Skip to content

Top Navigation

MyRecipes MyRecipes
  • Course
  • Baking
  • Global
  • Healthy
  • Favorite Ingredients
  • Holidays and Occasions
  • Quick and Easy
  • Convenience Recipes
  • BBQ and Grilling
  • How To
  • Extra Crispy
  • Well Done
  • News

Profile Menu

Your Profile

Account

  • Register
  • Recipe Box this link opens in a new tab
  • Newsletters
  • Email Preferences
  • Subscribe this link opens in a new tab
  • Logout
Login
Pin FB

Explore MyRecipes

MyRecipes MyRecipes
  • Explore

    Explore

    • 1 55+ Easy Dinner Recipes for Busy Weeknights

      Everybody understands the stuggle of getting dinner on the table after a long day. If you're looking for a simple recipe to simplify your weeknight, you've come to the right place--easy dinners are our specialty. For an easy supper that you can depend on, we picked out some of our tried-and-true favorites that have gotten us through even the busiest of days. Whether you're cooking for yourself or for a family, these easy dinners are sure to leave everyone satisfied and stress-free. Read More Next
    • 2 The Brilliant Secret to Making Better Mashed Potatoes

      Trust me, it’s so worth it. Read More Next
    • 3 65 Super Easy Finger Foods to Make for Any Party

      From chips and dip to one-bite apps, finger foods are the perfect way to kick off a party. No forks or spoons required, just easy-to-pick-up party foods, so you can clean up in no time.  Read More Next
  • Course

    Course

    See All Course
    • Appetizer Recipes
    • Drink and Cocktail Recipes
    • Salad Recipes
    • Side Dishes
    • Soup and Stew Recipes
    • Menus & Parties
    • Breakfast and Brunch Recipes
    • Main Dishes and Entrées
    • Dinner Recipes
    • Dessert Recipes
  • Baking

    Baking

    See All Baking
    • Bread Recipes
    • Our Most-Loved Cake Recipes
    • Cookie Recipes
    • Pie Recipes
  • Global

    Global

    See All Global
    • Spanish Recipes
    • Thai Recipes
    • Vietnamese Recipes
    • Middle Eastern Recipes
    • Mexican Recipes
    • Malaysian Recipes
    • Korean Recipes
    • Japanese Recipes
    • Italian Recipes
    • Indian Recipes
    • Greek Recipes
    • French Recipes
    • Chinese Recipes
    • African Recipes
    • American Recipes
    • Cajun and Creole Recipes
    • Caribbean Recipes
    • South American Recipes
    • Southern Recipes
    • German Recipes
  • Healthy

    Healthy

    See All Healthy
    • Easy, Healthy Recipes
    • Healthy Breakfasts
    • Healthy Dinners
    • Healthy Desserts
    • Diabetic Recipes
    • Gluten-Free Diet and Recipes
    • Vegan Recipes
    • Low Carbohydrate Recipes
    • Low Cholesterol Recipes
    • Low Fat Recipes
    • Low Sodium Recipes
    • Low Calorie Recipes
    • Vegetarian Recipes
  • Favorite Ingredients

    Favorite Ingredients

    See All Favorite Ingredients
    • The Ultimate Guide to Chicken
    • Vegetable Recipes
    • Beef Recipes
    • Cheese Recipes
    • Chocolate Recipes
    • Pasta Recipes
    • Pork Recipes
    • Seafood Recipes
    • Shrimp Recipes
  • Holidays and Occasions

    Holidays and Occasions

    See All Holidays and Occasions
    • A Foodie's Guide to Halloween Recipes
    • The Ultimate Thanksgiving Guide
    • Hanukkah Recipes
    • Your Ultimate Christmas Recipe Guide
    • Our Most Festive New Year's Recipes
    • Super Bowl Recipes
    • Best Valentine's Day Recipes
    • Mardi Gras Recipes
    • Easter Recipes
    • Labor Day Recipes
    • The Ultimate Fourth of July Guide
    • Memorial Day Recipes
    • Tailgating Recipes
    • Wedding and Shower Recipes
  • Quick and Easy

    Quick and Easy

    See All Quick and Easy
    • 15-Minute Recipes for Busy Home Cooks
    • 45-Minute Recipes
    • 5 Ingredients or Less
    • Dinner Tonight
    • No-Cook Recipes
  • Convenience Recipes

    Convenience Recipes

    See All Convenience Recipes
    • Instant Pot Recipes
    • Kid Approved
    • Our Top Make-Ahead Recipes
    • Our Favorite Slow Cooker Recipes
  • BBQ and Grilling

