Every Major Spirit Category and Its Base Ingredient [Infographic]

Although cask aging, different types of stills, blending, and numerous other factors dictate the profile and quality of a finished spirit, the creation of any alcoholic beverage begins with fermentation. Some form of sugar in the base liquid is exposed to yeast, which converts those sugars into ethanol.

Sugars are simple carbohydrates that can be found in everything from fruits and potatoes to various plants and cereal grains. And the type of base ingredients distillers use varies from spirit to spirit. In some categories, like bourbon, there are strict laws in place that govern what ingredients and the ratios thereof can be used to produce the whiskey. Others, like vodka, have relatively loose rules around their production, and can be produced with virtually anything under the sun.

Given how confusing these rules, regulations, and traditions can be, we’ve put together the following infographic that breaks down the base ingredient(s) in every major spirit category.

Tequila

Blue Weber Agave

Tequila can only be produced with the sugars found in the Blue Weber agave plant, also known as Agave Tequilana. Agave is a type of succulent plant native to arid regions of the Americas, and Blue Weber takes five to seven years to fully mature. To make tequila, the plant’s core, or piña, is cooked and shredded, after which the extracted juices are fermented and distilled. By law, tequila must hail from one of five specific Mexican states: Jalisco, Guanajuato, Michoacán, Nayarit, and Tamaulipas. Producers that still use tahonas to crush their agave often ferment some of the shredded piña fibers along with the extracted juices, but most modern distillers just ferment the juice by itself — especially those that use roller mills to process their piñas.

Mezcal

Any Variety of Agave

Mezcal can technically be produced with any agave variety found in nine specific states throughout Mexico, but only about 40 types of agave are actually used to produce the spirit. Blue Weber agave is among those varieties, meaning that all tequila is mezcal, but not all mezcal is tequila. The vast majority of mezcal production takes place in Oaxaca using Espadín agave, which like Blue Weber, is a member of the Agave angustifolia (Caribbean agave) species. These agaves are less fibrous than most varieties, making them easier to crush after the piñas have been cooked.

The maturation times of different mezcal-producing agave varieties vary greatly, with some taking as long as 25 years to grow before they’re ready for harvesting. A few varieties, like Espadín, are widely cultivated around Mexico. Others, like Cuishe, are currently only harvested out in the wild.

Bourbon

Main Grain: Corn
Supporting Grains: Rye, Barley, Wheat, and Other Grains

By law bourbon must contain a mash bill of at least 51 percent corn, and the remainder commonly consists of any varying ratio of rye, barley, and wheat. However, distillers are at liberty to add other grains like millet, rice, and oats to their bourbons.

Given that corn contains a relatively high quantity of fermentable sugars, bourbon tends to be sweeter than most other whiskeys. Bourbon can be produced anywhere in the U.S., but must be aged in charred new oak barrels and bottled between 40 and 80 percent ABV.

Rye Whiskey

Main Grain: Rye
Supporting Grains: Corn, Barley, and Other Grains

Rye whiskey’s key ingredient is right in the name. It must contain a mash bill of at least 51 percent rye grain, and the rest is usually a combination of corn and barley. As is the case with bourbon, distillers are also free to use other grains in their rye mash bills as well.

The large portion of rye grain gives the spirit its signature spicy, herbaceous profile. And just like bourbon, it must be made in the U.S., aged in charred new oak barrels, and bottled between 40 and 80 percent ABV.

Irish Whiskey

Main Grain: Malted Barley
Supporting Grains: Unmalted Barley and Unmalted Cereal Grains

There are a variety of substyles within the Irish whiskey category. All types — malt, grain, blended, and pot still Irish whiskeys — must contain malted barley to varying degrees. While Irish malt whiskey must have a mash bill of 100 percent malted barley, Irish grain whiskey can contain no more than 30 percent malted barley in its build, with the remainder consisting of unmalted cereal grains. Pot still Irish whiskeys need to have a mash bill of at least 30 percent malted barley, 30 percent unmalted barley, and other unmalted cereal grains can only make up a maximum of 5 percent of their mash bills. Lastly, blended Irish whiskey is defined as a mixture of two or more malt, grain, pot still whiskeys, or any combination of the three.

