Skip to content

Top Navigation

Food & Wine Food & Wine
  • Recipes & Cooking
  • Drinks
  • Travel
  • Holidays + Events
  • News
  • F&W Classic
  • Video
  • Lifestyle
  • F&W Pro
  • About Us

Profile Menu

Your Profile

Your Profile

  • Join Now
  • Newsletters
  • F&W Classic Insiders this link opens in a new tab
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Give a Gift Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Wine Club
  • Podcast
  • Food & Wine Books this link opens in a new tab
  • Logout
Login
Subscribe Subscribe
Pin FB

Explore Food & Wine

Food & Wine Food & Wine
  • Explore

    Explore

    • F&W Cooks

      F&W Cooks

      Food and Wine presents a new network of food pros delivering the most cookable recipes and delicious ideas online. Read More
    • Our 22 Best Crock Pot and Slow-Cooker Recipes

      Our 22 Best Crock Pot and Slow-Cooker Recipes

      Looking to amp up your beef stew but unsure where to start? A slow cooker can can take your comfort food to the next level. Read More
    • 50 Affordable Wines You Can Always Trust

      50 Affordable Wines You Can Always Trust

      We’ve assembled a list of 50 of the world’s most reliable, inexpensive wines – bottles that offer amazing quality for their price year in and year out. Read More
  • Recipes & Cooking

    Recipes & Cooking

    See All Recipes & Cooking
    • Chicken
    • Comfort Food
    • Breakfast + Brunch
    • Salads
    • Desserts
    • Vegetables
    • Pasta + Noodles
    • Chefs
    • Meat + Poultry
    • Soup
    • Appetizers
    • Side Dishes
    • Fruits
    • Seafood
    • Special Diets
    • Cooking Techniques
    • Steal This Trick
  • Drinks

    Drinks

    See All Drinks
    • Wine
    • Cocktails + Spirits
    • Coffee
    • Juices
    • Beer
    • Champagne + Sparkling Wine
    • Tea
  • Travel

    Travel

    See All Travel
    • Wine Regions
    • Restaurants
  • Holidays + Events

    Holidays + Events

    See All Holidays + Events
    • Valentine's Day
    • Halloween
    • Passover
    • Hanukkah
    • Christmas
    • Gifts
    • Super Bowl
    • Easter
    • Thanksgiving
    • New Year's Eve
    • Holiday Entertaining
  • News
  • F&W Classic

    F&W Classic

    See All F&W Classic
    • F&W Classic Insider
  • Video
  • Lifestyle
  • F&W Pro
  • About Us

Profile Menu

Subscribe this link opens in a new tab
Your Profile

Your Profile

  • Join Now
  • Newsletters
  • F&W Classic Insiders this link opens in a new tab
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Give a Gift Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Wine Club
  • Podcast
  • Food & Wine Books this link opens in a new tab
  • Logout
Login
Sweepstakes

Follow Us

  1. Home
  2. Lifestyle
  3. Top 10 Spirits Buzz Words to Up Your Spirits Cred

Top 10 Spirits Buzz Words to Up Your Spirits Cred

By Food & Wine Updated March 08, 2017
Skip gallery slides
FB Tweet

1 of 10

FB Tweet
Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print

Absinthe

Absinthe
Go to Recipe

Absinthe is an anise-flavored spirit banned in the United States in 1912 in part because its namesake ingredient, Artemisia absinthium, or wormwood, is known to be toxic in large doses. Absinthe containing acceptable amounts of wormwood is now available in the U.S. It's a terrific substitute for sweeter, lower-alcohol pastis.

Cocktail: The citrusy Bitter Anise, prepared with absinthe-like pastis and muddled lemon, and topped off with ginger ale.

1 of 10

Advertisement
Advertisement

2 of 10

FB Tweet
Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print

Aperol

Aperol
Go to Recipe

Aperol is a bitter orange Italian aperitif flavored with rhubarb and the gentian plant.

Cocktail: The sparkling Bitter Peach, made with Aperol, Champagne and peach puree.

2 of 10

3 of 10

FB Tweet
Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print

Bitters

Bitters
Go to Recipe

Bitters are a super-concentrated solution of bitter and often aromatic plants that adds flavor and complexity to drinks. Varieties include orange, lemon, peach and aromatic bitters, the best-known of which is Angostura. Fee Brothers bitters is a brand made in Rochester, New York, for more than 60 years, with flavors like orange and peach.

