List of national liquors

A bottle of the traditional Tunisian Boukha

Tequila, a national liquor of Mexico, is a spirit made from the blue agave plant, primarily in the area surrounding the city of Tequila, 65 kilometres (40 mi) northwest of Guadalajara, and in the highlands (Los Altos) of the western Mexican state of Jalisco.

Turkish Rakı

Georgian chacha

Italian fernet

Ouzo is an anise-flavored aperitif that is widely consumed in Greece and Cyprus, and a symbol of Greek culture.

"Very Old Rare Sherry", Pedro Ximenez by Garvey. Jerez de la Frontera (Andalusia, Spain), aged 30 years. Sherry is a national liquor of Spain.

This is a list of national liquors. A national liquor is a distilled alcoholic beverage considered standard and respected in a given country. While the status of many such drinks may be informal, there is usually a consensus in a given country that a specific drink has national status or is the "most popular liquor" in a given nation. This list is distinct from national drink, which include non-alcoholic beverages.

East Asia

•  China: Baijiu (including Kaoliang liquor)^[1][2] (sorghum, rice, wheat, barley, millet)
•  Taiwan: Kaoliang liquor
•  Japan: Sake, Shōchū (including Awamori) (rice, barley, sweet potatoes, buckwheat), Japanese whisky
•  North Korea: Pyongyang Soju^[3]
•  South Korea: Soju^[4] (rice, barley, corn, potato, sweet potato)
•  Mongolia: Kumis (Airag)

Europe

Bottles of Italian limoncello

•  Albania: Rakia^[5]
•  Austria: Inländer Rum & schnapps^[6] (fruit)
•  Belarus: Krambambula
•  Belgium: Jenever (malt and Juniper)
•  Bosnia and Herzegovina: Rakija (fruit: apples, plums, pears)
•  Bulgaria: Rakia^[7] (grapes, apricots, plums)
•  Croatia: Rakija^[8] (fruit: plums, pears) and Pelinkovac
•  Cyprus: Zivania (wine or grape residue left over from winemaking) and Commandaria (sweet dessert wine)
•  Czech Republic: Becherovka^[9] (herbs) or Slivovice^[10] (plums)
•  Denmark: Akvavit (grain or potatoes)
•  Estonia: Vana Tallinn
•  Finland: Koskenkorva Viina^[11] (grain (barley) and Finlandia vodka^[12] (barley)
•  France: Calvados (apple brandy from Normandy); Armagnac and Cognac,^[13][14] Pastis
•  Germany: Schnapps (fruit) (in the South), Korn (in the North)
•  Greece: Raki (Ρακί ή Ρακή), produced from fruit. Ouzo^[15] (distilled 96 percent pure ethyl alcohol and Anise). Crete: Tsikoudia (pomace raki). Mainland Greece: Tsipouro (pomace raki)
•  Hungary: Unicum (herbs), Pálinka^[16] (fruit), Tokaji
•  Iceland: Brennivín, aka “Black Death” (potatoes)
•  Ireland: Irish Whiskey (fermented mash of cereal grains), Poitín (malted barley grain)
•  Italy: Grappa (pomace and grape residue left over from winemaking), Limoncello, Amaretto, Amaro, Fernet, Mirto, Alchermes, Aperol, Campari, Cynar, Frangelico, Maraschino, Rosolio, Sambuca, Strega
•  Latvia: Riga Black Balsam
•  Lithuania: Midus
•  North Macedonia: Rakija and Mastika (Typically, red and/or white grapes. Plums used in some areas such as Kichevo. Mastika is anise and herb flavored rakija)^[17]
•  Montenegro: Rakija (Loza), produced from red grapes
•  Netherlands: Jenever (Malt and Juniper)
•  Norway: Akevitt (must be distilled from Norwegian potatoes and aged for a minimum of six months in oak casks to be labeled "Norwegian Akevitt",^[18] unlike Danish and Swedish akvavit, which is commonly grain-based and unaged)
•  Poland: Nalewka, Krupnik, Vodka^[19] (grain, rye, wheat, potatoes, or sugar beet Molasses), and, during the era of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, mead
•  Portugal: Madeira wine, Port wine, Ginjinha, Jeropiga, Licor Beirão, Bitter almond liqueur and Madeiran rum.
•  Romania: Ţuică^[20] (plums) or Pălincă (fruit)
•  Russia: Vodka^[14] (grain, rye, wheat, potatoes, or sugar beet molasses)
•  Serbia: Rakija (šljivovica in particular)
•  Slovakia: Slivovica,^[21] Borovička (juniper berries)

