Liquor and other alcohol-containing beverages would not exist at all if it weren't for the tiny unicellular fungi called yeasts. These organisms live in foods high in sugar, such as fruit juices.
As yeasts multiply, they change sugar into alcohol and carbon dioxide. This process is called fermentation. The carbon dioxide gas is sometimes left in the finished beverage, producing bubbly drinks such as beer and champagne.
Each type of alcoholic beverage or liquor has a different taste, depending on the vegetables or fruits that were fermented to make the alcohol. Scotch whisky is made from barley, bourbon is made mostly from corn, and vodka is made from potatoes or grains such as wheat and rye.
Rum is made from sugar cane or molasses, while gin is made from grain and seasoned with juniper seeds. Tequila is made from a plant called agave that grows in Mexico. Wine is usually made from fermented grapes, and brandy is made from fruit or fruit juice. Beer is made from barley.
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