The clear spirits Washington DC

All distillates come off the still as clear liquids. How the distiller processes the liquid determines the taste, smell, and appearance of the final product.

Local Companies

Pump It Up, The Inflatable Party Zone, Lanham-Bowie Maryland
301-577-7952
4230 Forbes Blvd Suite H
Lanham, MD
DC United
(202) 587-5474
2400 East Capitol St., SE
Washington, DC
DC Sports & Entertainment Commission
(202) 547-9077
2400 E. Capitol St., SE
Washington, DC
Washington Mystics
(877) 324-6671
601 F St. NW
Washington, DC
Pearson's Liquor and Wine
(202) 333-6666
2436 Wisconsin Ave NW
Washington, DC
Mart Liquors Ltd
(202) 562-1400
2931 Martin Luther King J
Washington, DC
Stanton Liquors
(202) 396-1606
1044 Bladensburg Rd NE
Washington, DC
Seymour Liquors
(202) 584-1600
5581 Central Ave SE
Washington, DC
Barrel House Liquors
(202) 332-5999
1341 14th St NW
Washington, DC
Penn-Branch Liquors
(202) 584-9300
3232 Pennsylvania Ave SE
Washington, DC


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The clear spirits

All clear spirits are clear, but depending on the foods from which they were distilled, some have a specific flavor.

  • Gin comes in two basic styles. There’s the original Dutch jenevre (which the French called genievre), a distillate of malt spirits that include juniper berries. London dry gin is a clear spirit that’s redistilled with juniper berries and further flavored with aromatic botanicals (plant products).

  • Rum is distilled from molasses or sugar cane. All rums start out as totally clear spirits; some are aged in barrels. Aging turns the rum golden, amber, or very dark.

  • Sake is a clear spirit distilled from rice wine.

  • Tequila is distilled from the fruit of the blue agave plant. Like rum, all tequilas start out clear, but some turn golden or amber with aging.

  • Vodka is a true neutral spirit, crystal clear, with no discernible flavor or aroma. Modern vodka producers, however, may flavor their vodkas, changing the taste and sometimes the color to match the color of the fruit juice or synthetic flavoring.

    The dark spirits

    With the exception of brandy, which is distilled from wine (remember Geber from earlier in this chapter?), dark spirits are beverages distilled from grains.

    Like clear spirits, the dark spirits start out clear, but aging in barrels and the addition of coloring agents such as caramel (burnt sugar) to maintain color consistency from year to year turns them characteristically golden amber.

  • Brandy is a spirit distilled from wine or a mash (fermented mass) of any fruit, most commonly grapes.

  • Whiskey is a spirit distilled from grain, such as barley, corn, rye, or wheat. A straight whiskey is made from the distillate produced by one operation of a still and added neutral spirits. A blended whiskey contains several straight whiskeys and added neutral spirits.

  • Bourbon and Tennessee Whiskey are distilled spirits made only in the United States; by law, they must be made of 51 percent corn.

  • Canadian Whisky is a distilled spirit made in Canada, generally from a mix of grains, primarily corn, plus rye, wheat, and barley.

  • Irish Whiskey is a distilled spirit made in Ireland from a mix of grains dominated by barley.

  • Scotch Whisky is a distilled spirit made in Scotland from a mix of grains, primarily barley, plus “small grains” — so-called because they’re used in limited amounts. The small grains usually include oats.


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    For Dummies is a registered trademark of Wiley Publishing, Inc. in the United States and other countries. Used here by license.


  • Featured Local Company

    Pump It Up, The Inflatable Party Zone, Lanham-Bowie Maryland

    301-577-7952
    4230 Forbes Blvd Suite H
    Lanham, MD

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