A distilled beverage, spirit, or liquor is an alcoholic beverage containing ethanol that is produced by distilling (i.e., concentrating by distillation) ethanol produced by means of fermenting grain, fruit, or vegetables. This excludes undistilled fermented beverages such as beer, wine, and cider. Vodka, gin, baijiu, tequila, rum, whisky, brandy, and soju are examples of distilled beverages.
The term hard liquor is used in North America and India to distinguish distilled beverages from undistilled ones (implicitly weaker).
An alcoholic beverage is a drink containing ethyl alcohol which is commonly referred to as ethanol. Alcoholic beverages are divided into three general classes for taxation and regulation of production: beers, wines, and spirits (or distilled beverage). They are legally consumed in most countries with over 100 countries having laws regulating their production, sale, and consumption. The production and consumption of alcohol occurs in most cultures of the world, from hunter-gatherer peoples to nation-states. Alcohol is widely available with beer being the third-most popular drink overall in the world, after water and tea.