The Different Types of Alcohol — A Comprehensive Guide

Every day, all around the world, millions of people will consume alcoholic beverages. Some of that drinking, of course, will be done in the comfort of the person’s home, but often people will go out to bars to imbibe. 

Having worked in the industry for many years, I’ve noticed that bartenders will pour a draught beer, mix up a cocktail, or create a variety of different types of alcoholic drinks without ever giving a second thought to what they are actually serving. 

Simply put, we all know about the popularity of different types of alcohol, and most of us have enjoyed their magical effects. And yet, so few of us know about the different alcohol types.

So what is alcohol? And what are the most common alcohol types? 

Throughout this article, we will explore alcohol from a bartender’s perspective. We will take a look at what alcohol actually is, how it is made, and explore all of the different categories. 

So to my fellow bartenders and everyone who wants to learn more about this fascinating liquid, we’re about to open up pandora’s box and go through the fundamentals of alcohol and alcoholic drinks. 

And that means starting from the beginning, with the basics about different types of alcohol and types of alcoholic drinks.

So What is Alcohol?

Before we get to how alcohol is made and cover all of the different alcohols available, let’s first take a step back and look at what alcohol is.

Alcohol is the oldest and most widely consumed recreational drug on the planet. Although there are technically different types of alcohols, the alcohol found in the different types of drinks you will be serving will only be ethyl alcohol (ethanol). 

According to Wikipedia:

“Alcohol produces euphoria, decreased anxiety, increased sociability, sedation, impairment of cognition, memory, and motor function, and generalized depression of central nervous system function.“

Anyone who has consumed alcohol knows and most likely even enjoys its effects on the human body. But, of course, it’s worth pointing out that alcohol can also be dangerous. 

Because of this potential danger, alcohol is heavily regulated around the world, and it is why as a bartender, it is necessary to be responsible when serving it.

With that out of the way, let’s get back to the good stuff.

How is Alcohol Made? — The Fermentation Process

The process for making alcohol is essential to understanding what alcohol is. And from an outsider’s perspective, it’s quite a strange process. 

The general consensus is that the first instance of alcohol production must have been a complete accident. 

Historians believe that around 10,000 years ago, cavemen discovered how to make bread by grinding up ancient grains into flour and adding water to make a very rough version of what bread is today. 

The assumption is that these same cavemen must have left their ancient gruel sitting overnight. And lo and behold, when they woke up the following morning, their sloppy gruel had magically turned into alcohol.

To these cavemen, it must have seemed like a miracle! But, what happened? 

Well, wild yeast (a micro-organism that lives everywhere) would have been attracted to the gruel because yeast feeds on sugar. And when yeast feeds on sugar, it produces alcohol.

This process is known as fermentation, and it happens every day naturally in the world around us. 

Since then, humans have refined the fermentation process into the billion-dollar business that we have today producing a wide variety of different types of alcohol.

The Distillation Process

Although fermentation produces the presence of alcohol, it can only get us so far. Creating spirits (also known as liquors) requires a step beyond fermentation.

As soon as the alcohol percentage of a brew hits around 15%, fermentation is no longer possible. There is either no more sugar left in the brew to ferment or the yeast itself has died due to the alcohol content being too high. Therefore, brewers need to distill the base liquid to create a cleaner and more concentrated beverage. 

Brewers do this by separating the alcohol from the water through evaporation and condensation. 

For example, within a fermented brew, water, alcohol, and some trace minerals give the liquid its flavor. By separating the alcohol from the water, the alcohol will become much more concentrated. 

Distillation is done using massive stills that slowly boil the alcohol out of the water (alcohol has a lower boiling temperature than water, so it evaporates quicker) and collect it elsewhere. 

Fortunately, distillation doesn’t separate the alcohol from the rest of the brew completely. So a few distillations are necessary to bring it to even 95%. 

Fortunately, I say, because alcohol doesn’t have any flavor of its own. Instead, all of its flavors come from the ingredients used to make it (grains, grapes, fruit, etc.). 

With an understanding of fermentation and distillation, let’s get to the different types of alcoholic drinks.

