White Rum

In the making of Rum, the produce of the fermentation and distillation process of molasses is a transparent spirit, which is then aged in vats or barrels and the end result of the ageing is Rum.

White Rum differs from Dark Rum in this process of ageing, while to produce a Dark Rum, the distillate is aged in a large charred oak barrel, White Rum is aged in big stainless still barrels.

There are no legal categorisatoin of Rums and it's just a matter of practice that dark rum is used in cooking or is drunk straight or with a Cola , white rums are mostly used in cocktails.

Amaretto

Amaretto is a liqueur, a sweet Italian liqueur that originated in Saronno. There are different brands and each have their slight variations and ingredients vary from apricot kernel, bitter almonds, peach stones or almonds, all these are natural sources of the benzaldehyde that brings the almond flavour to the liqueur. Amaretto usually contains a 21% to 48% Alcohol by Volume.

Amaretto liqueur can be drunk straight or used as an ingredient in mixed drinks, or with coffee.

The name Amaretto originated from the Italian word amaro, meaning bitter. Amaretto's bitterness is derived from the drupe kernel and although the bitterness of Amaretto tends to be mild, sweeteners and at time sweet almonds are added to enhance the flavour of the final product.

Gin

Gin is a distilled alcoholic beverage that has it's origin in medicinal liquor made by monks and alchemists across Europe. The historical Gin producing regions are Southern France, Flanders and Netherlands. Gin was originally created to provide aqua vitae from grape and grain distillates.

During the Middle ages, the newly found substance Ethanol was considered by Alchemists to be the water of life, and an aqueous solution of ethanol was in use all over Europe and had different names and is literally the origin of many spirits like Whisky ( from the Gaelic uisce beatha for water of life ). Today Gin is produces from a wide range of ingredients, which gave rise to numerous distinct styles and brands. The predominant flavour of Gin is from the Juniper berries and then each different distillery flavours it further with an assortment of botanicas or herbs, spices, floral and fruit flavours, in different combinations. Gin is commonly drank mixed with Tonic water but it is also often used as a base spirit for many gin based flavoured liqueurs like Sloe Gin.

Raspberry Liqueur

Raspberry Liqueur is what a liqueur is, a neutral liquor, wine or gin with added flavours and sweetness from fruits, herbs and other ingredients.

In Raspeberry Liqueur, raspberries are macerated with sugar in vodka, and vanilla pods are often added for a wider flavour profile, alcohol and sugar draw out the fruit's natural juices and essential oils into the spirit.

Few popular raspberry liqueur brands would be

• 1. Chambord Black Raspberry Liqueur.
• 2. Bols Black Raspberry Liqueur.
• 3. Giffard Framboise Liqueur.
• 4. St George's Raspberry Liqueur.
• 5. Mathilde Framboise Liqueur.

Peach Schnapps

Peach Schnapps is a type of Schnapps with a peach flavour, made by adding flavour to clear grain spirit. It was introduced by DeKuyper in 1984, and quickly became the top selling Schnapps in America. The favour is intense and that makes it a favourite mixer in cocktails. These heavily sweetened alcoholic beverages are bottled with an alcohol content that varies between 15% and 40% ABV.

Although Peach Schnapps like other Schnapps are mostly used as flavorings and mixers in cocktails, they can definitely be enjoyed straight, and a Peach Schnapps is typically a summer or spring drink.

Peach Schnapps is usually mixed with orange juice or white lemonade, but are often used as mixers in cocktails with other primary base alcohol.

Peach Schnapps is the most favourite Schapps in the UK.

Southern Comfort

Southern Comfort is an American, fruit flavoured whiskey liqueur. Originally created by bartender Martin Wilkes Heron in New Orleans in 1874, the brand has gone through closure during the Prohibitions and transitions and transfer of ownership.

Spirit Historian Chris Morris describes the original recipe of Southern Comfort in an episode of The Thirsty Traveler titled "A River of Whiskey"

Heron began with good-quality bourbon and would add: An inch [2.5 cm] of vanilla bean, about a quarter of a lemon, half of a cinnamon stick, four cloves, a few cherries, and an orange bit or two. He would let this soak for days. And right when he was ready to finish, he would add his sweetener: he liked to use honey. - Wikipedia

In the United States, Southern Comfort is available as 42 US proof (21% ABV), 70 US proof (35% ABV), 100 US proof (50% ABV), and 60 US proof (30% ABV) in Australia. Varieties including additional flavorings, such as lime and caramel, were introduced by Brown–Forman in the latter years of their ownership. These were discontinued by Sazerac - Wikipedia

Gold Tequila

Tequila is a distilled beverage, made only from a specific cultivar of Agave Tequilana called 'Weber Azul' or Blue Agave, native to the states of Jalisco, Colima, Nayarit and Aguascalientes in Mexico. The Blue Agave grows above an altitude of 1500 m and are juicy succulents with spiky fleshy leaves.

Tequila is made around the city of Tequila 40 miles northwest of Guadaljara, and in the Jaliscan Highlands of Central Western Mexico. Mexican laws state that Tequila can only be produces in the state of Jalisco and a few limited municipalities in the other Blue Agave growing regions.

Tequila is 35% to 55% Alcohol by Volume (70 and 110 U.S. proof), it must be at least 40% ABV to be sold as Tequila in the USA.

