Mesha

A distilled beverage composed primarily of water and ethanol, sometimes with traces of impurities and flavorings. It can be made from grain, potatoes, rice, beans, beets, fruit or even wood; 40% ABV.

A sweetened liqueur made with or flavored with apple and apple juice. Not to be confused with a brandy distilled from apples.

A tropical fruit, used in many tropical cocktails for its sweet flavor and yellow color. You can either juice a real pineapple, buy pineapple canned in juice (not syrup) or buy pineapple juice in a container.

The general term for the Carribean-based nonalcoholic syrup. Falernum is a sweet syrup commonly used in tropical drinks and usually flavored with almond, ginger, cloves, vanilla, allspice and lime. You can make it yourself, it takes a few days. Combine 1/3 cup toasted almonds with 1/2 cup for light rum. Seal and let sit for 2 days. Add the zest of 8 limes (no pith) and 30 whole cloves, stir and let sit for another day. Juice 4 limes and strain the juice into a sauce pot. Add 2/3 cups water and 1/2 cup sugar and cook until the sugar is dissolved. Let the syrup cool then combine it with the almond/rum infusion. Stir to combine then strain all through a cheesecloth or coffee filter. Add alcohol as a preservative and turn it into Velvet Falernum.

The second most common juice used in cocktails. This citrus juice is about 6% acid; 4% from citric and 2% from malic, with small amounts of succinic acid (this is what gives it a little bloody taste). Lime juice should be used the day it is squeezed, some like it freshly squeezed and others like it a few hours old.

A small berry that is used as a garnish or muddled for its tangy, sour flavor and red color.

Not the tech giant! A fruit in the rose family most widely known for its juice; allowing it to ferment makes cider, yum!

Small, round, green citrus fruits. Commonly used in many cocktails for its rind or its acidic taste (6% acid total; 4% citric, 2% malic, some succinic acid).

A tree bark spice, commonly used as a grated garnish in cocktails, an ingredient in the cocktail, or floating as a whole piece as a garnish.