Cocktail: The Hat Trick, prepared with Prosecco and bitters; the name is a tribute to Joe Fee, who is known for tipping his ever-present fedora in greeting.

3 of 10

Advertisement

4 of 10

FB Tweet
Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print

Cynar

Amer Mousseux
Go to Recipe

Cynar is a pleasantly bitter Italian liqueur made from 13 herbs and plants, including artichokes.

Cocktail: The quirky, sparkling Amer Mousseux gets its love-it-or-hate-it bitterness from Cynar as well as another Italian liqueur, Campari.

4 of 10

5 of 10

FB Tweet
Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print

Lillet

Lillet
Go to Recipe

Lillet is a wine-based French aperitif flavored with orange peel and quinine. The rare rouge (red) variety is sweeter than the more widely available blanc (white).

Cocktail: The Seville, prepared with Lillet Blanc and fino sherry.

5 of 10

6 of 10

FB Tweet
Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print

Maraschino liqueur

Maraschino liqueur
Go to Recipe

Maraschino liqueur is a clear Italian liqueur, the best of which is made from bittersweet marasca cherries and their pits, aged in ash barrels and sweetened with sugar.

Cocktail: Mark's Sidecar, by Mark Mendoza of L.A.'s Sona; "This sidecar is the Domaine de la Romanée-Conti of cocktails," he says.

6 of 10

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

7 of 10

FB Tweet
Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print

Mezcal

Mezcal
Go to Recipe

Mezcal is an agave-based spirit with a smoky flavor that comes from roasting agave hearts in fire pits before fermentation. The best mezcal is made in Mexico 's Oaxaca region.

Cocktail: The fruity El Gusano Rojo, made with mezcal, passion fruit nectar and ginger beer.

Plus: Mezcal Missionary Ron Cooper

7 of 10

8 of 10

FB Tweet
Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print

St-Germain

Manzarita
Go to Recipe

St-Germain elderflower liqueur is a French brand of lightly floral liqueur with hints of pear, peach and grapefruit zest. It's made from macerated elderflower blossoms and eau-de-vie (grape spirit).

Cocktail: The St-German-accented Manzarita gets it autumnal feel from apple juice and cinnamon.

8 of 10

9 of 10

FB Tweet
Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print

Sherry

Sherry
Go to Recipe

Sherry is a fortified wine from Spain's Jerez region. Varieties include dry styles like fino and manzanilla; nuttier, richer amontillados and olorosos; and viscous sweet versions such as cream sherry. Sweet, nutty East India sherry falls somewhere between an oloroso and a cream sherry in style.

Cocktail: The Sherry Cocktail is a sherry-spiked riff on a brandy sour.

9 of 10

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

10 of 10

FB Tweet
Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print

Vermouth

Vermouth
Go to Recipe

Vermouth is an aromatic fortified wine. It can be white or red and ranges from dry (used in martinis) to very sweet (often served as an aperitif). Bianco vermouth is an aromatic, sweet Italian white vermouth traditionally served on the rocks.

Cocktail: This Martini, prepared with dry vermouth, was created by New York City star mixologist Jim Meehan.

Classic Cocktail Recipes

10 of 10

Replay gallery

Share the Gallery

Pinterest Facebook

Up Next

By Food & Wine

    Share the Gallery

    Pinterest Facebook
    Trending Videos
    Advertisement
    Skip slide summaries

    Everything in This Slideshow

    Advertisement

    View All

    1 of 10 Absinthe
    2 of 10 Aperol
    3 of 10 Bitters
    4 of 10 Cynar
    5 of 10 Lillet
    6 of 10 Maraschino liqueur
    7 of 10 Mezcal
    8 of 10 St-Germain
    9 of 10 Sherry
    10 of 10 Vermouth

    Share & More

    Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print
    Food & Wine

    Magazines & More

    Learn More

    • Subscribe this link opens in a new tab
    • Books from Food & Wine
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise
    • Content Licensing
    • Accolades this link opens in a new tab

    Connect

    Follow Us
    Subscribe to Our Newsletter
    Sign Up
    MeredithFood & Wine is part of the Meredith Corporation Allrecipes Food Group. © Copyright 2022 Meredith Corporation. All Rights Reserved. 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 Food & Wine. All rights reserved. Printed from https://www.foodandwine.com

    Sign in

    View image

    Top 10 Spirits Buzz Words to Up Your Spirits Cred
    this link is to an external site that may or may not meet accessibility guidelines.