A distilled beverage is a liquid preparation meant for consumption containing ethyl alcohol (ethanol) purified by distillation from a fermented substance such as fruit, vegetables, or grain. The word spirits generally refers to distilled beverages low in sugars and containing at least 35% alcohol by volume. Gin, vodka, rum, whisky (or whiskey), brandy, absinthe, and tequila are types of spirits. Beverages high in alcohol and with added flavourings such as Grand Marnier, Frangelico and schnapps are generally referred to as liqueurs. The term liquor may mean spirits; spirits and liqueurs; or all alcoholic beverages, including wine, sake, beer, and mead. The source of this word is its close relative, “liquid.” Both came from Latin verb liquere, meaning “to be fluid.” The word liquor was first used in English to mean “a fluid” in the late 1200s; in the 1700s, the term was first applied to alcoholic beverages.
