Spirits are alcoholic beverages purified through the process of distillation from a fermented substance such as fruits, cereals and other plant parts. Examples of distilled spirits include cachaça (or brandy), vodka, tequila, rum, whisky, liqueur and gin.
Distilled beverages are generally strong, containing a high alcohol content. As liquors contain significantly more alcohol than other alcoholic drinks, they are considered “harder” – in North America, the term hard liquor is sometimes used to distinguish distilled alcoholic drinks from non-distilled ones, whereas the term spirits is used in the UK.
