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A

Bottling and filling Production

Filling the finished drink into bottles, cans or kegs under conditions that are as clean and low in oxygen as possible.

Finish Tasting

The aftertaste of a drink after swallowing: how long and in what way flavours and aromas remain.

Absinthe Spirits

Herbal spirit with wormwood, aniseed and fennel. Traditionally diluted with cold water, which makes it turn cloudy.

Astringency Tasting

A dry, furry, puckering feeling in the mouth caused mainly by tannins, as in red wine or tea.

AeroPress Coffee, tea and cocoa

A handy plastic brewing device in which coffee steeps briefly and is then pressed by hand through a paper filter with a plunger.

Affogato Coffee, tea and cocoa

An Italian dessert in which a scoop of vanilla ice cream is topped with freshly brewed hot espresso.

Ale Beer

Umbrella term for top-fermented beers, usually with fruity esters and a fuller aroma than bottom-fermented types.

Alkalisation (Dutch process) Coffee, tea and cocoa

Treatment of cocoa with alkaline salts that makes the powder darker, milder and easier to disperse in liquid.

Alcohol-free sparkling wine Non-alcoholic

A sparkling drink based on dealcoholised wine or grape juice that resembles sparkling wine without alcohol.

Non-alcoholic beer Non-alcoholic

Beer with an alcohol content of no more than 0.5 percent ABV; flavour close to regular beer.

Alcohol labelling (ABV) Law and labelling

Statement of the alcohol content in percent by volume on drinks above 1.2 % vol.

Alcohol duty (spirits duty) Law and labelling

An excise duty on spirits and other alcohol products, based on the quantity of pure alcohol.

Allergen labelling Law and labelling

The duty to highlight 14 allergenic substances or products in labelling.

Altbier Beer

A dark copper, top-fermented beer with a bitter character, traditionally from Düsseldorf and the Lower Rhine.

Amaro Spirits

Italian herbal liqueur with a bittersweet taste, usually drunk as a digestif.

Americano Coffee, tea and cocoa

A coffee drink made from espresso diluted with hot water to a cup of roughly filter-coffee strength.

Anaerobic fermentation (coffee) Coffee, tea and cocoa

A processing method in which coffee cherries or depulped beans ferment in airtight containers without oxygen.

Angel's share Spirits

The share of a spirit that evaporates through the wood during cask ageing. Depending on climate it is roughly one to two percent a year, more in warm regions.

Aperitif Bar and cocktails

A light, often bitter or dry drink before a meal, intended to stimulate the appetite.

Apple juice Non-alcoholic

The most drunk fruit juice in Germany; cloudy or clear, often made from orchard fruit.

Aquavit Spirits

Scandinavian spirit from neutral alcohol flavoured mainly with caraway or dill. Minimum strength is 37.5 percent.

Arabica Coffee, tea and cocoa

A coffee species (Coffea arabica) that supplies most of the world's coffee and is known for a delicate acidity and complex aroma.

Armagnac Spirits

French brandy from Gascony, usually distilled once in a continuous apparatus and often more rustic than cognac.

Degassing valve Coffee, tea and cocoa

A one-way valve in coffee packaging that lets carbon dioxide escape from freshly roasted coffee but does not let oxygen in.

Aroma wheel Tasting

A graphic overview that arranges aromas in groups and subgroups, helping to name scent and flavour impressions.

Aseptic filling Production

Filling a previously sterilised drink into sterile packaging under germ-free conditions.

Assam Coffee, tea and cocoa

Strong, malty black tea from the state of the same name in north-east India.

Fortification Production

Adding neutral alcohol to a drink to raise its alcohol content or stop fermentation, as with port.

Winemaking maturation (élevage) Production

Maturation and care of wine in the cellar between fermentation and bottling, in tank or wooden cask.

Auslese (German Prädikat wine) Wine and sparkling wine

German Prädikat level for wine made from fully ripe, hand-selected grapes with higher must weight than Spätlese.

Appearance and colour Tasting

The visual impression of a drink: colour, clarity, brilliance and viscosity, the first step of every tasting.

Autumnal flush Coffee, tea and cocoa

The autumn harvest after the monsoon, mainly for Darjeeling and Assam; the teas are usually darker, softer and rounder than earlier flushes.

Ayran Non-alcoholic

Salted, refreshing drink made from yoghurt and water, common in Turkey, the Middle East and the Balkans.

B

Bancha Coffee, tea and cocoa

A Japanese everyday green tea from later harvests with larger, more mature leaves; mild, somewhat coarser and cheaper than sencha.

Barista Trade and logistics

A professional who prepares and serves coffee drinks, especially espresso-based specialities.

Barkeeper Bar and cocktails

A person who pours and mixes drinks behind the counter; in German often used as a synonym for bartender.

Bar spoon Bar and cocktails

A long-handled spoon with a small bowl for stirring, layering and measuring small amounts, holding about 5 millilitres.

Barrel-aged beer Beer

Beer that matures in wooden barrels after fermentation and takes on aromas from the wood and former contents.

Barrique Wine and sparkling wine

A small oak barrel, usually of 225 litres. Wine ageing in it takes up wood aromas and develops through contact with oxygen.

Bartender Bar and cocktails

A professional who prepares and serves drinks in a bar and knows ingredients, recipes and guest care.

Beerenauslese (BA) Wine and sparkling wine

Sweet wine made from overripe, usually botrytised individual berries that are selectively picked.

Berliner Weisse Beer

A tart, light wheat beer with low alcohol, traditionally drunk with syrup.

'Alcohol-free' designation Law and labelling

In Germany drinks with at most 0.5 % vol may generally be called 'alcohol-free'.

