Reference
Glossary
The vocabulary of the bar, defined in plain language. 66 terms.
A
- ABVIngredients & Pantry
- Alcohol by volume — the percentage of ethanol in a beverage, measured at 20 °C.
- AperitifIngredients & Pantry
- A light, often bitter drink taken before a meal to stimulate appetite.
- AperitivoIngredients & Pantry
- The Italian pre-meal drink ritual — lightly bitter, low-ABV, taken with snacks.
- Aromatic BittersIngredients & Pantry
- The baking-spice branch of the bitters family — clove, cinnamon, allspice, gentian.
B
- BittersIngredients & Pantry
- A concentrated botanical infusion added by the dash to season a cocktail.
C
- ChartreuseIngredients & Pantry
- A French herbal liqueur made by Carthusian monks since 1737.
D
- DigestifIngredients & Pantry
- A strong, often bitter or sweet drink taken after a meal to aid digestion.
F
- Fortified wineIngredients & Pantry
- Wine to which a distilled spirit has been added, raising the ABV and preserving it.
O
- Oleo SaccharumIngredients & Pantry
- Literally 'oil sugar' — a syrup made by macerating citrus peels in sugar.
- OrgeatIngredients & Pantry
- A sweet, cloudy syrup made from almonds, sugar, and orange flower water.
- OxidationIngredients & Pantry
- The chemical reaction between air and a wine or spirit that changes flavor over time.
S
- ShrubIngredients & Pantry
- A vinegar-based fruit syrup dating to colonial America.
- Simple syrupIngredients & Pantry
- A solution of sugar dissolved in water — the universal cocktail sweetener.
V
- VermouthIngredients & Pantry
- A fortified wine flavored with botanicals including wormwood.
W
- WormwoodIngredients & Pantry
- A bitter aromatic herb, legally required in vermouth and the defining botanical of absinthe.
Z
- ZestIngredients & Pantry
- The colored outer layer of a citrus peel, containing the essential oils.