Patxaran, a sloe berry liqueur

•  Spain: Sherry (brandy-fortified Spanish wine)^[4]
  • Navarre: Patxaran^[22]
•  Sweden: Brännvin, Akvavit, Snaps and Punsch
•  Switzerland: Absinthe, Goldschläger, Pflümli, Poire Williams, Kirsch
•  Turkey: Rakı^[20][23] (twice-distilled Suma and Anise)
•  Ukraine: Horilka (Ukrainian vodka), Hrenovuha
•  United Kingdom:
  •  England : Gin (south) Whisky (north)
  •  Northern Ireland : Irish Whiskey
  •  Scotland : Scotch Whisky, particularly Single malt whisky is considered the national drink of Scotland.
  •  Wales : Welsh Whisky
  •  Isle of Man: Manx Spirit

South America and Caribbean

•  Argentina: Wine,^[24] fernet con coca (cocktail),^[25] hesperidina (apéritif)
•  Barbados: Rum^[26] (sugarcane molasses)
•  Belize: Rum^[27] (sugarcane molasses)
•  Bolivia: Singani^[28] (muscat grapes)
•  Brazil: Cachaça^[29] (sugarcane)
•  Chile: Pisco^[30] (grapes; in contention with Peru^[31])
•  Colombia: Aguardiente^[32]
•  Costa Rica: Guaro (sugarcane)
•  Cuba: Rum (sugarcane molasses)
•  Dominican Republic: Rum and Mamajuana
•  Ecuador: Aguardiente (sugarcane)
•  El Salvador: Guaro (sugarcane)
• French West Indies: Rum^[33] (sugarcane)
•  Guatemala: Rum, and Cusha
•  Haiti: Rum, and Clairin (sugarcane)
•  Honduras: Guaro
•  Jamaica: Rum^[4][34] (sugarcane)
•  Mexico: Tequila^[35] (blue agave), Mezcal, Pulque, and Brandy^[36][37]
•  Nicaragua: Rum (sugarcane)
•  Panama: Seco Herrerano (sugarcane)
•  Paraguay: Caña blanca (sugarcane)

Pisco

•  Peru: Pisco^[30] (grapes; in contention with Chile^[31])
•  Puerto Rico: Pitorro, Rum
•  Trinidad & Tobago: Rum (sugarcane)
•  Uruguay: Grappamiel (grape pommace, honey), Grappa (grape pommace, originally Italian), espinillar (sugar cane)
•  Venezuela: Rum^[38] (sugarcane), Miche andino^[39] (brown sugar) and cocuy^[40][41] (agave cocui)

North America

•  Bermuda: Rum
•  Canada: Canadian Whisky
•  United States: Bourbon Whiskey

Oceania

•  Australia: Bundaberg Rum
•  New Zealand: Rum
•  Hawaii: Kava

South Asia

Two kinds of Arrack from Sri Lanka

•  Bangladesh: vodka and brandy from Carew, toddy (palm wine) (pronounced tari in Bengali)
•  India: Rum (Old Monk)^{[citation needed]}, Feni (Cashew or coconut)^{[citation needed]}, Toddy (palm wine)^{[citation needed]}, tharra^{[citation needed]}, Chandr Haas^[42]
•  Nepal: Raksi, Chhaang
•  Sri Lanka: coconut Arrack, coconut Toddy and Palm Toddy

Southeast Asia

Bottles of Sombai infused rice wine with hand-painted images of Angkor temples

•  Cambodia: Sombai infused rice wine^[43][44]
•  Indonesia: Arak (Bali), Tuak (Sumatra & Java), Moke (Flores), Sopi (Ambon & Nusa Tenggara), Cap Tikus (Manado), Ballo (Toraja), Swansrai (Papua)
•  Laos: Lao-Lao (Lao: ເຫລົ້າໄຫ) is a Laotian rice whisky produced in Laos.^[45][46] Along with Beerlao, lao-Lao is a staple drink in Laos.^{[citation needed]}
•  Malaysia: Tuak^{[citation needed]}
•  Philippines: Gin (Ginebra San Miguel), Lambanog^{[citation needed]}
•  Thailand: Lao Khao, Sato, Mekhong whiskey (95% sugarcane/molasses and 5% rice), Mekhong, Namtanmao, Sang Som^{[citation needed]}
•  Vietnam: Rượu đế (glutinous or non-glutinous rice) and Rượu thuốc (herbs and raw animals)^{[citation needed]}

West Asia

Toasting with rakı, in typical rakı glasses

•  Armenia: Oghi
•  Georgia: Chacha
•  Iran: Aragh sagi and Shiraz wine (historically, as alcohol consumption is currently banned for Muslims)
•  Israel: Arak,^[47] Tubi 60
•  Jordan: Arak
•  Lebanon: Arak^[48] (Anise)
• Levant: Arak
•  Palestine: Arak
•  Syria: Arak (Anise)
•  Turkey: Rakı^[20][23] (twice-distilled Suma and Anise)

See also

• Alcoholic beverage
• Distilled beverage
• Ethanol
• Liqueur
• List of alcoholic beverages
• List of cocktails
• List of liqueur brands
• List of national drinks
• List of vodka brands
• List of whisky brands
• National dish