Protected designation 'milk' Law and labelling

EU legal protection under which terms such as milk, butter or cheese may only be used for products made from animal milk, with a few specified exceptions.

Beer mix drink Beer

A drink made of beer plus at least one other component such as lemonade or cola.

Beer duty Law and labelling

An excise duty on beer based on quantity and original gravity.

Organic labelling (EU organic logo) Law and labelling

A legally protected indication of organically produced products, controlled under the EU organic regulation.

Bitter (bitters) Spirits

A spirit with a pronounced bitter note from roots, barks and herbs. It serves as aperitif, digestif or cocktail ingredient.

Bitter lemon Non-alcoholic

Carbonated lemon soft drink flavoured with quinine, tasting tart and bitter, used as a mixer.

Bitters Bar and cocktails

Highly concentrated herb and spice extracts added by the drop to cocktails to give depth and seasoning.

Bitter compounds Tasting

Substances that produce a bitter taste, such as hop bitterness, tannins or quinine, making drinks tart and complex.

Blended whisky Spirits

A mix of different whiskies, often malt and grain whisky from several distilleries, tuned to a consistent style.

Blind tasting Tasting

A tasting in which brand, origin and price remain unknown, so that the verdict rests only on perception.

Bock beer Beer

A strong beer with at least 16 percent original gravity, full-bodied and malt-forward.

Sulphur off-note Tasting

An unpleasant sulphur smell of rotten eggs or rubber, usually caused by yeast stress during fermentation.

Bombilla Coffee, tea and cocoa

A metal drinking straw with a filter end used to drink mate traditionally from a gourd; also the basis for chimarrão and tereré.

Boston shaker Bar and cocktails

A two-part shaker made of two cups that fit into each other, usually metal or metal and glass.

Bouquet Tasting

The sum of the scent notes of a matured drink, especially wine; often combining fruit, fermentation and ageing aromas.

Bourbon Spirits

American whiskey made from at least 51 percent corn and matured in new charred oak barrels.

Bourbon (coffee variety) Coffee, tea and cocoa

A classic Arabica variety named after the island of Bourbon (today Réunion), known for a sweet, rounded cup.

Brandy Spirits

A spirit from distilled wine or other fermented fruit juice, usually aged in wooden casks. Cognac and Weinbrand belong to it.

Tied house arrangement Trade and logistics

A contractual tie of a hospitality business to a brewery as its beer supplier.

Brewer's yeast Beer

Single-celled fungi that convert sugar into alcohol and carbon dioxide and strongly shape a beer's flavour profile.

Fizzy drink Non-alcoholic

Colloquial term for sweet carbonated lemonade, especially common in eastern Germany and in earlier times.

Pot still Spirits

A copper vessel with head and condenser for batch distillation. It yields aromatic distillates and works in batches.

Distillery Spirits

A business where spirits are made by distillation, from small fruit distilleries to large whisky distilleries.

Broken Orange Pekoe (BOP) Coffee, tea and cocoa

A leaf grade for broken black tea; the smaller leaf pieces quickly give a strong, dark liquor.

Brew ratio Coffee, tea and cocoa

The ratio of ground coffee to water used in brewing.

Brut Wine and sparkling wine

Taste designation for dry sparkling wine with little sugar, in the EU at most 12 grams of residual sugar per litre.

Build Bar and cocktails

A preparation method in which all ingredients are assembled directly in the serving glass, without a shaker or mixing glass.

Buttermilk Non-alcoholic

Tangy, low-fat milk drink left over from making butter from soured cream; pure buttermilk contains no additions.

C

Calvados Spirits

French apple brandy from Normandy, aged in oak barrels. Pears may also be included.

Cappuccino Coffee, tea and cocoa

An espresso drink with hot milk and milk foam, traditionally in roughly equal parts.

Cask Spirits

A wooden barrel for maturing spirits. Cask type, size and previous contents, such as sherry or bourbon, clearly shape colour and taste.

Caturra Coffee, tea and cocoa

A compact Arabica variety, a natural mutation of Bourbon from Brazil, widely grown in Latin America.

Cava Wine and sparkling wine

Spanish sparkling wine, mostly from Macabeo, Xarel·lo and Parellada, made by traditional bottle fermentation.

Ceylon tea Coffee, tea and cocoa

Tea from Sri Lanka, formerly called Ceylon – mostly black tea, mild to strong depending on altitude.

Chai Coffee, tea and cocoa

The Indian word for tea; in Europe usually spiced black tea with milk (masala chai).

Champagne Wine and sparkling wine

Protected designation of origin for sparkling wine from the Champagne region of France, made by traditional bottle fermentation.

Chanoyu (Japanese tea ceremony) Coffee, tea and cocoa

The Japanese tea ceremony, in which matcha is prepared and served according to a set sequence; also called the "way of tea" (chadō, sadō).

Batch Trade and logistics

A quantity of a product made or filled under the same conditions and carrying a common identifier.

Batch number Production

A marking of a production batch that allows the origin and time of production of a product to be traced.

Cleaning in place Production

Cleaning tanks, pipes and filling lines in a closed system with caustic, acid and hot water, without dismantling.

Clarifying Bar and cocktails

A process in which cloudy particles are removed from a drink or juice so that it becomes crystal clear.

Classic (sparkling) Non-alcoholic

Term for mineral water with a high carbon dioxide content.

CO2 process (decaffeination) Coffee, tea and cocoa

A decaffeination process in which supercritical carbon dioxide under high pressure dissolves the caffeine from green coffee.

Cobbler shaker Bar and cocktails

A three-piece shaker with a cup, built-in strainer and cap, commonly used at home.

Cognac Spirits

Protected brandy from the Cognac region of France, distilled twice in pot stills and aged in oak barrels.

