Liquor is strong alcohol: whisky, vodka, rum. The word is mainly American: a liquor store is a shop that sells alcohol. A sweet, flavoured drink made with fruit or herbs is a liqueur [lɪˈkjʊə], a different word with a different spelling and pronunciation.
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liquor (uncountable, mainly US) = spirits (UK); hard liquor; a liquor store (US) / an off-licence (UK); liqueur [lɪˈkjʊə] = a sweet flavoured drink
- The hotel bar serves beer and wine but no hard liquor.
- We stopped at a liquor store on the way to buy a bottle of rum for the party.
What changed
First versionFor dessert, she ordered a glass of cherry liquor.
RevisionFor dessert, she ordered a glass of cherry liqueur.
A liqueur is a sweet drink made with fruit or herbs. Liquor means strong alcohol in general, so cherry liquor sounds like “cherry spirits”, with no hint of dessert. The letters are almost the same, but after qu comes eu: liqueur.
In British English, strong alcohol is spirits, the same word as “ghosts”: I don't drink spirits, only wine. A shop that sells alcohol in Britain is an off-licence. A British speaker will understand liquor, but it sounds American or official.
Your turn
In some US states, supermarkets don't sell vodka, so you have to go to a ___ store.
Show the answer
liquor — A US shop that sells vodka and other strong drinks is called a liquor store. A liqueur is only a sweet drink, and native speakers don't talk about liqueur stores.
Describe the rules for selling alcohol in your country. Say from what age people can buy it and where.
In Russia, you can buy liquor from the age of 18, but only in licensed shops and not late at night.
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