Liquor Glossary: Alcohol Terms Explained
Labels, menus and price lists are full of jargon. These are the terms you will meet most often in India, explained in plain English, with links to the matching price lists.
Strength, Prices & Measures
- ABV (Alcohol by Volume)
- The percentage of a drink that is pure alcohol. A 40% ABV spirit contains 40 ml of alcohol in every 100 ml. Beer is usually around 4–8% ABV, wine 11–15%, and most whisky, rum, vodka and gin sit between 37% and 43%.
- Proof
- An older way to state strength. In the US, proof is twice the ABV, so 80 proof is 40% ABV. The traditional British scale is different: 100° proof equals about 57% ABV.
- Under Proof (UP)
- A strength scale still seen on some Indian labels. Spirits are described by how far they sit below 'proof' strength (about 57% ABV), so 25 UP works out to roughly 42.8% ABV, a common strength for Indian-made spirits.
- Cask Strength
- Whisky bottled straight from the cask without water added to lower the strength. It is usually much stronger than a standard bottling, often 50–65% ABV.
- Peg
- The common Indian bar measure for spirits. A small peg is usually 30 ml and a large peg 60 ml, but the exact pour varies by state and venue, so check the measure before comparing prices.
- Quarter, Half & Full
- Everyday Indian names for bottle sizes: a quarter is 180 ml, a half is 375 ml and a full bottle is 750 ml. Prices on our bottle pages are listed by pack size.
- MRP (Maximum Retail Price)
- The highest price a retailer may charge for a pack, printed on the label. For alcohol, MRPs are set under each state's excise rules, so the same bottle can carry different MRPs in different states.
- Excise Duty
- A tax charged by state governments on the manufacture and sale of alcohol. Alcohol for human consumption is outside GST, so differences in state excise policy are a major reason liquor prices vary across India.
- Dry Day
- A day on which alcohol sales are banned, usually around national holidays, religious festivals and elections. Each state decides its own dry days.
Indian Liquor Terms
- IMFL (Indian-Made Foreign Liquor)
- Spirits made in India in styles that began elsewhere, such as whisky, rum, vodka, gin and brandy. Most bottles on Indian shop shelves are IMFL, as opposed to imported liquor or locally made country liquor.
- Country Liquor
- Locally produced spirits sold at lower prices in many states, often called desi daru. It is regulated separately from IMFL and varies widely from region to region.
- RTD (Ready to Drink)
- Pre-mixed alcoholic drinks sold in cans or bottles, such as canned cocktails, seltzers and alcopops, that you can drink straight from the pack. They are usually lower in alcohol than spirits.Ready to drink prices
Whisky Terms
- Whisky vs Whiskey
- Both are the same drink. 'Whisky' is the usual spelling for Scotch, Indian, Canadian and Japanese whisky, while 'whiskey' is used for Irish and most American whiskey.Whisky price list
- Single Malt
- Whisky made at a single distillery from malted barley, traditionally in pot stills. 'Single' refers to the one distillery, not to a single barrel.Single malt Scotch prices
- Blended Whisky
- A mix of whiskies from different distilleries, often malt whisky blended with grain whisky. Blends are the most common style on Indian shelves and are usually smoother and cheaper than single malts.Blended Scotch prices
- Grain Whisky
- Whisky made mainly from grains such as wheat or corn, usually in a continuous still. It is lighter than malt whisky and forms the base of most blends.
- Scotch
- Whisky made in Scotland and matured in oak casks for at least three years. The name is protected by law, so only whisky made in Scotland can be called Scotch.Scotch whisky prices
- Bourbon
- American whiskey made from at least 51% corn and aged in new, charred oak barrels. It tastes sweeter than Scotch, with vanilla and caramel notes.Bourbon prices
- Age Statement
- The number on a whisky label, such as 12 Year Old, shows the age of the youngest whisky in the bottle. Bottles without one are called NAS, short for No Age Statement.
- Peated
- Whisky made from malt that was dried over burning peat, which gives it a smoky, sometimes medicinal flavour.
Spirits & Other Drinks
- Vodka
- A clear spirit with a neutral taste, usually distilled from grain or potatoes and filtered for smoothness. Flavoured vodkas add fruit or spice flavours.Vodka price list
- Gin
- A spirit flavoured mainly with juniper berries and other botanicals such as citrus peel and coriander seed.Gin price list
- London Dry
- A gin style where all the flavour comes from botanicals added during distillation, with no artificial flavouring and no sweetener added afterwards. The name describes the method, not where the gin is made.
- Rum
- A spirit made from sugarcane juice or molasses. It ranges from light white rum to rich, aged dark rum, and spiced rum has added flavourings.Rum price list
- Brandy
- A spirit distilled from wine or other fermented fruit juice. Cognac is brandy made in the Cognac region of France.Brandy price list
- Tequila
- A Mexican spirit made from blue agave. Blanco is unaged, reposado is aged for 2 to 12 months and añejo for 1 to 3 years.Tequila price list
- Mezcal
- An agave spirit from Mexico, often smoky because the agave hearts are roasted in underground pits.
- Liqueur
- A sweetened spirit flavoured with fruit, herbs, spices, coffee or cream, usually lower in alcohol than plain spirits.Liqueur price list
- Mead
- An alcoholic drink made by fermenting honey with water, sometimes with fruit or spices added.Mead price list
- Cider
- A drink made by fermenting apple juice.Cider price list
Wine & Champagne Terms
- Champagne
- Sparkling wine made in the Champagne region of France using the traditional method, where the bubbles form inside the bottle. Sparkling wine from elsewhere cannot be sold as Champagne.Champagne price list
- Brut
- A dry style of sparkling wine with very little added sugar. 'Brut Nature' has none added, while 'Demi-Sec' is noticeably sweeter.
- Vintage vs NV
- A vintage wine is made from grapes harvested in a single year, shown on the label. NV (non-vintage) wines blend several years to keep a consistent house style.Wine price list
Beer Terms
- Lager vs Ale
- Lagers are fermented cool with bottom-fermenting yeast, which gives a crisp, clean taste. Ales use top-fermenting yeast at warmer temperatures and tend to taste fruitier and fuller.Beer price list
- Strong Beer
- In India, beer sold as 'strong' typically has a higher alcohol content than regular beer, often around 7–8% ABV compared with roughly 4.5–5% for regular beer. Check the label for the exact ABV.
- Craft Beer
- Beer made in small batches by independent brewers, often in a wider range of styles and flavours than mass-market lagers.
Serving Terms
- Neat
- A spirit served at room temperature on its own, with no ice, water or mixer.
- On the Rocks
- A spirit served over ice cubes.
- Chaser
- A drink, often water, soda or beer, taken straight after a shot to soften the taste.
- Mixer
- A non-alcoholic drink such as soda, tonic water or juice added to a spirit.