Cola Non-alcoholic

A brown, caffeinated soft drink with a characteristic aroma of citrus, spices and caramel colour.

Cold brew Coffee, tea and cocoa

Coffee steeped in cold or room-temperature water for many hours.

Collab brew Beer

A beer developed and brewed together by two or more breweries or people.

Cordial Bar and cocktails

A preserved syrup of fruit, sugar and acid used as a drink ingredient in bars.

Cortado Coffee, tea and cocoa

A coffee drink from Spain made of espresso topped with roughly the same amount of warm milk and little foam.

Craft spirits Spirits

Spirits from small, mostly independent producers who value hand-crafted production and individuality.

Craft beer Beer

Handcrafted beer from small, often independent breweries, usually emphasising aroma and style diversity.

Crema Coffee, tea and cocoa

A light-brown, fine-pored layer of foam on a freshly made espresso.

Crémant Wine and sparkling wine

French sparkling wine from regions outside Champagne, made by bottle fermentation, often with protected origin such as Alsace or Loire.

Criollo Coffee, tea and cocoa

Original, aromatic variety group of cocoa that is regarded as particularly fine but accounts for only a small share of the world harvest.

Crowler Beer

A large can filled at the tap and sealed by a machine.

Crushed ice Bar and cocktails

Finely broken ice that chills drinks quickly and dilutes them more strongly.

CTC method Coffee, tea and cocoa

A mechanised method of black tea manufacture (crush, tear, curl) in which the leaves are crushed, torn and rolled into small granules.

Cupping Coffee, tea and cocoa

A standardised tasting method for coffee in which coarsely ground coffee is steeped in bowls and slurped from a spoon.

Cuvée (blend) Wine and sparkling wine

A wine made from several grape varieties, sites or vintages blended into one coordinated whole.

D

Darjeeling Coffee, tea and cocoa

A tea-growing area in north-eastern India at the foot of the Himalayas, known for fine black teas.

Dash Bar and cocktails

The smallest bar measure: a short squirt, usually from a bitters bottle, of roughly a fifth of a millilitre or a little more.

Disgorgement Production

Removal of the yeast deposit from the bottle in sparkling wine made by traditional bottle fermentation.

Decanting Wine and sparkling wine

Carefully pouring wine from the bottle into another vessel to separate sediment or expose the wine to air.

Distillation Spirits

A separation process in which an alcoholic liquid is heated and the rising vapour is condensed again. This raises the alcohol share.

Digestif Bar and cocktails

A spirit or liqueur served after a meal, usually strong, herbal or high in alcohol.

Not-from-concentrate juice Non-alcoholic

Fruit juice obtained directly from pressed fruit and bottled without water removal.

Doppelbock Beer

An especially strong, malt-rich beer with typically 18 percent original gravity or more; brand names often end in “-ator”.

Doppio Coffee, tea and cocoa

A double espresso, made with roughly twice the amount of coffee in the double basket of a portafilter.

Dosage Wine and sparkling wine

Addition of a liqueur of wine and sugar after disgorging in sparkling wine. It determines how sweet the finished wine tastes.

DPG (German deposit system company) Law and labelling

The operator of the uniform deposit system for one-way beverage packaging in Germany.

Dry hopping Beer

Adding hops after the main fermentation to gain aroma without extra bitterness.

Dry shake Bar and cocktails

Shaking without ice, usually for drinks containing egg white, to whip it and create a fine foam.

Flow cooler Trade and logistics

A device that runs beer through a chilled line while tapping and brings it to serving temperature.

Dust (tea) Coffee, tea and cocoa

The finest leaf grade of tea, made of very small particles, which brews especially quickly and is used mainly in bagged tea and instant products.

E

e-mark Law and labelling

A small 'e' next to the quantity confirming compliance with EU requirements on fill quantity.

EAN / GTIN Trade and logistics

A globally unique article number printed as a barcode on the package and scanned at the checkout.

Earl Grey Coffee, tea and cocoa

Black tea flavoured with oil of bergamot, a citrus fruit.

Stainless steel tank Production

A closed stainless steel vessel for fermentation and storage that is neutral and easy to clean and cool.

Private label Trade and logistics

A brand owned by a retailer and only sold there, such as aro and Fine Life at Metro.

One-way bottle Trade and logistics

A bottle intended for a single filling that goes to recycling after use.

One-way deposit Law and labelling

The statutory 25-cent deposit on most one-way drink bottles and cans made of plastic, metal or glass.

Single vineyard site Wine and sparkling wine

A clearly delimited vineyard with its own name. Soil, slope and climate shape the character of the wine.

Types of ice in the bar Bar and cocktails

Different forms of ice such as cubes, crushed ice, large blocks or spheres that determine how a drink is chilled and diluted.

Eisbock Beer

A very strong beer made by freezing water out of a Bock, resulting in a concentrated flavour and more alcohol.

Iced tea Non-alcoholic

A cold, usually sweetened refreshing drink based on tea infusion or extract, often with lemon or peach.

Ice wine (Eiswein) Wine and sparkling wine

Sweet wine from frozen grapes picked and pressed at minus 7 degrees or colder. The sugar stays concentrated in the juice.

Energy drink Non-alcoholic

A caffeinated soft drink with additives such as taurine; subject to special labelling requirements.

English Breakfast Coffee, tea and cocoa

Strong black tea blend traditionally drunk at breakfast, often with milk.

Dealcoholisation Production

Removing alcohol from a finished drink, for example by vacuum distillation or membrane processes, preserving taste as far as possible.

Dealcoholisation of beer Beer

Methods that remove alcohol from beer or limit its formation.

Degassing and oxygen management Production

Removing or keeping away dissolved gases, especially oxygen, so that drinks stay fresh and do not oxidise.

