Question

What is the difference between liquors, wines, and beers?

Answer 1

Liquor is a distilled beverage; a liquid that contains a greater alcohol content than would normally be obtained by natural fermentation of grains and fruits (i.e. which gave beers and wines).

Explanation:

Brandies and grappas are distilled wine. Whiskys are distilled beers. The distillate, the liquor, is a clear spirit. It is only after storage in (charred) oak casks for several years that such spirits acquire colour. Grappa is a clear spirit, because it is always stored in glass. After storage for a few years, these liquors become very high value products. Only 150 years ago, liquors would be the only medicine available (it might not cure you, but it would make you happy). It is well known that we get the word `"whisky"` from the Gaelic `"uisce beatha"`, the water of life.