The Different Types of Alcohol

Rather than cover every type of alcohol on the planet, we’re only going to cover the most important ones in this post. Because let’s face it, even though I could explain to you what Kalju is (a fermented Finnish beverage made from sugar), in all honesty, you’re probably not going to hear about it again. 

Moving on…

The general list of alcohol and types of alcoholic drinks can be separated into two major categories. If you read the above sections on fermentation & distillation, you’ll know exactly what those categories are: fermented and distilled beverages. 

I’ve listed the most common types of alcohol in the categories below.

Fermented Beverages:

• Beer
  • Ales
  • Lagers
• Wine
  • Red Wine: (pinot noir, shiraz, cabernet sauvignon, etc)
  • White Wine: (chardonnay, Sauvignon blanc, pinot grigio, etc)
  • Rose Wine: (usually soft red grape varieties)
  • Sparkling Wine: (Champagne, Prosecco are types of sparkling wine)
  • Fortified Wine: (A combination of wine & liquor)
• Cider

Distilled Beverages:

• Liquor or Spirits (they’re the same thing)
  • Vodka: (Smirnoff, grey goose, Belvedere, Absolut, etc)
  • Gin: (Tanqueray, Gordon’s, Bombay Sapphire, etc)
  • Whisk(e)y: (Scotch, bourbon, rye whiskey are all types of whisk(e)y)
  • Rum: (Havana Club, Bacardi, Captain Morgan’s,  etc)
  • Tequila: (Hornito’s, Patron, Don Julio, etc)
  • Brandy: (Cognac, calvados and Armagnac are all types of brandy)
• Liqueurs (Below, you’ll find a list of some of the most popular liqueur brands)

Others

• Cocktail bitters
• Alcopops (Also known as RTDs)

Without further ado, let’s take a look at what all of these alcoholic beverages are.

Fermented Beverages

Fermented beverages only go through the fermentation process and are some of the most common different types of alcohol that people consume. As such, they are lower in alcohol content than their distilled counterparts, and because of that, they’re much more approachable.

As mentioned above, fermented beverages won’t exceed 15% in alcohol without being modified somehow.

The two main categories of fermented beverages are beer and wine. Of course, some people will argue that cider falls into the wine category, but it doesn’t really matter.

In my opinion, categorizing cider as a type of wine is confusing; therefore, I will be adding it under its own category.

Beer

Of all the alcohols, beer is probably the easiest to grasp, as we all see it every day. 

In its simplest sense, beer is a fermented grain juice that sits around 3-8% in ABV. Any fermented cereal grain is considered a type of beer, but wheat or barley is used in most cases. 

On top of that, beer is usually flavored with additional spices (usually hops) to impart specific characteristics.

There are two main categories of beer: Ales & Lagers. The difference between the two categories depends on how the beer is made and the yeast used during the fermentation process. 

Generally, ales are fuller in color and flavor, whereas lagers are lighter, crisper, and cleaner. 

If you want to learn more about the different types of beer, you can check out this detailed article here.

Types of Ales

• Pale Ale: The most commonly consumed pale ale. Lighter than the rest, but fuller in flavor and color than lagers and very approachable for a lager drinker.
• India Pale Ale: A heavily hopped and high in alcohol ABV% style of the pale ale. General ABV ranges from 6-8%.
• Stouts & Porters: Dark colored ales (almost black). Guinness is a type of stout.
• English Bitter Ale: Not as bitter as the name suggests but called bitter ale nonetheless. English bitter ales are usually served warm in cozy English pubs.
• Amber Ales: Amber colored ales. Flavors of toffee and caramel are commonly associated with amber ales.
• Wheat Beers: Although wheat beers can be technically made as lagers, they’re almost always made as ales. Germany & Belgium make fantastic wheat beers.

Types of Lagers

• Pale Lager: The most commonly consumed beer in the world. They’re light, clean, and crisp beers. Heineken, Stellar, Budweiser and Peroni are all pale lagers.
• Pilsner: A style of pale lager that has been flavored with the Saaz Hop giving it more flavor and bitterness.
• Dark Lager: Nowhere near as common as pale lagers, but they’re a dark-colored lager, as the name suggests.

Wine

The world of wine is complex and fascinating, and I highly recommend exploring it. But the more time and effort you spend trying to understand wine, the more you will realize how little you know.