Decaffeination Coffee, tea and cocoa

A process that removes most of the caffeine from green coffee or tea.

ESL milk (extended shelf life) Non-alcoholic

Milk sold chilled that, thanks to stronger heating or filtration, keeps for about three weeks unopened.

Espresso Coffee, tea and cocoa

A coffee drink made by forcing hot water under pressure through finely ground coffee.

Espresso macchiato Coffee, tea and cocoa

An espresso crowned with a dab of milk foam, so it contains only a little milk.

Euro pallet (EPAL) Trade and logistics

Standardised wooden pallet measuring 1200 × 800 mm, used as a load carrier in the beverage trade and exchanged in a pooling system.

Excelsa Coffee, tea and cocoa

A coffee type once considered a separate species and now usually classified botanically as a variety of Coffea liberica; known for tart, fruity notes.

Export lager Beer

A mild, bottom-fermented beer with slightly higher original gravity than Pils; originally brewed for shipping out of town.

Extract Tasting

The total of dissolved, non-volatile components of a drink, such as sugars, acids and minerals; it contributes to body and fullness.

Coffee extraction Coffee, tea and cocoa

The dissolving of flavours and compounds from ground coffee by water.

F

Fannings Coffee, tea and cocoa

Fine tea leaf particles obtained when sifting black or green tea and used mainly in tea bags.

Keg / cask Trade and logistics

A container for draught beer and other drinks that is dispensed through a tap system.

Draught beer Beer

Beer filled in kegs and served through a tap system; fresh with fine foam.

Cask ageing Production

Storing a drink in wooden casks, where it takes on aromas, colour and structure from the wood and oxygen contact.

Cask strength Spirits

A spirit bottled straight from the cask without dilution with water. Alcohol content is therefore often above 50 percent ABV.

Fat washing Bar and cocktails

A process in which a spirit is flavoured with a fat that is afterwards removed again by chilling.

Federweisser (partly fermented grape must) Wine and sparkling wine

Young, still fermenting grape must in autumn, sweet, fizzy and cloudy. It contains yeast and low to medium alcohol.

Off-flavours Tasting

Unwanted smell or flavour notes in drinks that point to faults in production, storage or hygiene.

Feinherb (off-dry) Wine and sparkling wine

Free taste term for wine with slight residual sweetness, usually around medium dry. The exact sweetness is set by the producer.

Fermentation Production

Transformation of ingredients by micro-organisms such as yeasts, bacteria or moulds, for example in beer, wine, kombucha or kefir. For black tea, however, the customary term means an enzymatic oxidation without microbes.

Semi-skimmed milk Non-alcoholic

Semi-skimmed drinking milk with a fat content between 1.5 and 1.8%, in Germany mostly sold at 1.5%.

FIFO / FEFO Trade and logistics

Warehouse principles: FIFO picks the oldest stock first, FEFO the stock with the earliest best-before date.

Filter coffee Coffee, tea and cocoa

Coffee in which hot water runs through ground coffee in a filter and drips into a pot or cup.

Beer filtration Beer

Brewing step removing yeast and haze particles from beer to increase clarity and stability.

Filtration Production

Removing haze particles, yeast and micro-organisms from a drink using filters to make it clear and more stable.

Fine straining Bar and cocktails

A technique in which a drink is poured through an additional fine mesh to hold back small ice shards and fruit fibres.

First crack Coffee, tea and cocoa

The audible cracking of beans during roasting that marks the transition to a drinkable roast.

First flush Coffee, tea and cocoa

The first harvest of the tea season in spring, best known for Darjeeling.

Fixing (kill-green) Coffee, tea and cocoa

Brief heating of fresh tea leaves that deactivates the leaf's own enzymes and so stops oxidation, as in green and yellow tea.

Fizz Bar and cocktails

A variation of the sour topped up with soda water, making it sparkling and refreshing.

Flair bartending Bar and cocktails

Show-oriented bartending with juggling of bottles and shakers, combining entertainment with drink preparation.

Flaming Bar and cocktails

A technique in which citrus oil or alcohol is briefly ignited for aroma and visual effect.

Bottle conditioning Beer

Further fermentation in the container in which residual sugar and yeast create natural carbonation.

Bottle ageing Tasting

Development of a drink in the sealed bottle that can change aroma, structure and appearance.

Closure Production

The closure of a bottle such as natural cork, screw cap, crown cap or swing top; it influences shelf life and aroma.

Flat white Coffee, tea and cocoa

An espresso drink with finely steamed, velvety milk and only a thin layer of foam.

Flowery Orange Pekoe (FOP) Coffee, tea and cocoa

A leaf grade for whole-leaf black tea of young leaves with a certain share of leaf buds (tips).

Forastero Coffee, tea and cocoa

Robust, high-yielding variety group of cocoa that makes up most of the world harvest and delivers a strong, tart cocoa flavour.

French press Coffee, tea and cocoa

A coffee pot in which ground coffee steeps in hot water and is then pressed down with a mesh plunger.

Fresh milk (traditionally produced) Non-alcoholic

Briefly heated drinking milk with a limited shelf life of around one to two weeks that must be kept refrigerated.

Fruit infusion Coffee, tea and cocoa

An infusion of dried fruit and fruit pieces without tea leaves and without caffeine.

Fruit nectar Non-alcoholic

Drink made from fruit juice or puree with water and sugar up to a maximum; fruit content between 25 and 50 percent depending on fruit.

Fruit juice Non-alcoholic

A drink made from the juice of fruit without added sugar, either as not-from-concentrate juice or from concentrate; legally regulated.