Tequila is a distilled derivative of the pre-Columbian fermented beverage called pulque, made from the Agave plant. When the Spanish conquistadors ran out of their brandy, they started distilling Agave to produce a distilled spirit. This by 1600s was what Don Pedro Sánchez de Tagle, the Marquis of Altamira, began mass-producing in his distillery near modern day Jalisco and came to be known as Tequila.

Triple Sec

Triple-Sec is an Orange flavoured liqueur from France. It is made by macerating sun dried orange peel in alcohol for a day or more before a three step distillation. Triple Sec has a 15% to 40% ABV.

The Triple Sec name refers to the process of distillation. Sec in French means dry or distilled and triple refers to the triple distillation process.

It's been a popular liqueur for more than 150 years, the Dutch East India Company created orange liqueurs by steeping orange peels in alcohol from the island of Curaçao and called it Curaçao liquor, and unlike Triple Sec, the Dutch added spices and herbs to the orange and Curaçao comes in a variety of colours such as clear, orange or blue. Blue Curaçao being the most used of them, in cocktails. Triple Sec is made from neutral spirits and the Orange peel used is harvested from oranges that have the skin still green, so that the essential oils are still in the skin and has not been absorbed into the flesh. This gives Triple Sec the intense flavour.

Vodka

Vodka is an European clear distilled alcoholic drink that has been one of the most popular drinks across the world .

You'll find it to be the most popular spirit in drink making because of it's neutral taste and absence of flavour and colour.

Vodka often replaces Gin in many traditional cocktails

Vodka is known to be good for the heart, and if consumed in moderation, can prove to be good for cardiovascular health

Note that these days there are flavoured Vodka available in the market too, and some cocktails do make use of them.

Cranberry Juice

Cranberry Juice is rich in Vitamin C and antioxidants, the compounds that fight free radicals and kills harmful bacteria. Cranberry juice is a home remedy for Urinary Tract Infection.
Pure Cranberry Juice is sour and bitter with very low sugar in it, and thus fortified Cranberry Juice is used for consumption and sugar is added to it for taste. The resulting juice tart and sweet and with a pH of 2.6 it is quite acidic and is an excellent substitute for Red Wine.

Orange Juice

Orange Juice is an excellent source of Vitamin C, one cup contains twice the daily recommended value. Vitamin C supports the immune system and helps fighting the common cold. The folate in Orange juice supports healthy fetal development. It is low calory and thus is already a qualified alternative to cola fizz in your cocktail if you want to keep your drinks acceptably healthy.

Orange Juice being citrus and naturally sweet and sour, it literally goes with almost any liquor, and of course Vodka being neutral, the best known pairing is with Vodka. But goes well with Dark Rum too, and you get the Planter's Punch, mix it with Champagne and you have made a mimosa, or with tequila to make a tequila sunrise.

Pineapple Juice

Rich in antioxidants, this juice pressed from the pulp of the Pineapple is a good protection against cell degeneration, It contains bromelain, a group of enzymes known to reduce inflammation, improve digestion and boost immunity. In drink mixing, there is nothing like the tropical flavour of pineapple juice to add that tropical freshness and nuance to a cocktail.

In drink mixing pineapple having a fruity tropical aroma pineapple juice is a good companion for tropical fruits such as mango, banana, passion fruit, and also pairs well with oranges and grapefruit juice.

Pineapple juice is the juice pressed out of the pulp of the pineapple fruit, several varieties of pineapple are used to manufacture commercial pineapple juice. High on Vitamin C and enzymes that have been shown to activate healthy immune response, it’s a good juice to start a day. The enzyme bromelain in pineapple juice, triggers analgesic response in the body to fight pain and reduce swelling. In cocktails, Pineapple juice goes best with Vodka and is often a regular juice in many Vodka cocktails.

Sour Mix

Sweet and Sour Mix, also Whiskey Sour Mix or Margarita Mix or Daiquiri Mix is a versatile mix in many cocktails.
This is a yellowish-green coloured concoction, with equal portion of lemon or lime juice with a simple syrup. When this mix is shaken vigorously with ice it produces a pearly-white liquid mixture ready for your cocktail.

Sweet and Sour Mix, also Whiskey Sour Mix or Margarita Mix or Daiquiri Mix is a versatile mix in many cocktails.
This is a yellowish-green coloured concoction, with equal portion of lemon or lime juice with a simple syrup. When this mix is shaken vigorously with ice it produces a pearly-white liquid mixture ready for your cocktail.

Oranges 1 slice

Ice is so obvious in most drinks, be it a straight drink or a mixed drink, that we often forget it's importance or even reason behind using a crystal clear good quality ice in a glass of whisky, or crushed ice in a tall glass to enjoy a cocktail.

Ice tempers a hard liquor, and as is in the case of whisky for example, if you prefer the flavours of whisky reach your nose without the hard note of spirit lingering around, or want to avoid the mild sting of a neat whisky, a cube of ice mellows the strength down a little and as it melts slowly, the aroma and flavour is released from the whisky slowly and makes whisky progressively weak, lingering and palatable.

Ice in Vodka helps release the little flavour a Vodka has, slowly, instead of letting the Vodka hit your nose all at once,

In mixed drinks, ice plays an important role in creating the perfect temperature a certain drink requires and bartenders use ice in several different ways, crushed ice for long drinks that will allow the cocktail to slowly water down like a Mint Julep, Moscow Mule, Rum Swizzle, Sherry Cobbler and other Tiki drinks, a large block or cubes of ice for drinks that are spirit heavy, such as the Old Fashioned, Negroni, and Manhattan