The key difference between wine and liquor is their alcohol content; wine has a lower alcohol content, typically less than 15%, whereas liquor has a high alcohol content, typically over 30%.
Key Takeaways
- Wine is an alcoholic beverage made from fermented grape juice, while liquor is an alcoholic beverage made from distillation.
- Wine does not go through the process of distillation, while liquor does.
- Wine has a low alcohol content (typically less than 15%), whereas liquor has a high alcohol content (typically over 30%).
What is Wine?
Wine is an alcoholic beverage that is made from fermented grape juice. Wine can also be produced from other fruits and cereals, but the term wine specifically refers to the beverage made with grapes. When something other than grape is used to make wine, the name of that substance is used in the name of the wine; for example, rice wine, pomegranate wine, elderberry wine, etc. Wine has been produced by humans for thousands of years.
There are different types of wines; different varieties of grapes, strains of yeast used, region, alcohol content, etc. result in different varieties of wine. The alcohol content of wine usually ranges from 11 – 15% ABV (Alcohol by volume). Some table wines have an alcohol content of about 6%. Wine is typically lighter than other types of alcohol such as beer, whiskey, rum, etc.
European wine usually tends to be classified by their regions, for example, Bordeaux, Chianti, and Rioja. Non-European wines tend to be classified according to the type of grape used; for example, Merlot and Point Noir. Wine is also classified into two major types known as red wine and white wine.
What is Liquor?
Liquor is an alcoholic beverage made from distillation. Liquor is also known as distilled beverage, hard alcohol, and spirits. The production of liquor involves the distillation of a mixture that is produced through fermentation. The process of distillation removes diluting agents like water from the mixture, increasing the alcohol content of the mixture. Alcoholic beverages such as brandy, rum, vodka, gin, tequila, whiskey, and scotch all go through the process of distillation.
Liquor can be served at room temperature without any additional ingredients or it can be served shaken or stirred with ice. It can also be drunk with something like juice, club soda, tonic water, cola, or even water.
Since liquor contains a high alcohol content, overuse of liquor for an extended period may cause adverse effects on your health. Drinking liquor may also cause accidents and violent incidents since the high alcohol content can intoxicate a person very easily.
What is the difference between Wine and Liquor?
Definition:
Wine: Wine is an alcoholic beverage that is made from fermented grape juice.
Liquor: Liquor is an alcoholic beverage made from distillation.
Distillation:
Wine: Wines do not go through the process of distillation.
Liquor: Liquor goes through the process of distillation after fermentation.
Alcohol content:
Wine: Wine has a low alcohol content, typically less than 15%.
Liquor: Liquor has a high alcohol content; the ABV is typically over 35%.
Types:
Wine: Bordeaux, Chianti, Merlot, Point Noir, and Rioja are some types of wines.
Liquor: Rum, gin, whiskey, brandy, scotch, and vodka are some types of liquor.