References

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3. "Pyongyang Soju selected national beverage of North Korea". UPI. 18 June 2019. Retrieved 14 April 2020.
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11. "Eat&Joy | Puhtaan maun jäljillä". eatandjoy.com. Retrieved 31 January 2015.
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13. "Joseph Szalay – In Their Own Words: Food- A critical item during WWII". carol_fus.tripod.com. Retrieved 31 January 2015.
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17. "Introduction to Rakija". JourneyMacedonia.com. M Jon brown. 18 May 2015. Retrieved 22 August 2016.
18. "Forskrift om endringer i forskrift 11. oktober 2006 nr. 1148 om alkoholsterke og aromatiserte drikker mv". Norwegian Ministry of Agriculture and Food. 17 December 2010. Retrieved 31 January 2015.
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21. "Error 300: User 60455 does not exist". open.salon.com. Retrieved 31 January 2015.
22. "National drink of Navarra?". Wildaboutbritain.co.uk. Archived from the original on 10 March 2012. Retrieved 31 January 2015.
23. Food and Drink in Turkey Archived 2011-07-14 at the Wayback Machine
24. "Ley 26.870". Boletín Oficial de la República Argentina (in Spanish). 3 July 2013. Retrieved 16 June 2020.
25. "Fernet: una historia de amor argentina". Brando (in Spanish). La Nación. 8 July 2011. Archived from the original on 16 June 2020. Retrieved 16 June 2020.
26. "Barbados Pocket Guide - Rum". sungroupinc.net. Retrieved 9 February 2015.
27. "Belize Food and Drink". travelfoodanddrink.com. Retrieved 31 January 2015.
28. "VisWiki: Singani". viswiki.com. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 31 January 2015.
29. "Cachaça". Archived from the original on 12 February 2010. Retrieved 31 January 2015.
30. "Beverage Media Group: RED HOT - Exotic Pisco Makes its Mark Stateside". bevnetwork.com. Retrieved 31 January 2015.
31. "Machu Picchu and Cusco Tours | Peru Vacations | CuscoPeru.com: Pisco, Salud!". cuscoperu.com. Archived from the original on 27 February 2012. Retrieved 31 January 2015.
32. "Cuisine of Colombia - food and drink". south-america-travel.info. Archived from the original on 14 November 2014. Retrieved 31 January 2015.
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34. "Karandas Tours Jamaica - About Jamaica". Archived from the original on 24 May 2007. Retrieved 31 January 2015.
35. Julie Blakley (30 December 2008). "Tequila: Everything you wanted to know about Mexico's national drink". Why Go Mexico. Archived from the original on 10 September 2015. Retrieved 31 January 2015.
36. Eskenazi, Gerald, ed. (5 September 1984). "The National Drink In Mexico: Brandy". New York Times. Retrieved 28 August 2017.
37. "About Brandy". Summits Wayside Taverns. Archived from the original on 20 October 2014. Retrieved 31 January 2015.
38. Cheang, Michael (17 December 2016). "Venezuela takes its rum seriously". Star2.com. Retrieved 19 December 2017.
39. "Bebidas". Pa' Mérida. Archived from the original on 11 April 2013. Retrieved 31 January 2015.
40. "Cocuy de Penca la bebida espirituosa que hace 7 años se convirtió en patrimonio cultural de Lara". noticias24.com. Retrieved 31 January 2015.
41. Angulo, R.C. (2005). Diccionario de cocina venezolana. Alfadil. p. 136. ISBN 9789803541552. Retrieved 31 January 2015.
42. "Heritage Liqueur". Government of Rajasthan.
43. Rice, Jessica (22 August 2013). "59 national drinks from 59 awesome countries". Matador Network. Retrieved 28 July 2017.
44. Grant, Lara (29 August 2016). "6 Local Liquors Around the World You Haven't Heard Of". Oyster.com. Retrieved 28 July 2017.
45. Sally Everett (12 April 2016). Food and Drink Tourism: Principles and Practice. SAGE Publications. p. 301. ISBN 978-1-4739-6597-3.
46. "The cheapest alcohol in the world: Lao-Lao, Laos rice whiskey". www.priceoftravel.com. 9 December 2010. Retrieved 17 July 2017.
47. Roy Arad (11 June 2013). "Between Arak and a Hard Place // Israeli Arak-lovers in a Panic as Cost of Beloved Spirit Set to Double". Haaretz.
48. Bill Beuttler (October 2000). "Learning Lebanese". Cooking Light. Retrieved 31 January 2015 – via billbeuttler.com.

Further reading

• López, Tracy (16 November 2012). "Mezcal vs. Tequila: National Mexican Liquor Faces Stiff Competition". Fox News Latino. Retrieved 20 May 2016.