Aguardente bagaceira is a clear and colorless Portuguese spirit distilled from grape pomace—the skins and pulps left as a by-product of winemaking. It is made by winemakers, but it is mostly produced in rural areas as a type of rustic drink that is not intended for commercial production.

Aguardente bagaceira can vary in quality, depending on the distillation and the base ingredient. The best examples should be powerful but with a smooth, warming finish and a fruity grape aroma. The distillate is sometimes aged to produce a softer, mellower style known as bagaceira velha. 

Anisette, anisetta, or simply anis is a term that encompasses various anise-based liqueurs. These types of liqueurs don’t have a single origin, but they are mostly associated with Mediterranean countries, such as Italy, Spain, France, Greece, and Turkey.

The drink is mostly distilled from a base that is flavored with anise plant, sometimes together with other botanicals. The distillate is then usually sweetened or additional flavored. Most varieties range from 40 to 60% ABV. Anise liqueurs are usually enjoyed neat, mixed with water, or served over ice, but they can also be added to espresso (café corretto), or incorporated into cocktails and long drinks.

First marketed in 1889, this French liqueur was an invention of Fernand Moureaux who originally produced it in the commune Maisons-Alfort. He decided to distill the roots of wild gentian root, together with a secret combination of other herbs and spices, to create this complex aperitif that is characterized by floral, bitter, and spicy flavors.

While the dominant aroma is imparted with mashed gentian roots, the drink displays subtle, earthy notes of citrus, vanilla, apricots, and caramel. Suze is typically served cold, as a long drink when it is usually paired with tonic or orange juice. 

This best-selling anise-based spirit was invented by Paul Ricard. He experimented with the distillation of fennel, anise and Provençal plants until he perfected the recipe in 1932, and started to market it as the real pastis of Marseille.

Despite the war turmoil and short suspension of production, in 1951 Ricard was able to produce it again, and bottle it at the desired 45% ABV. Ricard is best appreciated as an aperitif, when it is served cold and diluted with cold water, which produces a slightly opaque drink that has a strong fresh flavor of anise and licorice, with underlying tones of Provençal herbs. 

Crème de menthe is a liqueur that is flavored with mint (menthe). Although it is typically bright green, it also comes in a colorless (white) version. While traditional technique includes steeping dried mint leaves in alcohol, some styles are also made with mint extract and alcohol.

The green color may be imparted by the addition of mint leaves or with artificial coloring. French pharmacist Emile Giffard is often cited as the inventor of crème de menthe. In 1885, he allegedly first served his creation to the guests at the Grand Hotel in Angers. 

Brancamenta is a minty version of Fernet Branca—the richly flavored amaro from Milan. This liqueur is also based on more than thirty botanicals, but it also includes essential peppermint oil from Piedmont. The resulting drink is dark brown with amber highlights.

The flavor is bittersweet, and the aroma is herbal and earthy with a dominant minty note. Brancamenta was released in the 1960s, and it was inspired by the famous opera singer Maria Callas. Supposedly, Callas liked to drink her Fernet Branca with mint syrup—as this would make it lighter and easier to drink. 

Pernod is the oldest French aniseed-based spirit. It was first produced in 1805, and it was technically absinthe. Following the European ban on absinthe, the drink was reformulated in 1926 as an anise-based spirit. Pernod is a clear, pale golden drink with a clean and refreshing flavor and herbaceous aroma reminiscent of aniseed and licorice.

It is traditionally diluted with water and plenty of ice—which produces a slightly cloudy drink—but it also blends well in cocktails and other long drinks. Pernod is bottled at 40% ABV.

Passoã is a passion fruit liqueur that is produced in France with passion fruit sourced from Brazil. It was created in 1985, and it is currently bottled at 17%. The liqueur has a dominant passion fruit aroma. On the palate, honey sweetness is well balanced with zesty, citrus-like notes.

Although it can be enjoyed on its own, Passoã is usually used in mixed drinks. It goes well with fruit juice, tonic water, sparkling water, ginger ale, and various spirits. The liqueur is a great cocktail ingredient—Porn Star Martini is probably the most popular cocktail made with Passoã.

Though most brands keep their recipe secret, this Italian-style liqueur is typically made with a blend of various spices and herbs such as saffron, juniper, rhubarb, aloe, chamomile, and mint. Because of the extensive list of ingredients, Fernet is characterized by its complexity and a usually a unique, bittersweet flavor.

The most popular brand is the Milan-based Fernet Branca, invented in 1845 by Bernandino Branca. The drink has been a mainstay in Italy and Argentina, and lately, it has been experiencing a somewhat of a renaissance because of its use in some of the classic cocktails such as Toronto or Hanky Panky.