Types of Alcohol

     Alcohol is one of the most widely used recreational drugs in the world. For instance, in 2015, among Americans, 89% of adults had consumed alcohol at some point, 70% had drunk it in the last year, and 56% in the last month. Alcoholic drinks are typically divided into seven classes—whiskey,rum,vodka,beer,tequila,brandy and gin.

1.Whiskey

Scotch whiskies are generally distilled twice, though some are distilled a third time. Laws in many countries require anything bearing the label "Scotch" to be distilled in Scotland and matured for a minimum of three years in oak casks. Whiskies do not mature in the bottle, only in the cask, so the "age" of a scotch is the time between distillation and bottling. This reflects how much the cask has interacted with the whisky, changing its chemical makeup and taste. If Scotch whisky is from more than one cask, and if it includes an age statement on the bottle, it must reflect the age of the youngest whisky in the blend. 

2.Rum

The production of rum dates back to the seventeenth century. It is distilled from either fermented sugarcane-juice or fermented molasses, and can be nearly colorless and faintly aromatic with a light body, or dark brown with a heavy body, flavorful and having a rich aroma.

Most of the world's rum comes from the Caribbean. Puerto Rico is home of the white or silver rum which is clear and light in body and flavor. Puerto Rican golden and amber rums have a deeper color and flavor, while Jamaican and Cuban rums are rich and full-bodied.

The distillation process decides the flavor and aroma of the rum, with continuous- or patent-still distillation giving a light-bodied rum, and the traditional pot still a richer and heavy-bodied rum. Some rums are given additional flavor by the addition of herbs, spices or fruits.

The color of the rum depends on how the rum is aged. Most rum is aged in charred oak casks giving it a brownish or yellowish color, frequently enhanced with caramel, while rum aged in steel tanks remains colorless.

In bartending, rum is one of the most important liquors. It is used in a variety of classic cocktails including the Cuba Libre, Mai Tai, Daiquiri and Piña Colada. It can also be served neat (straight) or on the rocks.

3.Vodka

Vodka is purified by distillation from a fermented substance such as grain or molasses, and it usually has an alcohol content of 35% to 50% by volume (70 - 100º proof). Vodka consists primarily of water and alcohol (ethanol), and sometimes various flavorings.

4.Beer

Beer is a beverage fermented from grain mash. It is made from barley or a blend of several grains. If the fermented mash is distilled, then the drink is a spirit. Beer is the most consumed alcoholic beverage in the world.

5.Tequila 

Tequila is a spirit made primarily in the area surrounding Tequila, a town in Mexico. It is made from the Tequila agave - the blue agave. Tequila is most often made at a 38–40% alcohol content (76–80º proof), but there are also several varieties of Tequila produced with 43–46% alcohol content (86–92º proof).Many people prefer the simpler but more vegetal taste of blanco (un-aged and clear colored, also known as silver or platinum) tequilas for cocktails, but slightly aged reposado tequilas may do equally well, so experiment. However, anejo tequilas (aged longer in a series of different barrels) are almost always very complex and subtle, and should be drunk neat or on the rocks, as mixing them would mask much of their interest and be a waste.

6.Brandy

Brandy (short for 'brandywine', from Dutch brandewijn—'burnt wine') is a general term for distilled wine. In addition to wine, this spirit can also be made from grape pomace or fermented fruit juice. Unless specified otherwise, brandy is made from grape wine. It is normally consumed as an after-dinner drink. Brandy made from wine is often colored with caramel coloring to imitate the effect of long aging in wooden casks; pomace and fruit brandies are generally drunk un-aged, and are not usually colored. Cognac is the most highly regarded spirit in this category.

7.Gin

Gin is a spirit, or strong alcoholic beverage. It is made from the distillation of white grain spirit and juniper berries, which provide its distinctive flavor. The taste of ordinary gin is very dry, and as such it is frequently mixed with other beverages. It should not be confused with sloe gin, a sweet liqueur traditionally made from sloes (the fruit of the blackthorn) infused in gin.