Absinthe -
Very strong, dry, bitter liqueur with a predominantly aniseed flavour.
Advocaat -
Thick, sweet, yellow egg yolk and grape brandy liqueur from Holland.
Almond - see Amandes (creme de) - Amaretto, Falernum, Noyau (creme de), Orgeat.
Amandes (creme de) -
Sweet almond liqueur.
Amaretto -
Sweet almond-flavoured liqueur made with apricot kernels.
Amer Picon -
French branded aperitif with a hint of orange and gentian.
Amontillado -
Medium sherry with a dark gold colour.
Angostura -
Rum based bitters used sparingly to flavour many mixed drinks.
Anis - Aniseed flavoured liqueur.
Anisette -
Sweetened aniseed liqueur.
Aperitif -
Pre-meal drink, taken with a view to whetting the appetite (Latin apeilre = to open(who cares?)).
Applejack -
Apple brandy, similar to Calvados.
Apricot brandy -
Apricot-flavoured liqueur.
Aquavit (or akvavit) -
Strong, colourless spirit flavoured with caraway and other ingredients.
Armagnae -
French grape brandy.
Aurum -
Italian orange-flavoured liqueur.
Bacardi -
Brand of white rum.
Banane -
(creme de) Banana liqueur.
Benedictine -
Liqueur formulated in 1510 by Benedictine monks, containing 27 flavourings extracted from fruit peels, herbs and roots.
Bitters -
General term for bitter essences used in many mixed drinks.
Bourbon -
Distinctive American whiskey made with grain - over half of which must be corn - and aged in charred oak barrels.
Brandy -
Spirit distilled from fruit - generally appliesto grape distillates.
Brut -
Dry champagne.
Byrrh -
French branded aperitif, dry with a hint of orange and quinine.
Cacao (creme de) -
Very sweet chocolate and vanilla flavoured liqueur, either colourless or dark brown.
Calvados -
Apple brandy from Normandy, France
which is known locally as le trou Norm and because, taken between courses, the drink burns a hole in the stomach, making room for the next course! (no not literally)
Campari -
Branded Italian aperitif, brilliant pink-red in colour, with a bittersweet flavour.
Cassis (creme de) -
Blackcurrant liqueur from the Burgundy region of France.
Cassis (sirop de) -
Non-alcoholic blackcurrant syrup.

Champagne - A sparkling wine produced in the Champagne region of France. The sparkle is achieved by a procedure called the method champenoise, a time consuming and expensive business which Influences the price of champagne.
Champagne Cognac - French grape brandy from the cognac region of France.
Chartreuse -
Aromatic liqueur available in yellow or green. Green Chartreuse is said to contain 130 herbs and. spices and the formula is a closely guarded secret. The drink was invented by the Carthusian brotherhood of monks in the 16th century, and production is still presided over by monks.
Cheri Suisse -
Swiss chocolate and cherry liqueur.

Cherry Brandy -

Cherry-flavoured liqueur. Cinzano

Brand of Italian vermouth.
Coconut liqueur -
White rum flavoured with coconut essences eg. Cocoribe and Malibu.
Cognac -
French grape brandy from the Cognac region. To qualify as a Cognac, the liquor must be distilled twice and then aged in oak for a minimum of two years.
Cointreau -
Brand of triple-see curacao. A colourless orange-flavoured liqueur which comes in a distinctive dark brown, square-shaped bottle.
Curacao -
General term covering all orange-flavoured liqueurs. Triple-sec curacao is a colourless liquor flavoured with the peel of green oranges which grow on the West Indies island of Curao7ao. The liquor is sweetened and can be coloured orange, green and blue. The colour does not affect the flavour.
Digestif -
An after-dinner drink taken with a view to aiding the digestion.
Drambuie -
A distinguished whisky liqueur made from Highland malt whisky and heather honey.
Dubonnet -
French branded aperitif of the vermouth-type available in red or white varieties.
Falernum -
Almond-flavoured liqueur from Barbados.
Falernum -
syrup An almond, ginger and lime flavoured syrup, milky in colour.
Femet-Branca -
Bitter Italian digestif, popularly thought to be an efficacious hangover cure.
Fino -
A pale, dry sherry.
Forbidden Fruit -
Strong, sweet liqueur made with grapefruit, orange and honey.
Fraises (creme de) -
Strawberry-coloured and flavoured liqueur.
Fraises (sirop de) -
Non-alcoholic strawberry syrup.
Framboises (creme de) -
Raspberry liqueur.
Framboises (sirop de) -
Raspberry syrup.
Galliano -
An Italian liqueur with a golden colour, flavoured with herbs and a hint of vanilla.
Genever (or Jenever) -
Dutch gin.
Glen Mist -
A whisky based Scottish liqueur flavoured with herbs, spices and honey.
Gin -
Juniper-flavoured spirit. See London Dry gin.
Golden rum -
Spirit distilled from sugar cane and matured for three years in charred oak casks, with additional caramel. The liquor is a warm golden colour and it has a fuller flavour than white rum.
Gomme -
A sugar syrup used to sweeten many mixed drinks.
Grand Mairnier - A French orange curacao available in
two strengths, the yellow ribbon being less alcoholic than the red.
Grappa -
A fiery spirit distilled from the pips, stalks and skins of grapes.
Grenadine -
Pomegranate syrup with a distinctive orange-red colour.
Irish Mist -
Irish whiskey based liqueur flavoured with Irish heather honey and herbs.
Irish whiskey -
A distinctive spirit whose flavour is achieved by using subtle combinations of grain, and a triple distillation process.
Jamaican Rum -
A dark, full-bodied spirit distilled from sugar, aged in oak casks for five or more years and darkened with added caramel.
Kahlua -
A sweet coffee liqueur which originated in Mexico. Sin-War to the Jamaican Tia Maria.
Kirsch -
A French brandy distilled from cherries with a strong, dry flavour. German and Swiss versions are called Kirschwasser
Kummel -
A colourless distillate of grain or potato, sweetened and flavoured with caraway seeds.
Light rum -
A light-bodied white or golden rum.
Lillet -
French branded aperitif of the vermouth type, with a dry, delicate taste.
London Dry gin -
A neutral spirit which has been re distilled with juniper berries, coriander and a combination of ingredients collectively known as 'botanicals:
Madeira -
Fortified wine with a caramel flavour.
Malt whisky -
Scottish distillate of malted barley.
Mandarine
Napolieon -