So for the sake of this article, we’re going to keep things simple. 

If you’re new to wine, this article series was made specifically for bartenders to help them explore the subject deeper.

Wine is fermented grape juice that usually ranges between 12-15% ABV. Fortified wines are stronger at 20-30% ABV. 

Many factors influence a wine’s flavor profile, like the weather that year, ‘le terroir,’ how skilled the winemaker is, the aging process, the type of barrels used for storage, etc. 

Generally, there are five broad categories of wine: red wine, white wine, rose wine, sparkling wine, and fortified wines. 

The differences between them generally come down to the type of grape used and the process of making the wine.

Red Wines

You guessed it; red wine is red!

It’s the skins on the grape that determines the color of the wine. Therefore, the skins of the red wine grapes are left on during the fermentation process.

Some of the most common red grape varieties are:

• Pinot Noir: A light-bodied red wine grape. It’s also used to make Sparkling wine and Rosé.
• Cabernet Sauvignon: A full-bodied red wine grape. Goes great with rich meals and red meat.
• Merlot: A Medium-bodied red wine grape. Combine this with the Cabernet Sauvignon grape and you get the infamous Bordeaux blend.
• Syrah/Shiraz: A full-bodied red wine grape. The Shiraz from Australia is incredible.
• Grenache: A medium-bodied red wine grape. One of the most underrated red wines grapes.

White Wines

Unlike red wines, white wines are white (or yellow) and their skins are removed before they go through the fermentation process.

Some of the most common white wine grapes are:

• Sauvignon Blanc: A light-bodied white wine grape. Almost always made dry and highly acidic. 
• Pinot Gris/Grigio: A light-bodied white wine grape. Gris is the French style. Grigio is the Italian style.
• Chardonnay: A full-bodied white wine grape. Majestic and commonly aged in barrels to impart certain flavors.
• Moscato: An aromatic white wine grape. Commonly made into a sweet white or Rosé.
• Riesling: An aromatic white wine grape. Very delicious and can be made sweet or dry.

Rosé Wine

Rosé wine is rose/pink in color and unlike red and white wines, they don’t have any specific grape varieties of their own. The reason they’re rose in color is because the winemakers starts by making the wine with the skins of red wine grapes but removes them during the fermentation process when they are happy with the color. 

Both Grenache and Pinot Noir grapes are commonly used to make rosé wines.

Sparkling Wine

Like rosé wine, sparkling wines don’t necessarily have their own unique grape varieties. The style of sparkling wine is determined by the winemaking process. Sparkling wine is always carbonated and mostly made to be light in color.

There are two main styles of Sparkling Wine:

• Champagne: The most well-known style of sparkling wine made by the French in the region of Champagne, hence the name.
• Prosecco: An Italian style sparkling wine. I personally prefer Prosecco over Champagne.

Fortified Wines

Among all the types of alcohol on this list, fortified wines are the oddity. That’s because they’re a combination of both fermented and distilled beverages.

Fortified wines have had a distilled spirit added to them to increase the ABV. Spices and herbs are also commonly added to give them certain flavors.

Types of fortified wines:

• Vermouth: A fortified, aromatized (aromatic herbs and spices are added) wine made in two styles (red/sweet, white/dry) that is commonly used in the making of cocktails. Think the Martini, Negroni, and Manhattan.
• Port: A dry or sweet (usually sweet) fortified wine, dark in color and made in Portugal.
• Sherry: A dry or sweet (usually sweet) fortified wine that’s red in color and made in Spain.
• Muscat: A sweet fortified wine made from the Moscato grape.

Cider

As I mentioned earlier, cider is sometimes classified in the wine category, but in my opinion, it deserves its own unique category.

Cider is fermented fruit juice. Apple and pear ciders are the most common ciders on the market, but you’ll also see blood orange, strawberry, and different fruit ciders.

Ciders are refreshing and a great alternative to beer if you’re not a beer drinker or have a gluten allergy (always confirm). They can be made both dry or sweet, and they usually sit around the 4-6% ABV mark.