Fruit juice drink Non-alcoholic

A drink with a small fruit juice share (about 6 to 30 percent depending on fruit), water, sugar and often flavourings.

Net quantity Law and labelling

The statement of the quantity contained in the package, for drinks in litres, centilitres or millilitres.

G

Garnish Bar and cocktails

An edible or decorative addition to a drink, such as a fruit slice, herb sprig or olive, that adds to its look and aroma.

Garnish techniques Bar and cocktails

Methods for preparing and attaching a drink's decoration, such as zests, spirals, fans or herb bouquets.

Fermentation (alcoholic) Production

A biological process in which yeast converts sugar into alcohol and carbon dioxide; the basis of beer, wine, cider and spirits.

Palate Tasting

The taste impression of a drink in the mouth, including sweetness, acidity, bitterness, body and mouthfeel.

Pack unit Trade and logistics

A sales or delivery unit of a drink such as a crate, keg, carton or six-pack.

Geisha (Gesha) Coffee, tea and cocoa

An Arabica variety from south-western Ethiopia that became famous mainly through cultivation in Panama and is known for floral, tea-like aromas.

Fruit spirit (Geist) Spirits

A spirit from fruit steeped in neutral alcohol and then distilled, such as raspberry Geist. The spirit is aromatic and fresh.

Yellow tea Coffee, tea and cocoa

A rare Chinese tea category in which fixed leaves are kept warm and moist, turning them yellowish and milder.

Genmaicha Coffee, tea and cocoa

A Japanese green tea mixed with roasted rice grains, giving it a nutty, cereal-like taste.

Tannins Tasting

Plant phenols from skins, seeds and wood that cause a dry, tart feeling in the mouth.

Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) Law and labelling

An EU protection mark for products where at least one production stage takes place in the named area.

Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) Law and labelling

An EU quality label for products entirely made and processed in a defined area.

Beverage wholesale trade Trade and logistics

A wholesaler that supplies restaurants, retailers and event organisers with beverages in bulk and takes back empties.

Beverage retail Trade and logistics

The sale of beverages to end customers, for example in a beverage store, a specialist shop or via a delivery service.

Beverage supply contract (beer purchase agreement) Trade and logistics

A contract in which a business commits to buying drinks from a particular supplier over a longer period.

Beverage store Trade and logistics

A store with a wide range of drinks in crates and multipacks, usually with deposit return and self-collection.

Grain coffee (coffee substitute) Coffee, tea and cocoa

Coffee-like drink made from roasted barley, rye, malt or chicory – without coffee beans and caffeine-free.

Giling basah (wet hulling) Coffee, tea and cocoa

A processing method common in Indonesia in which the parchment is removed while the bean is still moist; typical of earthy, low-acid coffees.

Gin Spirits

A juniper spirit made from neutral alcohol and botanicals. Juniper must dominate in taste.

Ginger ale Non-alcoholic

Carbonated soft drink with ginger flavour, often used as a mixer.

Gongfu cha Coffee, tea and cocoa

A Chinese brewing style with a small teapot or gaiwan, plenty of leaf and many short infusions, practised especially for oolong and pu-erh.

Gose Beer

A top-fermented wheat beer with a slightly salty and tart note and coriander, originally from Goslar and Leipzig.

Grappa Spirits

Italian pomace brandy from the pressing residues of winemaking, meaning skins, seeds and stems of the grapes.

Grosses Gewaechs (GG) Wine and sparkling wine

VDP designation for dry top wines from the best sites (Grosse Lage) of member estates.

Growler Beer

A refillable bottle or jug, usually of glass or stainless steel, for taking fresh draught beer to go.

Green tea Coffee, tea and cocoa

An unoxidised tea whose leaves are heated early and stay green.

Gunpowder Coffee, tea and cocoa

A Chinese green tea whose leaves are rolled into small, firm pellets; the base for Moroccan mint tea.

Gutswein (estate wine) Wine and sparkling wine

Entry level of the VDP classification: wine from the estate's own vineyards, without a specific site name and mostly for easy enjoyment.

Gyokuro Coffee, tea and cocoa

A Japanese green tea from shaded tea bushes that tastes especially sweet and rich in umami and is brewed at low water temperatures.

Gypsy brewing Beer

Brewing without an own brewery: the brewer rents capacity at other breweries for their own recipes.

H

UHT milk Non-alcoholic

Ultra-heat-treated milk filled under aseptic conditions that keeps unopened for several months without refrigeration.

HACCP (food hygiene) Law and labelling

A system for identifying and controlling hazards in the production and serving of food.

Oat drink Non-alcoholic

Plant-based drink made from oats and water in which starch is broken down by enzymes; may not be called oat milk.

Medium dry Wine and sparkling wine

Taste designation for wine with slightly noticeable residual sweetness, between dry and sweet. The sugar content is legally limited.

Shelf life and best-before date Production

The best-before date states until when an unopened product keeps its qualities under proper storage; it is not an expiry date.

Happy hour Bar and cocktails

A period in which a bar or venue offers drinks at reduced prices, usually in the late afternoon or early evening.

Balance Tasting

A well-matched interplay of sweetness, acidity, bitterness, alcohol and aroma in which nothing stands out unpleasantly.

Hawthorne strainer Bar and cocktails

A bar strainer with a coiled spring that is placed on a shaker or mixing glass and holds back ice and coarse solids.

Hazy IPA (NEIPA) Beer

A cloudy, fruity-hoppy IPA with soft bitterness and full mouthfeel.

Yeast Production

Single-celled fungi that ferment sugar, forming alcohol, carbon dioxide and aroma compounds; decisive for style and taste.

Medicinal water Non-alcoholic

Water with a proven preventive or relieving effect that must be authorised under medicinal law.

