spirits are alcoholic beverages created by the distillation of fermented sugar-rich organic material, resulting in a higher concentration of ethanol than is found in the original fermented source. See distillation; ethanol; and fermentation. Spirits typically contain 37–50 percent alcohol by volume, although a few, such as Japanese shochu, are sold at as low as 25 percent, and many, such as the white rum sold in the English-speaking Caribbean, are stronger. See rum and shochu. While most are unsweetened, others—most notably rum—may harbor additional sweeteners. The English term “spirit” for these beverages was introduced in the mid-seventeenth century, based on the Latin spiritus. In modern English, these beverages are often referred to generically as “hard liquor” or simply “liquor.” Generic terms in other languages that are frequently encountered include the German Geist (“ghost” or “spirit”); the Arabic arrack (“dripping” or “distillate”), used throughout Asia and the Middle East; the Spanish and Portuguese aguardiente/aguardente (“burning water”); the French eau-de-vie (“water of life”), and the Chinese baijiu (“white or clear spirit”). See Andean South America; arrack; baijiu; and eau-de-vie.
Spirits are often categorized as white spirits, which are commonly sold un- or minimally aged (such as vodka, most gin, and some tequilas and rums), and brown spirits, typically aged in barrels before bottling (such as whisky and brandy). Not every spirit fits into this dichotomy: baijiu, Peruvian pisco, and Lebanese arrack are often aged in semiporous earthenware containers, which mellow the spirit without coloring it.
The varieties of spirits made around the world are legion. See Appendix I: The Wide World of Spirits. Practically, though, the vast majority of spirits sold in the world fall under the following broad categories, most of them defined by their base materials: arrack, baijiu, brandy, gin, mezcal, rum, soju, vodka, and the amorphous category that includes liqueurs, cordials, and bitters.
See also amaro; bitters; brandy; gin; liqueurs; mezcal; soju; and vodka.
By: David Mahoney