Distilled Beverages

As discussed above, distilled beverages are fermented beverages made stronger by running them through a distillation process. As a result, they have a higher percentage of alcohol and are usually mixed with soft drinks, fruit juices, water, or made into cocktails to make them more palatable. 

Note: that doesn’t mean that they should always be mixed. Fine spirits are often sipped neat or on the rocks.

Distilled beverages can range from the 20% ABV mark (usually liqueurs) to around 60-70% (e.g., cask strength whiskeys). However, most spirits sit around the 40% ABV. 

Note: The alcohol percentage of spirits is commonly referred to in proof terms, e.g., 80 proof. To arrive at the ABV%, you divide the proof in half. I.e. 80 proof spirits = 40% ABV. 

The two main categories of distilled beverages are spirits and liqueurs. 

You’ve probably heard about both of these beverages, but the difference between them might not be so clear. So let’s clear things up. 

Types of Spirits

Before we get started, let me cover a question that I get asked all the time.

What is the difference between a liquor and a spirit? 

They’re the SAME thing! These terms are used interchangeably in the alcohol world. 

Moving on…

Liquor is simply a distilled, fermented beverage. Generally, there are six major liquor categories: Vodka, Gin, Whisk(e)y, Brandy, Tequila, and Rum. Although there are others debated, we will stick to covering the most used behind a bar in this post. 

6 Major Types of Liquor

Vodka

Vodka is a neutral-flavored clear spirit primarily made from grains but can honestly be made from anything. Corn, fruit, and even potatoes can be used to make Vodka.

Vodka is made to be virtually tasteless, odorless, and transparent, but it does have subtle flavor profiles distinguishable between brands and dependent on the base ingredients used.

Smirnoff, Skyy, Belvedere, Grey Goose, and Absolut are some of the most popular brand names.

Gin

Gin is essentially flavored (but not sweetened) vodka. 

Gin is clear in color and flavored with various botanicals and spices. The essential ingredient in Gin is the juniper berry. For Gin to be Gin, it must be flavored with the juniper berry. 

Popular Gin brands include Gordons, Beefeater, Tanqueray, Hendricks, and Bombay.

Whisk(e)y

Among the different types of liquor, whisk(e)y can be the most overwhelming. Even the way it is spelled depends on where the spirit is distilled. 

For whisk(e)y to be whisk(e)y, it must be distilled from fermented grain juice (essentially beer!), and depending on where it’s from, it must adhere to strict legal requirements. 

Common grains used to make whisk(e)y include corn, rye, barley, and wheat. And the grain used is the essential factor in what kind of whisk(e)y is produced. 

Bourbon, Scotch, Irish Whisky, blends, single malts, etc., all have specific requirements they need to adhere to. You can read more about that here.

Some popular brands of whisk(e)y are Johnnie Walker (Scotch), Jameson (Irish Whisky), Jack Daniels (Tennessee Whiskey), Woodford’s Reserve (Bourbon), and Canadian Club (Canadian Whisky).

Rum

Rum can be distilled using sugar cane but is primarily made using molasses (a thick dark brown juice obtained from raw sugar). Rum is often aged in wooden barrels, and because it’s primarily made in the Caribbean, its requirement laws are nowhere near as strict as whisk(e)y. 

Rum is sometimes flavored with other spices to make ‘spiced rums.’

Some popular brand names of rum are Havana Club, Appleton Estate, Bacardi, Diplomatico and Ron Zacapa.

Tequila

Tequila consists of distilled, fermented blue agave (a plant native to Mexico). Tequila has quickly become the up-and-coming spirit in recent years and a favorite among different types of alcohol. Once considered a mediocre spirit reserved for shots, the quality of tequila has risen dramatically, and the more premium brands are meant to be sipped and savored – similar to single malt Scotch.

Some popular brands of Tequila include Patron, El Jimador, Don Julio, Hornitos and Jose Cuervo.

It is also worth highlighting Mezcal here as it has been exploding in popularity in recent years. Many critics may balk at including Mezcal in the Tequila category, but most patrons at the bar you encounter will think of them as brothers.

As the saying goes, though, “All tequilas are mezcals, but not all mezcals are tequilas.”

The difference between Mezcal and Tequila primarily comes down to the type of agave used, the region produced, and the distillation process.