Home delivery service Trade and logistics

A delivery service that brings crates of drinks to the door and takes the empties away in return.

Hot filling Production

Filling a drink into the bottle at high temperature and sealing it immediately, so that it stays low in germs.

Hot-air roasting (fast roasting) Coffee, tea and cocoa

A roasting method in which coffee beans are heated by a strong stream of hot air; in industry often a fast roast lasting only a few minutes.

Munich Helles Beer

A mild, easy-drinking, bottom-fermented lager of golden colour with a pronounced malt character, originally from Munich.

Origin labelling Law and labelling

A statement of the country or region a product comes from, with rules against misleading claims.

Hay milk Non-alcoholic

Milk from animals fed without silage; the name is protected throughout the EU as a traditional speciality guaranteed (TSG).

Highball Bar and cocktails

A tall, slim glass, or a simple drink served in it: a spirit with plenty of mixer and ice, such as a gin and tonic.

High-pressure processing Production

Preserving drinks, especially juices, with very high pressure instead of heat, keeping freshness and aroma well.

Hojicha Coffee, tea and cocoa

A roasted Japanese green tea with reddish-brown leaves that tastes toasty and caramel-like with hardly any bitterness.

Homogenisation Non-alcoholic

Mechanical breakdown of the fat globules in milk under high pressure so that no cream layer settles on the surface.

Honey process (pulped natural) Coffee, tea and cocoa

A processing method in which coffee beans are depulped but dried with the fruit mucilage still attached.

Honeybush Coffee, tea and cocoa

A caffeine-free infusion from South African Cyclopia shrubs that smells of honey and tastes mild and sweetish.

Hops Beer

A climbing plant whose cones give beer bitterness, aroma and keeping quality; with malt the most important beer ingredient.

I

IBU (International Bitterness Units) Beer

A figure for the bitterness of a beer; the higher the value, the more bittering compounds from hops it contains.

Independent bottler Spirits

A company that buys casks from distilleries and bottles them under its own name without distilling itself.

Proprietary bottle Trade and logistics

A reusable bottle with its own shape that only one bottler or brand fills and takes back.

Infusion Bar and cocktails

A process in which ingredients such as fruit, herbs or spices steep in a liquid to transfer their flavour.

India Pale Ale Beer

A hop-forward pale ale with pronounced bitterness and often a fruity, resinous aroma.

Irish whiskey Spirits

Whiskey from Ireland, often triple distilled and mild in taste. It must mature at least three years in wooden casks.

Isotonic drink Non-alcoholic

A sports drink with a similar concentration of dissolved particles as blood, supplying fluid, minerals and carbohydrates.

J

Vintage Wine and sparkling wine

The year in which the grapes of a wine were harvested. That year's weather influences ripeness, acidity and aroma.

Jasmine tea Coffee, tea and cocoa

Usually a green tea scented with fresh jasmine blossoms, giving it an intensely floral aroma.

Jigger Bar and cocktails

A double-sided metal measuring cup used to dose spirits and juices precisely in the bar.

Youth protection (alcohol sales) Law and labelling

Youth Protection Act rules on the age from which alcoholic drinks may be sold or consumed.

Julep strainer Bar and cocktails

A spoon-shaped, perforated bar strainer inserted into a mixing glass to pour stirred drinks without ice.

K

Kabinett Wine and sparkling wine

The lowest Prädikat level in Germany: light wines from ripe grapes, often fresh, with moderate alcohol.

Coffee belt Coffee, tea and cocoa

The name for the growing zone around the equator between the tropics, where almost all of the world's coffee is grown.

Coffee capsule and coffee pod Coffee, tea and cocoa

Pre-portioned coffee for specific machines: capsules made of aluminium, plastic or compostable material, pods made of filter paper.

Coffee cherry Coffee, tea and cocoa

The fruit of the coffee plant, which usually contains two seeds that later become coffee beans.

Coffee blend Coffee, tea and cocoa

A mix of coffees of different origins or varieties intended to achieve a consistent flavour profile.

Coffee tax Law and labelling

An excise tax in Germany on roasted and soluble coffee; it amounts to 2.19 euros per kilogram of roasted coffee and 4.78 euros per kilogram of soluble coffee.

Bean-to-cup coffee machine Coffee, tea and cocoa

A coffee machine that grinds, doses, tamps and brews beans at the push of a button and often froths milk too.

Ready-to-drink cocoa Coffee, tea and cocoa

Ready-mixed cocoa drink based on milk, usually sold chilled or UHT-treated, which is legally generally a milk mixed product.

Cocoa bean Coffee, tea and cocoa

Seed of the tropical cacao tree (Theobroma cacao) which, after fermentation, drying and roasting, yields cocoa mass, cocoa butter and cocoa powder.

Instant cocoa drink powder Coffee, tea and cocoa

Sweetened, quick-dissolving powder to be mixed with milk, which besides cocoa usually contains a high proportion of sugar.

Cocoa powder (high-fat and low-fat) Coffee, tea and cocoa

Powder made from roasted, ground and partly defatted cocoa beans which, under the German Cocoa Ordinance, contains at least 20% cocoa butter in dry matter, or less when highly defatted.

Cold stabilisation Production

Chilling a drink so that tartrates and proteins precipitate and do not appear later as crystals or haze in the bottle.

Carbonation Production

Enriching a drink with carbon dioxide, added externally or through fermentation, for tingle and freshness.

Karlsbad coffee maker Coffee, tea and cocoa

A traditional porcelain coffee maker in which a porcelain strainer with fine slits replaces the paper filter.

Crate Trade and logistics

A sturdy carrier for usually 12 or 20 bottles, issued with a deposit in the reusable system.

