to make fine wine or champagnes.
Chartreuse
A French herbal liqueur made to an old, secret recipe and available in two styles- yellow (weaker at 40% ABV) and the stronger green version (55% ABV).
Chenin Blanc
A good and versatile white grape variety, widely popular in the New World.
Chianti
One of the best Italian wines. Chianti is produced in Tuscany and bottled in characteristic straw-wrapped flasks. Almost all Chianti produced is red.
Cider
An alcoholic drink made from fermented apple juice.
Claret
A red wine, typically one from the Bordeaux region in France.
Cocktail
Traditionally a mixed drink containing at least one spirit (although some aficionados insist a true cocktail is a mix of spirits), nowadays any mixed drink (including a non-alcoholic one) can be called a cocktail. Legend has it that the drinks were originally decorated with feathers (or cock tails) but the name may be a corruption of the French word coquetier which is a serving cup or glass that may have been used to serve the drinks.
Cointreau
A premium orange liqueur made in France, Cointreau combines well with quality tequila for a sublime margarita but is often drunk alone.
Cognac
A fine French brandy from the Cognac region.
Courvoisier
A premium brand of aged Cognac.
Crème de menthe
A sweet, mint flavoured liqueur. The suffix “crème de” often implies a sweet, thick liqueur. Some other crème liqueurs include coffee, banana and cocoa.
Curacao
A sweet orange liqueur, such as Triple Sec, often with an ABV of 30%. Curacao is also available in colours such as green and blue, useful for adding both favour and colour to cocktails.
Cynar
An Italian artichoke-flavoured aperitif. An acquired taste, but there are those who swear by it.
Daiquiri
A cocktail made with rum, sugar and lime. A frozen daiquiri is often also known as a Floridita. Fruit daiquiris, particularly one made with crushed strawberries, are also popular. Ernest Hemingway was a fan.
Digestif
A liqueur, and one that is usually served at the end of a meal, supposedly to aid digestion.
Drambuie
The world’s oldest and finest whisky liqueur, made (as it claims) to Bonnie Prince Charlie’s own recipe with Highland Malt and heather honey. It’s name is Gaelic for “The Drink that Satisfies”. Other whisky liqueurs, such as Glayva, are also popular. The best known Irish brand is Irish Mist.
Draught
Beer that is served ‘on tap’ straight out a keg. Often a less expensive option than bottle beer, and some pubs will have a good choice of local beers on draught.
Dry
Any drink lacking in sweetness (be it a wine, fortified wine or liqueur) is often labelled as or considered to be dry.
A classic cocktail made by with gin (or vodka) a drop (or a fine mist, or a dash, or more) of dry vermouth and stirred (or shaken) with ice, then garnished with a green olive (or a cocktail onion, or a slice of lemon) and served in a Martini cocktail glass. Purists swear by gin, a nearly negligible drop of dry Noilly Prat or Martini vermouth and stirring as opposed to shaking. In the end, though, as with the Bloody Mary, the only perfect Dry Martini for you is most likely the one you make yourself.
Dry Wine
A wine lacking sweetness. Frascati, Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay are good varieties of dry white wine and are normally served with fish or poultry.
Dubonnet
A brand of French vermouth- based aperitif.
Eau de vie
Also often known as aquavit (both words mean water of life), the term applies to any distilled spirit made with fruit. The French term is often used to refer to brandy, whilst aquavit is often used for stronger spirits, including, perhaps incorrectly, schnapps and fruit flavoured grain spirits.
Eggnog
A beverage, often served at Christmas, containing egg yolks, milk or cream, sugar, spices and a spirit (whiskey, brandy or rum).
Fortified Wines
Wines in which alcohol has added, such as port, vermouth and sherry.
Frangelico
An Italian brand of hazelnut flavoured whisky.
Galliano
An Italian herb liqueur made with brandy and having a prominent aniseed flavour.
Genever
Considered the ancestor of Gin, Genever is a Dutch distilled grain spirit (usually with an ABV of nearly 40%) with a pronounced juniper flavour and an often malty finish.
Gin
A British distilled grain spirit flavoured with herbs and an ABV of around 40%. London Dry Gin is the best known variety and has a strong juniper flavour. Well known brands include Tanqueray, Gordon’s and Bombay Sapphire.
Grand Marnier
A French brand of orange flavoured brandy liqueur.
Grappa
A transparent and very strong (40% ABV) spirit made in Italy of the fermented stalks and skins of grapes. Though similar to aquavit and schnapps, it’s closest relations are the French Marc and the Cypriot Zivania.
Grenadine
A sweet red syrup or cordial, originally made from pomegranates. Grenadine is used for its sweetness and colour in cocktails such as the Tequila Sunrise.
Irish Cream
A creamy liqueur made from Irish whiskey, such as Bailey’s.
