Alcoholic beverage
Alcoholic beverages are drinks containing ethanol, popularly called alcohol. (In chemical terminology, alcohol is a broad category of compound, of which ethanol is only one.) They include low-alcohol-content beverages produced by fermentation of sugar- or starch-containing products, and high-alcohol-content beverages produced by distillation of the low-alcohol-content beverages. (Sometimes, the alcohol content of low-alcohol-content beverages is increased by adding distilled product, particularly in the case of wines. Such fortified wines include Port wine and Sherry.)
The amount of alcohol in an alcoholic beverage may be specified in percent alcohol by volume, in percentage by weight (sometimes abbrieviated for weight for weightproofintoxicatinghangoverdehydratingwaterbeercholeraboiling of water, which is required for the brewing of beer, which sanitizes it.
Note that in common speech, wine or brandy is made from grapes unless the fruit is specified: "plum wine" or "cherry brandy" for example, although in some cases grape-derived alcohol is added.
In the U. S., cider often means unfermented apple juice (see the article on cider), while fermented cider is called hard cider. Unfermented cider is sometimes called sweet cider. Also, applejack was originally made by a freezing process described in the article on cider which was equivalent to distillation but more easily done in the cold climate of New England. In the UK, cider is always alcoholic, and in Australia it can be either.
Two common distilled beverages not listed in the above chart are vodka and gin. Vodka can be distilled from any source (grain and potatoes being the most common, also industrial cellulose for the cheapest!) but the main characteristic of vodka is that it is so thoroughly distilled as to exhibit none of the flavors derived from its source material. Gin is a similar distillate which has been flavored by contact with herbs and other plant products, especially juniper berries, from which it gets its name.
Alcoholic beverages often are used for ritualistic and
symbolic purposes such as for mass or Passover wine. Some religions, most notably Islam, ban the consumption of alcoholic beverages.
Most countries have rules forbidding the sale of alcoholic beverages to children, e.g. in the Netherlands one has to be 16 to buy beer or wine and 18 to buy distilled alcoholic beverages. Also there are restrictions when driving. See also ethanol.
Alcoholic beverages can be combined to create cocktails.
See also: Chinese wine, Wikipedia Cocktail Guide, Moderate drinking controversy
The names of the beverages are determined by the source of the material fermented:
Source
Name of fermented beverage
Name of distilled beverage
grain
beer, ale, sake (rice)
whiskey (also spelled whisky)
juice of fruits, other than apples or pears
wine (most commonly from grapes)
brandy, grappa (Italy), trester (Germany)
juice of appless
("hard") cider
applejack (or apple brandy), Calvados
juice of pears
perry, or pear cider
pear brandy
juice of sugarcane, or molasses
basi, betsa-betsa (regional)
rum, cachaça
juice of agave
pulque
tequila, mezcal
juice of plums
slivovitz