    BBQ and Grilling

    See All BBQ and Grilling
    • Grilled Beef Recipes
    • Grilled Chicken Recipes
    • Grilled Fish Recipes
    • Grilled Pork Recipes
    • Grilled Shrimp Recipes
    • Grilled Vegetable Recipes
  • How To

    How To

    See All How To
    • 7 Ways With
    • Cooking Questions
    • Ingredients and Tools
    • Kitchen Cleaning
    • Videos
  • Extra Crispy
  • Well Done

    Well Done

    See All Well Done
    • Homemade vs. The Internet
    • How-to and Explainers
    • Mom vs.
    • Recipe Videos
  • News

Profile Menu

Your Profile

Account

  • Register
  • Recipe Box this link opens in a new tab
  • Newsletters
  • Email Preferences
  • Subscribe this link opens in a new tab
  • Logout
Login
Sweepstakes

Follow Us

  1. Home Chevron Right
  2. Menus & Parties Chevron Right
  3. A Simple Guide to Spirits

A Simple Guide to Spirits

Updated October 29, 2010
Skip gallery slides
Save Pin
Credit: Jason Bernhaut

Learn the basics about some of the most popular liquors out there and you'll be mixing up perfect party cocktails in no time. By: Brooke Smith

Start Slideshow

1 of 8

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email

Get Your Spirit On

Get Your Spirit On Tout

Fun and creative cocktails are a welcome addition to any festive gathering with friends and family. But, how do you know what to prepare? What spirit tastes better with fruit juices —vodka or rum? How many drinks will you get out of one bottle? To assist you in the decision-making process so you can focus on the fun stuff—shaking, stirring, and sipping —we’ve put together a handy guide to spirits for the at-home bartender.

1 of 8

Advertisement
Advertisement

2 of 8

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email

Vodka

Credit: Becky Luigart-Stayner; Styling: Jan Gautro

Vodka Tout

Colorless and relatively neutral tasting, vodka provides a versatile base for mixing cocktails. Distilled to a high strength and then filtered through charcoal to remove impurities before bottling, vodka can be made from a wide range of materials including grains, potatoes and even grapes. This ubiquitous spirit can vary in quality and texture from harsh with a “bite” to soft, creamy and smooth. Originally hailing from Eastern Europe but now made all over the world, vodka mixes well with a diverse array of fruit juices and fresh herbs. Combine the two with vodka for a simple, yet flavorful Rosemary Lemon Drop cocktail.

Steal: Seagram’s Vodka

Splurge: Square One Organic Vodka

2 of 8

3 of 8

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email

Rum

Credit: Thomas J. Story; Styling: Dan Becker

Rum Tout

Most rums are made from molasses, but a few are made directly from fermented sugar cane juice. There are many different styles and colors of rum, which are influenced by varying factors such as the raw base material, the manner of distillation and whether it’s aged in oak or sweetened with added sugar or caramel. While produced primarily in South America and the Caribbean, rum can also be made in other warm-climate countries across the globe. Enhance this island spirit’s inherent sweetness with warm, baking spices such as cloves and cinnamon in a Warm Apple Pie Cocktail.

Steal: Cruzan 9 Spiced Rum

Splurge: The Kraken Black Spiced Rum

3 of 8

Advertisement

4 of 8

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email

Tequila

Tequila Tout

Native Americans have been making what is now known as tequila for hundreds of years. Named after the Mexican town where the production process was refined in the 17th century, tequila is made from the fermented sweet juice of the blue agave plant. After distillation, the spirit is reduced in strength and may be aged in oak barrels for a minimum of two months (Reposado) to more than a year (Añejo). Unaged tequila is referred to as Plata, Blanco or Joven. Tequila can range in flavors from earthy and peppery to spicy and complex, but always finds its balance in a crisp, refreshing Classic Margarita.

Steal: Cazadores Tequila Blanco

Splurge: Partida Tequila Reposado

4 of 8

5 of 8

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email

Gin

Credit: Randy Mayor; Stylist: Cindy Barr

Gin Tout

Pungent herbs and spices were originally used to mask the flavors of harsh spirits. Ones flavored with juniper, a botanical thought to be good for the kidneys, became known as gin. This colorless spirit made from grains or molasses counts juniper as its most dominant flavor, but botanicals such as coriander, citrus peel, licorice and anise can also be used. Due to its naturally fragrant and complex profile, gin pairs well with clean citrus flavors and fresh herbs. A refreshing Lemon Verbena Gimlet Cocktail allows the spirit’s best qualities to shine.