Irish Whiskey
The Irish claim they invented whiskey and though their whiskies taste different and are less popular around the world than the Scottish variants, their typically complex and subtle flavours and lack of smokiness make brands like Jameson’s deservedly popular.
Jack Daniels
Contrary to popular belief, the sour mash whiskey still made in Lynchburg Tennessee is not a true bourbon. Tennessee whiskey’s charcoal filtration process lends it flavour and makes it unique. George Dickel is another well known brand of Tennessee.
Jagermeister
A well known brand of bitter herbal liqueur made in Germany. A good digestif.
Kahlua
A well know Mexican brand of coffee liqueur, now also manufactured in Europe.
Kirsch
A clear, very strong cherry flavoured eau de vie.
Lager
A bottom fermented beer. A well known type of lager is pilsner or pilsener. Most of the better known commercially available brands, such as the Dutch Grolsch, Heineken and Amstel, the Germany’s Becks, Denmark’s Carlsberg, the UK brands Carling, the Belgian beer Stella Artois and the American Budweiser are lagers.
Layered Cocktails
Cocktails, often shooters, with visible layers of ingredients, made by slowly pouring each liquid in order of density (often using the back of a spoon). They include after dinner drinks such as the Pousse Café.
Liqueur
A generic name for sweet alcoholic drinks with an ABV of around 30%.
Madeira
A fortified sweet red wine from the Portuguese island of Madeira.
Malibu
A popular brand of Coconut rum, though weaker in alcohol than white rum. At a pinch, good with pineapple juice in the absence of actual coconut milk.
Maraschino
While the maraschino cherries themselves are often used as decorations on flamboyant cocktails, the liqueur made from the cherries is an excellent ingredient for cocktails such as the Daiquiri.
Margarita
A cocktail made from tequila, a triple sec such as Cointreau and lime juice, and usually served in a wide rimmed glass that has been frosted with salt.
Marsala
A fortified dessert wine from Italy.
Martini
The word Martini may be heard in two contexts- either as an Italian brand of vermouth or as the world- famous cocktail made with gin and often no more than a hint of vermouth.
Mescal
Tequila is a type of Mescal, or Mezcal , the Mexican spirit distilled from the agave plant. Mescal bottles often contain a larva in them, which feeds only on the plant used for their manufacture. About 40% ABV.
Midori
A Japanese melon liqueur.
A Cuban cocktail and possibly Ernest Hemingway’s second favourite drink, the Mojito combines the freshness of mint muddled with sugar and the zestiness of lime with plenty of crushed ice and soda. An ideal drink for a summer’s day.
Mulled Wine
Wine cooked with spices such as cloves and nutmeg, sugar, and often slices or peel of orange or lemon.
Noilly Prat
A well known French brand of dry vermouth, ideal for a Dry Martini.
Ouzo
A Greek aniseed based liqueur, Ouzo is similar to Pernod and other pastis drinks. It is entirely colourless until the ritualistic addition of water and ice, after which it louches (goes cloudy).
Pastis
A generic name for aniseed based liqueurs such as Pernod, Ricard and Ouzo, so named, it is said, because these were only a pastiche of absinthe- the drink that they were made to imitate.
Pernod
The best known brand of French pastis. Pernod originally made absinthe.
Pilsner
Pilsner, also spelt Pilsener, is a type of lager (bottom fermented beer) originally made at Pilsen, in what is know the Czech Republic, but now produced and enjoyed the world over. Pilsner Urquell claims to be the oldest brand of Pilsner.
Pimm’s
A series of fruity summer drinks based on spirits. Pimm’s No. 1, based on gin, is the most popular. They are often best enjoyed topped with something fizzy, such as soda or sparkling wine.
Pisang Ambon
A fruit and herb based liqueur named after the Indonesian island of Ambon.
Port
A fortified wine made around Oporto, Portugal, which comes in many varieties.
Ratafia
In some places, Ratafia is taken to mean a herb infused wine-based liqueur (such as the Catalan Ratafia de Montjuic, which features subtle fruit and nut flavours), but elsewhere it could denote any other kind of fortified wine or spirit.
Retsina
An intriguing white or rosé wine flavoured with pine resin which is made only in Greece.
Riesling
Considered the best of the German grape varieties.
Rioja
Spain’s wine-making region of Rioja produces wines that often stand comparison to those of Bordeaux. The robust reds of Rioja are particularly good.
Rum
A strong spirit (typically 40% ABV) distilled from fermented sugar cane or molasses and available in several types: dark rums (typical of Jamaica and the West Indies), golden rums and clear white rums (produced in Puerto Rico and Cuba). The white Bacardi, the best known brand, have since moved out of Cuba (although those with access to Cuban produce often make Havana Club Rum their choice). Pusser’s, a new brand, aims to recapture the genuine flavour of dark navy rum. Regardless, rum, in its many forms, remains one of the best-selling spirits and is an ideal ingredient for cocktails. Well know rum-based cocktails include the Daiquiri, the Mai- Tai and the Mojito.
