HOTEL • RESTAURANT • BAR
CRASH COURSE
This is intended to be a quick overview of the spirits we sell, begining with some basics. It is by no means exhaustive, but should answer some of the most frequently asked questions.
WHISKEY / WHISKY
Whiskey is a general term for an alcoholic liquor made from fermented mashed grains.
If spelled WHISKEY it's from the US or Ireland.
If spelled WHISKY, it's from anywhere else.
BOURBON
Bourbon is a whiskey made from at least 51% corn,
aged in new charred oak barrels, and produced ONLY in the United States.
It's traditionally made in Kentucky but, despite what some purists claim, it CAN come from other states.
SCOTCH
Scotch is a whisky produced ONLY in Scotland.
Blended Scotch uses whiskies from multiple distileries and grain profiles to produce uniform and balanced flavors.
Single Malt Scotch refers to Scotch made entirely of malted barley that's the product of a single
distillery.
Many peopole mistake Single Malt to mean Scotch that comes from a single barrel, but this is false;
what they're really referring to is known as Single Cask, and even in that instance the SINGLE refers to
combining whiskies from a SINGLE TYPE of cask. True single cask/barrel is rare and relatively expensive.
TENNESSEE WHISKEY
Tennessee Whiskey is bourbon that must be made in Tennessee and is maple charcoal filtered, lending to it's sweeter bite.
CANADIAN WHISKY
Canadian Whisky must be produced in Canada, age for a minimum of 3 years, and meet the minimum requirement of 40% ABV.
RYE WHISKEY
Rye Whiskey contains at least 51% rye, can contain other grains but never any additives other than water, and must be aged at least 2 years in new charred oak barrels.
BRANDY / COGNAC
Brandy is NOT a whiskey; it is a completely separate spirit made from distilled wine or other fermented fruit juices. No grains involved.
Cognac is brandy made specifically from white grapes in the Cognac region of France.
Both brandy and cognac have designations which denote their age:
VS: Very Special - aged 2 years
VSOP: Very Superior Old Pale - aged 4 years
XO: Extra Old - aged 10 years
VODKA
Vodka is a neutral tasting unaged distilled spirit. It can be made from a wide range of ingredients like potatoes,
or grains such as corn and wheat. Often charcoal filtered to create a clear and sometimes better tasting product.
RUM
Rum is a liquor distilled from either pure sugarcane, syrup, or molasses which lends to it's typically sweeter flavor profile.
Rum can come in a variety of colors and ages, spanning white (clear), gold, and dark. White rum is aged for a minimum of 1 year and filtered
to remove any color, producing a mild flavor and a lighter body compared to other aged rums.
MEZCAL / TEQUILA
Mezcal is an agave based spirit where the agave hearts are fire roasted to
produce a smokey flavor, and aged in oak barrels.
Tequila is a type of mezcal made using only the blue agave plant, unroasted, aged in oak barrels.
Tequila has designations which denote it's age:
Blanco/Silver: aged 2 months or less
Reposado: aged 2 months to 1 year
Anejo: aged 1 to 3 years
VODKA
WHISKEY
TEQUILA
RUM
CRASH COURSE
This is intended to be a quick overview of the spirits we sell, begining with some basics. It is by no means exhaustive, but should answer some of the most frequently asked questions.
Whiskey is a general term for an alcoholic liquor made from fermented mashed grains.
If spelled WHISKEY it's from the US or Ireland.
If spelled WHISKY, it's from anywhere else.
Bourbon is a whiskey made from at least 51% corn,
aged in new charred oak barrels, and produced ONLY in the United States.
It's traditionally made in Kentucky but, despite what some purists claim, it CAN come from other states.
Scotch is a whisky produced ONLY in Scotland.
Blended Scotch uses whiskies from multiple distileries and grain profiles to produce uniform and balanced flavors.
Single Malt Scotch refers to Scotch made entirely of malted barley that's the product of a single
distillery.
Many peopole mistake Single Malt to mean Scotch that comes from a single barrel, but this is false;
what they're really referring to is known as Single Cask, and even in that instance the SINGLE refers to
combining whiskies from a SINGLE TYPE of cask. True single cask/barrel is rare and relatively expensive.
Tennessee Whiskey is bourbon that must be made in Tennessee and is maple charcoal filtered, lending to it's sweeter bite.
Canadian Whisky must be produced in Canada, age for a minimum of 3 years, and meet the minimum requirement of 40% ABV.
Rye Whiskey contains at least 51% rye, can contain other grains but never any additives other than water, and must be aged at least 2 years in new charred oak barrels.
Brandy is NOT a whiskey; it is a completely separate spirit made from distilled wine or other fermented fruit juices. No grains involved.
Cognac is brandy made specifically from white grapes in the Cognac region of France.
Both brandy and cognac have designations which denote their age:
VS: Very Special - aged 2 years
VSOP: Very Superior Old Pale - aged 4 years
XO: Extra Old - aged 10 years
Vodka is a neutral tasting unaged distilled spirit. It can be made from a wide range of ingredients like potatoes,
or grains such as corn and wheat. Often charcoal filtered to create a clear and sometimes better tasting product.
Rum is a liquor distilled from either pure sugarcane, syrup, or molasses which lends to it's typically sweeter flavor profile.
Rum can come in a variety of colors and ages, spanning white (clear), gold, and dark. White rum is aged for a minimum of 1 year and filtered
to remove any color, producing a mild flavor and a lighter body compared to other aged rums.
Mezcal is an agave based spirit where the agave hearts are fire roasted to
produce a smokey flavor, and aged in oak barrels.
Tequila is a type of mezcal made using only the blue agave plant, unroasted, aged in oak barrels.
Tequila has designations which denote it's age:
Blanco/Silver: aged 2 months or less
Reposado: aged 2 months to 1 year
Anejo: aged 1 to 3 years