Brandy

Brandy is a distilled fermented fruit juice. Technically, any fruit can be fermented to make brandy, but fermented grapes are used most of the time. Therefore, one way to conceptualize brandy is simply as distilled wine.

Brandy is primarily sipped straight in specialized, round glasses called ‘snifters.’

Cognac, Armagnac, and Calvados (apples) are all types of brandy and they’re often aged for several decades in barrels before they’re bottled and subsequently consumed. Pisco is also considered a type of brandy.

If you want to learn more about the different types of liquor, you can check out this article here.

Liqueurs

Liqueurs are sweetened spirits that usually range between the 15-30% ABV mark and are often flavored with various herbs or spices. The flavoring and ABV% aren’t strict requirements, though. While other different types of alcohol may be more common, liqueurs can be essential to the perfect cocktail creations.

The only requirement needed for something to be called a liqueur is that a sweetener has been added. 

If a spirit is flavored but not sweetened, it is simply a flavored liquor, not a liqueur. 

Liqueurs are a considerable part of a bartender’s arsenal, and there are hundreds of different types. They’re commonly usdifferent types of alcoholed to make cocktails and shots but are occasionally consumed as an after-meal digestif or a before-meal aperitif.

Types of Liqueurs:

• Absinthe: An anise-flavored green liqueur. Absinthe is renowned for being high in alcohol (55-75%) and it was once rumored to induce hallucinogenic effects. However, that has since proven to be false.
• Amaretto: An almond based liqueur. Disaronno is a popular amaretto brand.
• Aperol: An Italian aperitif made of bitter orange, rhubarb, and other spices. Used to make the Aperol Spritz.
• Averna: An Italian Digestif made from herbs, roots, and citrus rinds.
• Baileys: An Irish Whiskey cream based liqueur. My wife is obsessed with it!
• Campari: An Italian aperitif known for its bitterness. It’s commonly used in cocktails.
• Chambord: A Raspberry flavored liqueur originating in France.
• Chartreuse: A French Liqueur made by monks. It’s composed of over 100 herbs, plants & flowers local to its region and its resulting flavor is very unique.
• Creme de anything: Creme de cassis, violet, cacao, etc, are flavored liqueurs. E.g. Creme de cassis is a blackcurrant flavored liqueur. The names are in French, but they’re not necessarily made in France.
• Drambuie: A scotch-based liqueur flavored with honey, herbs, and spices. Used to make the ‘Rusty Nail’ cocktail.
• Fireball: A cinnamon flavored Canadian based whisk(e)y. Commonly taken as a shot.
• Frangelico: A hazelnut & herb flavored liqueur produced in Italy.
• Galliano: A yellow, sweet, and herbal liqueur originating in Italy.
• Grand Marnier: A brandy-based orange-flavored liqueur. It’s the brandy version of triple sec.
• Goldschlager: A Swiss cinnamon schnapps with visible flakes of gold (the gold is real!) floating in it.
• Jagermeister: A thick, sweet, herbal liqueur coming from Germany. There are 56 different herbs and spices in it and its most commonly taken as a shot.
• Kahlua: A rum-based coffee flavor liqueur originating in Mexico.
• Limoncello: An Italian lemon liqueur mainly produced in Southern Italy. The Italians are obsessed with it!
• Maraschino: A strong sweet liqueur made from Marasca cherries. Luxardo is the most common brand.
• Midori: A bright green colored melon-flavored liqueur.
• Ouzo: A dry anise flavored aperitif that is widely consumed in Greece. Similar to Sambuca but not as sweet.
• Patron XO Cafe: A tequila-based coffee flavored liqueur. This has become extremely popular lately.
• Pastis: An anise flavored aperitif widely consumed in France. Commonly taken with still water.
• Sambuca: An Italian anise flavored liqueur. It’s usually colorless (sometimes black – appropriately labeled black Sambuca) and commonly taken as a shot.
• Sloe Gin: A red liqueur made from gin and sloe berries. It’s absolutely delicious!
• Southern Comfort: An American peach & spice flavored liqueur made from fruit, spice, and whiskey.
• St Germain – An elderflower flavoured liqueur.
• Tia Maria: A dark coffee flavoured liqueur made from Jamaican rum.
• Tripel Sec: Originally called curaçao triple sec is an orange flavored liqueur. Cointreau is a highly regarded and popular brand of triple sec.
• Tuaca: A naturally flavored brandy-based liqueur that’s brown in color and has strong vanilla notes.