Rye
An American type of whiskey containing a minimum of 51% rye grain.
Sake
A Japanese rice beer (though often incorrectly called a rice wine), usually drunk warm. It’s ABV is very high for a beer, around 15%.
Sambuca
An strong Italian anisette, much like Greek Ouzo.
Samiclaus
A very strong, sweet and now sadly hard to find Swiss ale with a heroic ABV content of about 14% that has been likened by some to “an alcoholic soy sauce”. Worth drinking, if only to tell others about it.
Schnapps
Usually used to refer to a strong clear grain spirit, sometimes one that is flavoured with fruits or herbs.
Scotch
Whether single malt or blended, Scotch refers only to whisky that is made in Scotland. Well known variants include Johnnie Walker’s Red and Black labels, J&B, Chivas Regal and The Famous Grouse (blended), Macallan, Glenlivet, Laphroaig and Glenmornagie (single malt).
Sherry
A Spanish fortified wine, named after Jerez, a province in Andalusia. The best, and best known type, is Fino sherry.
Slivovitz
A plum brandy made in Central and Eastern Europe, once regarded as the national drink of what used to be Yugoslavia.
Sloe Gin
A gin in which slow berries and often other ingredients are macerated. Along with Southern Comfort, it features in the cocktail known as Sloe Comfortable Screw (the screw part comes from orange juice and vodka, the ingredients used to make a Screwdriver).
Southern Comfort
A complexly flavoured brand of strong whiskey- based liqueur, made with fruits and herbs to a secret recipe. One of it’s best known uses in cocktails is in a Sloe Comfortable Screw.
Stolichnaya
One of the better, and better known, widely available brands of Russian vodka.
Stout
A top-fermented barley beer made mostly in Britain and Ireland. Guiness is the best known stout brand.
Strega
An Italian liqueur that is allegedly based on a secret witches brew and is considered an aphrodisiac.
Tequila
A popular kind of Mescal, produced In Mexico, with typically 40% ABV, which must be made with at least 51% agave, with rest being made up primarily of sugar cane (premium brands may contain only agave). A ritualistic way of drinking it is to suck a lime, knock back an ice cold shot of tequila, then lick a pinch of salt of your hand. The well-known Margarita cocktail combines all three of these ingredients, plus sugar, in a way that is considered by many to be more palatable.
Tia Maria
A Jamaican brand of coffee flavoured rum-based liqueur, similar to Kahlua.
Triple Sec
A quality clear Curacao, such as Cointreau, usually with an ABV of 30% or more.
Vermouth
Although it’s name comes from the German wermut or wormwood which vermouth once used for its primary flavour, this fortified wine has nothing to do with absinthe. Instead it is a delicate herb infused drink, available in various grades of sweetness and colour that can be enjoyed on its own or in cocktails- a touch of extra dry vermouth makes a Dry Martini out of a shot of gin. Well known brands include the French Noilly Prat and the Italian Martini and Cinzano. ABV: around 18%
Vodka
Derived from the diminutive of water, vodka used to refer to any clear spirit drink. Though it is nowadays often made from grains, rectified and distilled to around 40% ABV (though 50% and higher concentrations of ABV are available), vodka’s origins have been argued over for decades at least by Poland and Russia. Both nations produce excellent examples of the spirit, including the Polish Wyborowa and Zubrovka and the Russian Stolichnaya. Smirnoff is no longer made in the former Soviet Union, and some of the most popular and trendy brands such as Absolut, Finlandia and Grey Goose (which claims to be the world’s best tasting vodka) are made in countries not traditionally associated with the drink (Sweden, Finland and France respectively). In addition, though the drink was traditionally almost neutral in flavour, fruit and herb flavour vodka varieties have recently become fashionable.
Wine
To oversimplify, alcoholic drink typically made with fermented grape juice (or alternatively any sweet fruit juice) and typically containing 10-14% ABV. The first wine may have been produced from fermented date palms, possibly by accident, more than 10 000 years ago. Wine is mentioned in the Old Testament as well as the New Testament and it has been a part of human life for millennia.
Whisky
Spelt “whiskey” in Ireland and the USA, whisky is a spirit distilled from grain (primarily malted barley, caramel to golden in colour, with a strong characteristic taste and smell and an ABV of about 40%. The finest whiskies are probably the single malts of Scotland, but Ireland, Canada, the USA and even Japan produce some intriguing and often very good whiskies. Whisky is an abbreviation of the Gaelic for “water of life”
Wyborowa
A good quality brand of Polish vodka.
Zivania
Cyprus’ national drink, Zivania or Zivana is a strong eau-de-vie similar to Italian grappa. It typically contains at least 40% alcohol and must be served ice cold and neat.
Zubrovka
Also known as Bison Vodka, Zubrovka is a brand of vodka that is delicately flavoured with a species of grass that grows in the Polish forests where the European bison can be found.
another www.psillakis.com website