Vodka is a clear distilled alcoholic beverage originating from Poland and Russia, made of water and ethanol, but sometimes with traces of impurities and flavorings. Traditionally, it is made by distilling the liquid from fermented cereal grains or potatoes though some brands use fruits or sugar as the base.

Rum is a distilled alcoholic drink originating from the Caribbean and Latin America made of fermented and distilled sugarcane byproducts, such as molasses, or directly from sugarcane juice. The distillate, a clear liquid, is then usually aged in oak barrels.

Whiskey is a distilled alcoholic beverage made from fermented grain mash. Various grains including barley, corn, rye, and wheat are used and are sometimes malted. Whiskey is typically aged in wooden casks, generally made of charred white oak. Whiskey is a strictly regulated spirit worldwide with many classes and types. The typical unifying characteristics of the different classes and types are the fermentation of grains, distillation, and aging in wooden barrels.