Steal: Tanqueray Gin

Splurge: Hendrick’s Gin

5 of 8

6 of 8

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email

Whisk(e)y

Whisk(e)y Tout

Understanding the entire spectrum of the whisky category can get complicated quickly. Even the spelling can be confusing (it’s the Scotch version that has no e). Here are some basics: all whiskies are made from grains; distilled to less than 95% alcohol by volume; and are wood aged. The raw materials range from malted barley to grains such as corn, rye, and wheat and they can be produced in one single distillery or blended from the product of different distilleries. While Single Malt Scotch and small-batch bourbon are best sipped solo (neat or on the rocks), a full-flavored, oaky, vanilla-scented bourbon provides the ideal base for a Classic Mint Julep.

Steal: Maker’s Mark Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

Splurge: Basil Hayden’s Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

6 of 8

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

7 of 8

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email

The Party Supply

Credit: Thomas J. Story

The Party Supply Tout

To ensure that the cocktail well doesn’t run dry mid-party, plan on two drinks per person for the first couple hours and then one drink per person per hour as the celebration continues. A standard-sized 750 ml bottle yields approximately 17 servings (of 1½ oz. per drink). So, once the RSVP list is finalized, calculate how many bottles you’ll need to keep the occasion a spirited one. To save time, mix cocktails ahead of time and pour into a pretty glass pitcher. Add ice to individual glasses as guests arrive. And, don’t forget the essentials: a shaker, strainer, ice and fun glassware!

7 of 8

8 of 8

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email

Shelf Life of Spirits

Credit: Jason Bernhaut

Shelf Life of Spirits Tout

For optimum storing conditions, keep bottles upright and tightly sealed at room temperature without exposure to direct light. Unlike wine, unopened bottles of liquor will keep indefinitely as long as they’re properly sealed. Once opened, a bottle will keep for 8 months to a year, after which the alcohol will begin to evaporate and the spirit will fall flat in flavor. Which means you shouldn’t wait too long for your next celebratory shindig.

8 of 8

Replay gallery

Share the Gallery

Pinterest Facebook

Up Next

Share the Gallery

Pinterest Facebook
Trending Videos
Advertisement
Skip slide summaries

Everything in This Slideshow

Advertisement

View All

1 of 8 Get Your Spirit On
2 of 8 Vodka
3 of 8 Rum
4 of 8 Tequila
5 of 8 Gin
6 of 8 Whisk(e)y
7 of 8 The Party Supply
8 of 8 Shelf Life of Spirits

Share options

Facebook Tweet Mail Email

Login

MyRecipes

Magazines & More

Learn More

  • Advertising this link opens in a new tab
  • Content Licensing this link opens in a new tab
  • Sitemap

Connect

Follow Us
Subscribe to Our Newsletter
Other Meredith Sites

Other Meredith Sites

  • 4 Your Health this link opens in a new tab
  • Allrecipes this link opens in a new tab
  • All People Quilt this link opens in a new tab
  • Better Homes & Gardens this link opens in a new tab
  • Bizrate Insights this link opens in a new tab
  • Bizrate Surveys this link opens in a new tab
  • Cooking Light this link opens in a new tab
  • Daily Paws this link opens in a new tab
  • EatingWell this link opens in a new tab
  • Eat This, Not That this link opens in a new tab
  • Entertainment Weekly this link opens in a new tab
  • Food & Wine this link opens in a new tab
  • Health this link opens in a new tab
  • Hello Giggles this link opens in a new tab
  • Instyle this link opens in a new tab
  • Martha Stewart this link opens in a new tab
  • Midwest Living this link opens in a new tab
  • More this link opens in a new tab
  • MyWedding this link opens in a new tab
  • My Food and Family this link opens in a new tab
  • MyLife this link opens in a new tab
  • Parenting this link opens in a new tab
  • Parents this link opens in a new tab
  • People this link opens in a new tab
  • People en Español this link opens in a new tab
  • Rachael Ray Magazine this link opens in a new tab
  • Real Simple this link opens in a new tab
  • Ser Padres this link opens in a new tab
  • Shape this link opens in a new tab
  • Siempre Mujer this link opens in a new tab
  • Southern Living this link opens in a new tab
  • SwearBy this link opens in a new tab
  • Travel & Leisure this link opens in a new tab
MyRecipes.com is part of the Allrecipes Food Group. © Copyright 2021 Meredith Corporation. MyRecipes is a registered trademark of Meredith Corporation All Rights Reserved. MyRecipes may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice. Privacy Policythis link opens in a new tab Terms of Servicethis link opens in a new tab Ad Choicesthis link opens in a new tab California Do Not Sellthis link opens a modal window Web Accessibilitythis link opens in a new tab
© Copyright . All rights reserved. Printed from https://www.myrecipes.com

View image

A Simple Guide to Spirits
this link is to an external site that may or may not meet accessibility guidelines.