Bourbon is American whiskey made from a mash of at least 51% corn, distilled at 160 proof or less and stored in charred new oak barrels at 125 proof or less. Put “straight” on the label and it needs at least two years in those barrels.

Rye follows the same US rules as bourbon, but the mash flips to at least 51% rye instead of corn. Same charred new oak, same proof limits, so the grain is the big difference.

Tennessee whiskey has to be made in Tennessee from at least 51% corn and aged in new charred oak there, much like bourbon. What sets it apart is the Lincoln County Process: by state law it’s filtered through maple charcoal before it goes into the barrel.

Scotch has to be distilled and matured in Scotland, in oak casks no bigger than 700 litres, for at least three years, and bottled at 40% or more. Single malt means malted barley only, from one distillery, in pot stills.

Canadian whisky has to be mashed, distilled and aged in Canada, spending at least three years in small wood, and bottled at 40% or more. Canada’s rules also allow flavouring, which the Scotch and US straight rules don’t.

Since 2021, Japan’s spirits makers’ association says “Japanese whisky” means malted grain is always used, and it’s mashed, fermented and distilled in Japan with Japanese water. It’s then aged at least three years in wooden casks of 700 litres or less and bottled in Japan at 40% or more. It’s an industry standard members follow rather than a national law.

Under the Irish Whiskey Act 1980, Irish whiskey is distilled from a cereal mash in Ireland or Northern Ireland and matured in wooden casks for at least three years. Unlike bourbon, it doesn’t call for new charred oak.

“American” is my catch-all for US whiskeys that aren’t bourbon, rye or Tennessee, like wheat, malt and blended whiskies. Wheat and malt whisky follow the same 51% grain and charred new oak rules as bourbon, just with a different grain.

London Dry is a method, not a place. Under EU rules every botanical has to go in during distillation, no colouring is allowed, and sweetening is capped at 0.1 g per litre.

Plymouth gin is the style historically made in Plymouth, England. It used to be a protected geographical indication in the EU, but that protection lapsed in 2015, so today it’s a historic style name more than a legal category.

Old Tom is the older, lightly sweetened style of gin. There’s no legal definition for it in US or EU rules, so how sweet it is depends on the producer.

Genever (jenever) is the juniper spirit of Belgium and the Netherlands, and gin’s ancestor. It’s a protected geographical indication, and it’s built on a malty grain distillate called moutwijn, which sets it apart from neutral-spirit gins.

New Western, or contemporary, gin is where juniper shares the stage with citrus, floral or other botanicals. It’s a style people talk about, not a legal category.

Navy Strength gin is bottled stronger, usually at about 57% ABV. It’s a traditional term with no legal definition in US or EU rules.

In the US, vodka is neutral spirits, meaning it’s distilled so it has no distinctive character, aroma or taste.

Flavored vodka is vodka with natural flavouring added.

White rum is clear, usually unaged or aged and filtered. It isn’t a legally defined type under US rules.

Gold rum sits in the middle. It isn’t a legally defined US type either.

Dark rum is the deepest in color. Again, it’s a style name, not a legal category under US rules.

Spiced rum is rum flavored with spices. There’s no legal definition for it as a rum type in US rules.

Aged rum has spent time in wood, and in the US an age on the label has to be accurate. Some places do set rules: in Martinique, rhum agricole labeled “vieux” needs at least three years in oak.

Rhum agricole is made from fresh sugarcane juice, not molasses. Martinique’s AOC sets the rules for theirs, which is what sets it apart from molasses-based rum.

Overproof rum is simply bottled well above the usual 40%. US rules set a 40% minimum for rum but there’s no legal definition of “overproof”.

Blanco is tequila the way it comes off the still, not aged in wood.

Reposado means “rested”: at least two months in direct contact with oak. It’s a short rest compared with añejo.

Añejo needs at least one year in oak containers of 600 litres or less. It’s a big step up from reposado’s two months.

Extra añejo is the longest class, at least three years in oak of 600 litres or less. It sits a full two years beyond añejo’s minimum.

Cognac comes from the Cognac region in France. It’s distilled twice in copper Charentais pot stills and aged at least two years in oak, which is also the minimum for VS.

Armagnac comes from Gascony. It’s usually distilled in a copper column still, though double pot distillation is allowed, and needs at least one year in oak, half of Cognac’s minimum.

Pisco is grape brandy from Peru and Chile, each with its own denomination of origin. Peruvian pisco is single distilled, with no water or anything else added, and rests at least three months in neutral containers, not wood. Chilean pisco comes from Atacama and Coquimbo and is allowed to be diluted with water.

Calvados is Normandy’s apple brandy, distilled from cider (and perry in some cases) and aged at least two years in oak. It’s the fruit brandy of the group, the others here are grape.

Aperitivo is the Italian habit of a bitter-sweet drink before dinner. There’s no legal definition for an aperitivo liqueur.

Amaro means “bitter” in Italian, and it’s a herbal bitter liqueur family. There’s no legal definition of amaro in the EU spirit rules.

Orange liqueurs, like triple sec and curaçao, are liqueurs flavored with orange. They follow the general EU liqueur rules, but the style names themselves aren’t defined.

Coffee liqueur is a liqueur flavored with coffee. It follows the general EU liqueur rules.

Herbal liqueurs are built on blends of herbs and other botanicals. It’s a descriptive group, not a legal category.

Under EU rules a vermouth can only be labeled “sweet” if it has at least 130 g of sugar per litre.

A “dry” vermouth has less than 50 g of sugar per litre in the EU, and “extra dry” less than 30 g. That’s a lot less sugar than sweet vermouth.

Blanc (or bianco) is a pale vermouth. The color name itself isn’t legally defined, so the label’s sugar term, if there is one, tells you more.