Others

There are a couple of other types of alcohol that you’ll commonly find behind the bar that doesn’t fit well into the above categories. That’s why I’ve kept them separate here. 

Fortified wine could have made the “others” list, but I chose to include it in the wine section. 

The ‘others‘ are Cocktail Bitters and Alcopops, also known as ‘Ready to Drink‘ or RTDs.

Cocktail Bitters

Yes, believe it or not, that little bottle of cocktail bitters we bartenders use to flavor cocktails contains alcohol. Cocktail bitters are made from spirits and various herbs, spices, and botanicals. 

Cocktail bitters are only used to flavor a drink, not as the different types of drinks themselves, which is why I haven’t included them in the liquor category.

The two most popular brands of bitters are Angostura and Peychaud’s. You’ll find the former in almost every bar, even ones that don’t make cocktails.

Alcopops (RTDs – Ready to Drink) Flavored Alcoholic Beverages

Alcopops are spirits and mixers in a can or bottle and considered easy flavored alcoholic beverages. They’re a combination of a distilled spirit and some type of soft drink (soda, fruit juice, milk, etc.) to dilute their strength. Sometimes, they’re bottled cocktails. They’re made ‘ready to drink,’ hence also known as ‘RTDs,’ and they usually sit between the 4-7% ABV mark.

Some popular brands are Breezers, UDL’s, Whisk(e)y & Cokes from various brands, etc. 

Types of Alcoholic Drinks People Order

There are many types of alcoholic drinks that people can order at a bar or restaurant. Some of the most common types include mixed drinks, such as gin and tonics or rum and Cokes; glasses of beer, such as lagers or ales; and shots, such as tequila or whisky.

Other types of alcoholic drinks include cocktails, such as Margaritas or Mojitos; wine, such as red or white; and champagne.

For a full list of the 25 most common drinks you might have someone order, read 25 Essential Cocktails Every Bartender Should Know.

Different Types of Alcohol Effects

There are different types of alcohol, each with different effects. For example, hard liquor like vodka or whiskey can make people feel more aggressive, whereas wine is typically thought of as being more relaxing. Beer is often seen as a social drink, and it can indeed make people feel more outgoing and chatty. However, it can also cause people to become full and bloated.

In general, alcohol loosens inhibitions, which can lead to poor decision-making. It’s important to be aware of how different types of alcohol can affect you personally, and to always drink responsibly.

Cultural Significance of Different Types of Alcohol

Alcohol has played a significant role in cultures around the world for centuries, with different types of alcohol holding particular cultural significance in different regions.

For example, sake is deeply ingrained in Japanese culture, with ceremonial sake-drinking playing a role in many important events, such as weddings and funerals. In Mexico, tequila is closely associated with the country’s national identity and is often used in celebrations of Mexican heritage, such as Cinco de Mayo. In Ireland, whiskey is not only a popular drink but also a symbol of national pride and heritage, with a long history of whiskey-making dating back centuries. Similarly, vodka is often seen as a symbol of Russian culture and identity, and is an important part of many traditional Russian celebrations and rituals.

Whether used in religious ceremonies, cultural celebrations, or simply enjoyed as a social drink, different types of alcohol continue to hold a unique and important place in cultures around the world.

What’s Next?

Take a break and digest what you’ve just learned because we’ve just covered A LOT! If it didn’t all make sense, please let me know in the comments section below and I’ll do my best to explain.

If you’re a genius and you have an attention span greater than me (not the biggest feat), you might as well continue exploring the different types of alcohol.

These articles on liquor, beer, and wine will cover those subject more in-depth. I recommend reading them eventually anyway :-).

• The Different Types of Liquor – A Bartender’s Guide
• The Different Types of Beer – A Bartender’s Guide
• A Bartender’s Guide to Becoming a Wine Expert

Enjoy! And let me know how you get on in the comments section below.