Keemun Coffee, tea and cocoa

A Chinese black tea from Qimen County in Anhui province, known for a soft, fruity, malty aroma with cocoa notes.

Kefir Non-alcoholic

Slightly fizzy fermented milk drink cultured with lactic acid bacteria and yeasts that contains traces of alcohol.

Kellerbier (cellar beer) Beer

Naturally cloudy, usually unfiltered beer with low carbonation, traditionally matured in a cool cellar.

Kenyan tea Coffee, tea and cocoa

Black tea from Kenya, one of the world's largest tea exporters, mostly produced by the CTC method and strong in flavour.

Kettle sour Beer

A tart beer in which the wort is soured with lactic acid bacteria before boiling.

Wine legs (church windows) Tasting

Streaks of droplets running down the glass after swirling that can hint at alcohol and extract content.

Clear ice Bar and cocktails

Ice without visible air inclusions that looks clearer and usually melts somewhat more slowly.

Kluntje Coffee, tea and cocoa

A large piece of white or brown rock candy placed in the cup before the tea is poured in East Frisian tea culture.

Caffeine content of coffee Coffee, tea and cocoa

The amount of caffeine in the coffee bean and drink, which depends mainly on the coffee species, dose and brewing method.

Carbonation Non-alcoholic

Carbon dioxide dissolved in a drink, providing tingle and freshness.

Coconut water Non-alcoholic

Clear liquid from inside young coconuts, not a coconut milk product.

Column still Spirits

A tall distillation column for continuous distilling. It produces high-strength, usually lighter and more neutral distillates.

Kölsch Beer

A pale, top-fermented, filtered beer from Cologne with mild hop and fruit character; protected as a designation of origin.

Kombucha Non-alcoholic

A fermented tea drink made with a culture of yeasts and bacteria; slightly sour and often sparkling.

Order picking Trade and logistics

Assembling ordered items from the warehouse for delivery or collection.

Terms Trade and logistics

Agreed price and delivery terms between supplier and trader, such as discounts, payment period and minimum quantities.

Contract brewing Beer

A brewer or brand that has its beer produced under contract at another brewery.

Cork and screw cap Wine and sparkling wine

Common bottle closures for wine: natural cork or alternatives such as screw caps. Both can protect wine well and each has quirks.

Cork taint Tasting

A musty, mouldy off-smell, mainly in wine, caused by the chemical TCA from the cork or the cellar environment.

Korn (German grain spirit) Spirits

German grain spirit from wheat, rye, barley, oats or buckwheat, without added flavouring, with at least 32 percent ABV.

Body Tasting

The impression of fullness and weight of a drink in the mouth, from light and slim to full and powerful.

Herbal infusion Coffee, tea and cocoa

An infusion of dried herbs or plant parts that does not come from the tea plant.

Cold chain Trade and logistics

Uninterrupted cooling of a product from filling until it reaches the customer.

Abbreviations on wholesale invoices Trade and logistics

Wholesalers abbreviate item names heavily – MW, DPG, PG, DS or 20ER tell you about deposit, packaging and contents.

L

Lagenwein (single-vineyard wine) Wine and sparkling wine

Wine from a single named vineyard site. In the VDP classification this includes Erste Lage and Grosse Lage.

Lager Beer

Umbrella term for bottom-fermented, cold-matured beers; internationally often a pale, mild beer.

Lactose-free milk Non-alcoholic

Milk whose milk sugar has been enzymatically split or removed and which in Germany must contain less than 0.1 g lactose per 100 g.

Lambic Beer

A Belgian beer made by spontaneous fermentation with wild yeasts and bacteria and often matured for years.

Landwein (regional wine) Wine and sparkling wine

Wine with protected geographical indication, simpler than quality wine but naming a larger region.

Lapsang Souchong Coffee, tea and cocoa

A Chinese black tea from the Wuyi Mountains in Fujian that is dried over pinewood fires and therefore tastes strongly smoky.

Lassi Non-alcoholic

Indian yoghurt drink prepared sweet, salted or with fruit such as mango.

Latte macchiato Coffee, tea and cocoa

A milk drink in a tall glass in which espresso is poured into hot, frothed milk, creating visible layers.

Layering Bar and cocktails

A technique in which ingredients of different density are carefully poured on top of each other to form separate visible layers.

Food Information Regulation (FIC) Law and labelling

The EU regulation specifying what information must appear on prepacked foods.

Empties Trade and logistics

Empty deposit bottles, crates and kegs that are returned to be reused or recycled.

Empty-container sorting Trade and logistics

Separating returned empties by bottle type, manufacturer and crate type for return to bottlers and breweries.

Rental equipment Trade and logistics

Equipment offered for rent for celebrations, such as tap systems, cooling units, glasses and festival furniture.

Liberica Coffee, tea and cocoa

A coffee species (Coffea liberica) from West and Central Africa with large beans and a strong, often smoky and fruity flavour; only a small share of the world market.

Supply chain Trade and logistics

The path of a drink from raw material via bottler, wholesaler and retailer to the customer.

Delivery note Trade and logistics

A document recording the type and quantity of delivered goods and any empties taken back.

Liqueur Spirits

A sweet spirit with alcohol, sugar and flavours from fruit, herbs, nuts or cream. Sugar content is at least 100 grams per litre.

Lemonade (soft drink) Non-alcoholic

A sweet carbonated soft drink made of water, sugar, acidulant and flavourings.

Listing Trade and logistics

Inclusion of an article in a trader's range or a supplier's article list.

London dry gin Spirits

Gin style in which all flavour comes from distilling botanicals in alcohol. Almost nothing may be added after distillation.

Long drink Bar and cocktails

A mixed drink of large volume, usually over ice in a tall glass, in which a spirit is lengthened with plenty of non-alcoholic mixer.

