About Liquor

Question 1

What are the 7 Basic Alcohols

Answer 1

Vodka
Gin
Rum
Tequila
Blended Whiskey
Bourbon Whiskey
Scotch Whiskey

Question 2

What are most cordials & liqueurs made from…

Answer 2

75% are made from VODKA

The rest are made from any of the other 6 liquors

Question 3

Categories of Liquor

Answer 3

Generic / Bar / House or Well

Call or Proprietary

Top Shelf or Super Call

Superior Top Shelf – mostly pertaining to Scotches & Cognacs

Question 4

VODKA

Answer 4

1. Made from fruits and vegetables (corn, rye grains, sugar cane, and potatoes)
2. Most expensive brands are made from potatoes
3. Vodka is CLEAR in color and has no distinct TASTE
4. Vodka is distilled but not aged

Question 5

VODKA Brands

Answer 5

Generic: Gilbert’s, Barton, Caldwell’s, Poland Springs
Call: Smirnoff, Absolut, Kettle One, Sky
Top Shelf: Grey Goose, Bevedere, Level, 3 Olives, Stoli, Vox, Ciroc

Question 6

GIN

Answer 6

1. Made from grian & juniper berries
2. Mostly CLEAR
3. Has DRY FLAVOR and AROMA – a bit like Pine
4. Mostly made in England

Question 7

GIN Brands

Answer 7

Generic: Gilbert’s, Poland Springs
Call: Beefeater, Bombay, Tangueray
Top Shelf: Bombay Sapphire, Beefeater Wet, Tangueray 10, Hendricks

Question 8

RUM

Answer 8

1. Distilled from Sugar Can and Molasses.
2. Light, Dark or Golden in color
3. Light is dry, not sweet; Examples Bacardi
   Gold is sweeter than Light; Examples Mt Gay
   Dark is very sweet ex: Myers
4. Spiced Rum = subcategory of RUM - ex: Capt. Morgan
5. Most rum is imported from tropical islands w sugar cane

Question 9

RUM Brands

Answer 9

Generic: There are no generic brands
Call: Bacardi, Mt. Gay, Myers, Malibu, Parrot Bay, Captain Morgan
Top Shelf: Bacardi 151, Bacardi Select, 10 Cane, Goslings, Sailor Jerry

Question 10

TEQUILA

Answer 10

1. Distilled from Aguamiel - sap found in Blue AGAVE plant – and then aged anywhere from 1 - 7 years
2. Produced in Mexico
3. Clear (silver) or Gold (gold) in color
4. Distinct Taste & Aroma
5. Mescal = tequila w fermenting worm

Question 11

TEQUILA Brands

Answer 11

Generic: There are no generic brands
Call: Jose Cuervo, Pepe Lopez, Sauza
Top Shelf: Cuervo 1800, Patron, Cabo Wabo, Tres Generaciones, Don Julio, Milagro

Question 12

Blended WHISKEY

Answer 12

1. Whiskey w “ey” plural is “Whiskeys”
2. Distilled from at least two of three ingredients: wheat, rye, barley, oats – & MUST be AGED at least 3 Years.
3. Can be a BLEND of two or more straight whiskeys
4. Light bodied flavor
5. Most come from Canada

Question 13

Blended WHISKEY Brands

Answer 13

Generic: Gilbert’s
Call: Black Velvet, Canadian Club (C.C.), Canadian Mist, Seagram’s 7, Seagram’s VO
Top Shelf: Seagram’s Crown Royal, Seagram’s Crown, Crown Royal reserve

Question 14

SCOTCH Whisky

Answer 14

1. Scotch Whisky is spelled with no “e” & plural is whiskies
2. Distilled from barley or wheat AGED minimum 4 years up to 25 years – longer aging more expensive and tasty! – the # years aged is usually printed on label
3. Has smoky camp fire flavor – a result of drying ingreadients over peat fires
4. Comes in 2 varieties:
   a. Single Malt - high quality, flavor
   Usually served in snifter
   Usually blended with same 12 ingredients
   b. Blended – there are 75 vendors
   Usually random pairing of those 75 blends

Question 15

SCOTCH Whisky Brands

Answer 15

Generic: No generic brands
Call: Cutty Sark, Johnny Walker Red, J&B, Walker Black
TS: Chivas Regal, Famous Frouse, Johnny Walker Black
STS: Genfiddich, Gelnlivet, Oban, Macallan, Johnny Walker Gold 18, Johnny Walker Blue 20, Chivas Regal 18