Alcohol information

Have you ever looked at a cocktail recipe and not recognised some of the ingredients? Is it a mixer? Is it alcohol? WHAT IS IT? Here’s an alcohol information bomb for you.

I do this all the time when looking at cocktail menus, and sometimes it puts me off trying a new cocktail. Will I like it? How strong will it be? Will its flavour overpower the rest of the ingredients?

Just a disclaimer: these guides don’t cover what alcohol is in general. They’re about specific types of alcohol that may not be that common. You’ve probably heard of a lot of these brands, but how much do you actually know about them?

Yeah, blue curaçao has probably been in every blue cocktail you’ve ever had, but what is it actually made of? There’s a guide below that covers that. You get the idea.

If you want to know more about alcohol in general, Wikipedia has a really great entry about it. Otherwise, let’s dive into our guides, and there are more to come!

Alcohol information guides

What’s in the bottle, what it tastes like and how to use it in cocktails.

What is gold rum?
Aged rum with a smoother, richer flavour than white rum.
What is peach schnapps?
A sweet peach liqueur and the key to a Sex on the Beach.
What is sloe gin?
A ruby-red liqueur made by steeping sloe berries in gin.
What is blue curacao?
An orange liqueur coloured bright blue, as used in a Blue Lagoon.
What is triple sec?
A clear orange liqueur used in Margaritas and Cosmopolitans.
What is Campari?
A bitter Italian aperitif best known for the Negroni.