Scotch Whisky

Main Grain: Malted Barley (Peated or Unpeated)
Supporting Grains: Any Malted or Unmalted Cereal Grains

Single malt Scotch is made with nothing more than water, yeast, and malted barley — which can be either peated or unpeated. However, when considering blended or single grain Scotch, the rules change slightly. Single grain Scotches can be crafted with any malted or unmalted cereal grains, including barley, rye, corn, wheat, or any combination thereof. Blended Scotch, as the name suggests, is a blend of at least one single malt whisky with at least one single grain whisky. There are also two subcategories under the blended Scotch umbrella. Blended malt Scotch is a mix of two or more single malt whiskies from different distilleries without any single grain components. Likewise, blended grain Scotch is a combination of two or more single grain whiskies from different distilleries.

Japanese Whisky

Main Grain: Malted Barley
Supporting Grains: Corn, Rye, Rice, and Other Cereal Grains

Japanese whisky production is largely inspired by that of Scotch, hence the absence of the “e” in “whisky.” The majority of Japanese whisky is produced with malted barley, both peated and unpeated, imported directly from Scotland. But in Japan, the rules governing mash bills are much looser. As long as some amount of malted grain is in the mix, distillers are free to use other cereal grains like corn, rye, and rice as well. Although Scotch producers can share distillates with other brands, every Japanese whisky must be produced by only one company, even if it’s a blend.

Vodka

Most Commonly Wheat, Rye, Potatoes, and Grapes

Vodka is like the Wild West of spirits categories. The liquor can be produced with any agricultural product containing sugar or starch as long as it’s distilled at or above 95 percent ABV and bottled at a minimum of 80 proof. More often than not, brands use grains like wheat, corn, rye, or rice, but others are a bit more adventurous with their base ingredient choices. Chopin produces its vodka with potatoes. Cîroc vodka is distilled with grapes. And some even use more obscure ingredients, like Greek olives or whey protein.

Gin

Any Malts or Grains, but Most Commonly Barley or Corn

Gin is typically made with a grain mash of barley or corn, but it can technically be produced with any sort of mash to yield a neutral spirit. While the choice of malts and/or grains subtly impacts a gin’s overall profile, its flavor mostly stems from its botanical build. The inclusion of juniper berries is mandatory, but distillers can add any other botanicals or aromatics as well. Some brands infuse locally foraged herbs into their gins, while others use fruits and flowers. To infuse botanicals into a gin, distillers can use one of two methods. They can steep or boil them directly in the base liquor, or they can suspend the botanicals above the spirit and draw out their flavors and aromas through vapor infusion.

Brandy

Any Fruit, but Most Often Grapes

Brandy is an umbrella category encompassing the regionally protected spirits Cognac and Armagnac, as well as any aged liquor distilled from fruit. However, any brandy that isn’t distilled from grapes must include the fruit it’s made from on its label. There’s Calvados, an apple and/or pear brandy from France’s Normandy region. There’s also peach, cherry, and standalone pear brandies. All grape brandy must be aged in oak for a minimum of two years, but any other fruit-based distillates become brandy the moment they touch a barrel. Any unaged brandy is considered an eau-de-vie (French for “water of life”).

Cognac

White Wine Grapes From the Cognac Region of France

Cognac is a type of brandy that hails from the Cognac region in western France, located north of Bordeaux. To make it, distillers produce a base wine with either Ugni Blanc, Colombard, Folle Blanche, Sémillon, Montils, or Folignan grapes, or any combination thereof. All of these white wine grapes are low in sugar and high in acidity. After two rounds of copper pot distillation, the resulting eau de vie must be aged for at least two years in French oak barrels. Although most Cognac is crafted with a base of just Ugni Blanc grapes, many Cognacs consist of a blend of multiple eaux de vie.

Rum

Sugar Cane Molasses or Sugar Cane Juice

Rum is one of the most diverse spirits categories out there. It can be aged, unaged, blended, or spiced, but all rum must be distilled from sugar, often in the form of sugar cane juice or molasses. While rum can be made anywhere in the world, it commonly hails from places where sugar cane is a native agricultural product, like Jamaica, Martinique, Barbados, Puerto Rico, or Haiti. Depending on the base, country of origin, and production techniques, rum can taste fruit-forward, funky, floral, vegetal, oaky, or spicy.

*Image retrieved from Ivan Kmit via stock.adobe.com

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