For the Samuel Adams brand, indirect competition is based primarily in distilled spirits, liqueurs, and wines. Spirits typically contain 37.5% ABV or greater and are usually not infused with any flavors during the distilling process, however, some modern spirits are infused with flavors after distilling. Liqueurs, on the other hand have a slightly lower ABV and are characterized by uniquely infused flavors and high sugar content. Wine includes any alcoholic beverage that is made from fermented fruit juice and contains from 7%-18% ABV.
The most common distilled spirits include whisky, vodka, rum, and tequila. Whisky (or whiskey) refers to a spirit that is distilled from fermented grain mash and aged in wooden casks. The most popular types of whisky are Scotch, Irish, Canadian, and Bourbon.
Vodka, one of the world’s most popular distilled beverages, is a clear liquid that is distilled from a fermented substance such as potatoes, grain, or sugar beet molasses. Although vodka is traditionally drunk in the Eastern European and Nordic countries of the “Vodka Belt”, its popularity elsewhere owes much to its usefulness in cocktails and other mixed drinks, such as the Bloody Mary, the Screwdriver, the vodka tonic, and the vodka martini.
Rum is a distilled beverage made from sugarcane by-products such as molasses and sugarcane juice. The distillate is then usually aged in oak barrels. The majority of rum production takes place in and around the Caribbean. Light rums are referred to as light, silver, or white and are sometimes filtered after aging to remove color. Gold rums are medium-bodied and gain their color from aging in wooden barrels. Dark rums are even darker in color and aged longer, they are used in cooking and to add color to different drinks. Spiced rums are usually golden or dark in color and obtain their flavor through the addition of spices and sometimes caramel.
Tequila is made from the blue agave plant, which is