The difference between liquor and liqueur


To entry-level bartenders and consumers alike, the terms “liquor” and “liqueur” seem confusingly similar. To make matters worse, they do have a lot in common: both are common bar ingredients, and you can buy both at liquor stores. These similar-sounding words are often a source of confusion, so to clarify matters, let’s skip straight to the heated comparison between the two of them.

Liquor is an alcoholic beverage, usually made from grains or other plants after fermentation and distillation. The six most common liquors are whiskey, vodka, rum, gin, tequila, and brandy, but there are several others. The main difference between beer and wine or liquor is the distillation process. In order to be considered a spirit, liquors must be alcoholic and distilled. (So beer and wine don’t count.) Technically, liquors should not be sweetened – although you will sometimes see small amounts of sugar added to some white spirits, especially rum. In addition, liquors are relatively high-proof. 

Especially recently, we’ve seen a lot of new flavored liquors entering the market — like cupcake-flavored vodka, flavored brandy, or cinnamon-flavored whiskey. Almost without exception, when spices are added to spirits, a considerable amount of sugar is also added. These are still considered “liquors” because of their high alcohol content, but their overwhelming sweetness arguably puts them in the “liqueur” category as well.

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750ml Vodka Glass Bottle

glass liquor bottle

750ml Moonshine Glass Bottle

custom liquor bottles

700ml XO Brandy Glass Bottle

The liqueur is also a type of spirit found in distilled spirits, however, there is a fine line between liquor and liqueur, and that is taste. The taste of liqueur is sweet and includes different flavors and different oils.

When comparing the alcohol content of liquors and liqueurs, it was considered that all beverages containing more than 35% alcohol were considered white spirits, while all beverages containing less than 35% alcohol were considered liqueurs.

Liqueurs can be served with ice or as part of a cocktail, which may sometimes include coffee or cream. Different liqueurs are often used for layering, where different colors of liqueurs are poured in such a way that one floats on top of the other, forming layers. This happens because each of the liqueurs chosen has a different density, which allows them to float separately. Liqueurs are also often consumed with or after desserts, such as kirsch. They are also commonly used in cooking, often in wine-based sauces or in stews.

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