Tangerine-flavoured liqueur.
Manzanilla -
Very dry, almost salty, sherry.
Maraschino -
A colourless liqueur made with Marasca cherries and their stones. The flavour is reminiscent of marzipan.
Menthe (creme de) -
Sweet mint liqueur available in green or white varieties. The colour makes no difference to the flavour.
Metaxa -
Greek brandy.
Noisettes (creme de) -
Hazelnut liqueur.
Noyau (creme de) -
Almond-flavoured pink or colourless liqueur made, not with almonds, but with peach and apricot kernels. (Noyau means fruit stone.)
Oloroso -
Sweet, dark sherry, the colour of caramel.
Orange Bitters -
A sharp, bitter, tangy essence used in minute quantities to give a hint of orange to several mixed drinks.
Orange liqueurs -
See Aurum, Cointreau, Curcao,Grand Marnier, Triple Sec.
Orgeat -
Non-alcoholic, almond-flavoured syrup.
Ouzo -
Colourless, aniseed flavoured liquor from Greece. Usually served with water and or ice, which turn the liquid a cloudy white.
Parfait Amour - Literally 'perfect love' this liqueur is either violet or pink, flavoured with flower petals, citrus oils and spices.
Pastis -
French liquorice-flavoured liqueur, caramel brown in colour. When water is added the liquid turns a pale, cloudy yellow.
Peach bitters -
Peach-flavoured bitter essence.
Pernod -
Famous French brand of Pastis.
Perrier -
Sparkling spring water.
Pimm's No. 1 Cup -
Gin, flavoured with a unique combination of herbs and liqueurs used as the base for a long, suininery drink.
Pisco -
South American muscat grape brandy.
Port -
Portuguese fortified wine of which ruby is a rich, crimson colour and tawny is tinged with brown.
White port, made with white grapes, is also available and drunk as an aperitif
Prunelle -
Brandy distilled from sloe berries.
Punt e Mes -
Brand of Italian vermouth, brownish-red in colour, with a bittersweet flavour.
Roses (creme de) -
Delicate, flowery liqueur flavoured with rose petals, citrus oils and vanilla.
Roses (sirop de) -
Non-alcoholic, rose-flavoured syrup.
Royal Mint Chocolate liqueur -
Sweet English liqueur flavoured with pepper mint and chocolate.
Rum -
A spirit which is distilled either from fermented
sugar-cane juice or from molasses. There are several varieties of rum which differ in colour and flavour.
Rye -
Distinctive whiskey from the United States made from grain, over half of which must be rye. The distillate is aged in charred oak barrels for at least a year.
Sake -
Japanese rice liquor which is traditionally served hot.
Sambuca -
Strong, sweet, liquorice-flavoured liqueur from Italy traditionally served flaming with two or three coffee beans floating on top. (Sambuca Negra is dark brown and flavoured with coffee.)
Scotch -
Generalised term for blended Scottish whisky. Sekt

German sparkling white wine.
Sherry - Wine, fortified with brandy, produced by a complicated method originally in Spain. The name 'sherry' applies to a similar drink now produced in many wine-growing countries. See Amontillado, Fino, Manzanilla, Oloroso.
Sloe gin -
Liqueur made by steeping sloe berries in gin.
Southern Comfort -
American whisky based liqueur flavoured with peaches.
Spumante -
Italian sparkling wine.
Strega -
Sweet, golden, Italian liqueur flavoured with more than 70 herbs, fruits and spices.
Swedish Punsch -
A potent blend of rum, aquavit, wine and syrup.
Tequila -
Spirit distilled from a cactus-like plant with spiky leaves indigenous to Mexico.
Tia Maria -
A Jamaican rum-based coffee liqueur similar in taste to Kahlua
Triple Sec -
White curacao.
Van der Hum -
South African tangerine-flavoured liqueur.
Vanille (creme de) -
Vanilla-flavoured liqueur.
Vermuouth -
Wine based aperitif of which there are many patented varieties, especially from Italy and France. Available in dry or sweet versions, and in red, white and, more recently, rose.
Violette (citine de) -
Scented liqueur made with violet petals.
Vodka -
Colourless grain distillate to which no flavourings are added.
Whisk(e)y -
Spirit distilled from grain. See Bourbon, Irish whiskey, Malt whisky, Rye, Scotch.
White rum -
Colourless, light-bodied rum of which Bacardi is a well-known brand.