Lot marking Law and labelling

Mandatory batch identification on prepacked goods so that products are traceable.

Instant coffee Coffee, tea and cocoa

Dried coffee extract that dissolves instantly in hot water.

Solvent process (decaffeination) Coffee, tea and cocoa

Decaffeination of green coffee with approved extraction solvents such as dichloromethane or ethyl acetate, which are then largely removed.

Lungo Coffee, tea and cocoa

An espresso pulled with more water for longer, giving a larger, milder drink.

M

Skimmed milk Non-alcoholic

Largely skimmed drinking milk with no more than 0.5% fat, used both as a drink and as a raw material for many dairy products.

Grind size Coffee, tea and cocoa

The fineness of ground coffee, which must be matched to the brewing method.

Mashing Beer

Brewing step in which crushed malt is mixed with warm water so enzymes convert starch into sugar.

Malolactic fermentation Production

Conversion of sharp malic acid into milder lactic acid by bacteria, known as biological acid reduction.

Malt Beer

Germinated and dried grain, usually barley, which provides sugar, colour and flavour for beer.

Malt drink (Malzbier) Non-alcoholic

A dark, sweet, barely fermented malt drink with low alcohol.

Märzen (Oktoberfest beer) Beer

An amber to pale, bottom-fermented full-strength beer with a robust malt body; the base of many festival beers.

Matcha Coffee, tea and cocoa

A finely ground powder of shaded, steamed green tea leaves that is consumed whole.

Yerba mate Coffee, tea and cocoa

Caffeinated infusion made from the dried leaves of the South American mate plant.

Maceration Production

Soaking plant or fruit parts in a liquid so that aromas, colour and constituents pass into it.

Medium (lightly sparkling) Non-alcoholic

Mineral water with moderate carbonation, less tingling than classic.

Reusable offer obligation Law and labelling

Since 2023, hospitality businesses must also offer take-away food and drinks in reusable packaging.

Reusable bottle Trade and logistics

A bottle that is cleaned after return and refilled many times.

Returnable crate Trade and logistics

Deposit-bearing plastic crate for returnable bottles that stays in circulation until returned.

VAT on drinks Law and labelling

Most drinks are taxed at the standard rate of 19 percent; milk and certain milk drinks at the reduced 7 percent.

Mezcal Spirits

Mexican agave spirit from various agave species whose hearts are usually cooked in earth pits, which often gives a smoky taste.

Milk coffee (café au lait) Coffee, tea and cocoa

A coffee drink of coffee and hot milk in roughly equal parts, traditionally drunk from a bowl in France.

Flavoured milk drink (milk mixed product) Non-alcoholic

Drink made from milk or dairy products with flavouring ingredients such as cocoa or fruit preparation, which may make up no more than 30%.

Milkshake Non-alcoholic

Cold, creamy blended drink made from milk and usually ice cream, often with fruit, syrup or chocolate.

Best-before date Trade and logistics

The date until which a product retains its specific qualities when stored properly.

Minerality Tasting

Contested tasting term for stony, salty or chalky impressions in wine.

Mixology Bar and cocktails

The craft and science of cocktail making, combining technique, knowledge of ingredients and creative recipe development.

Mocktail Bar and cocktails

A non-alcoholic cocktail prepared with the techniques and care of classic cocktails.

Moka pot Coffee, tea and cocoa

A stovetop brewer in which steam pressure forces hot water upward through coffee grounds.

Whey and whey drink Non-alcoholic

Greenish-yellow liquid that drains off when making cheese and quark, and the mostly fruit-flavoured drinks made from it.

Muddling Bar and cocktails

Pressing fruit, herbs or sugar with a pestle in a glass or shaker to release their aromas and juices.

Muddler Bar and cocktails

A stick-shaped tool made of wood, plastic or stainless steel used to press fruit, herbs or sugar in a glass or shaker.

Multivitamin juice Non-alcoholic

A blend of several fruit juices, often with added vitamins; juice, nectar or drink depending on its content.

Mouthfeel Tasting

The tactile perception of a drink in the mouth, such as creamy, sparkling, velvety, astringent or oily.

N

Nutrition declaration Law and labelling

A table of energy and nutrients per 100 millilitres or grams on prepacked foods.

No age statement (NAS) Spirits

Whisky without an age on the label, where the age of the youngest component is not stated.

Nose Tasting

The smell impression of a drink, perceived by smelling the glass before drinking.

Washed processing Coffee, tea and cocoa

A processing method in which the fruit pulp is removed and washed off before the beans are dried.

Low-sodium mineral water Non-alcoholic

Mineral water with less than 20 milligrams of sodium per litre, suitable for low-salt diets.

Natural mineral water Non-alcoholic

Officially recognised water from underground sources protected against contamination, bottled at the source and original in its purity.

Natural mineral water (designation) Law and labelling

Officially recognised water from a protected underground source that may only be treated in limited ways.

Cloudy juice Non-alcoholic

Fruit juice that has not been clarified by filtering, containing fruit particles and natural haze.

Natural wine Wine and sparkling wine

Wine made with as little intervention and additives as possible. There is no uniform legal definition.

Near water (flavoured water) Non-alcoholic

Lightly flavoured water, usually with little or no sugar, positioned between water and lemonade.

Neat Bar and cocktails

A serving style in which a spirit is poured pure, without ice, water or mixer, at room temperature.

Nominal volume Law and labelling

The volume stated on the package to which the net quantity labelling refers.

Nilgiri Coffee, tea and cocoa

A black tea from the Nilgiri Hills in southern India that tastes fresh, fragrant and mild and is harvested almost all year round.

O

Top-fermented Beer

Fermentation method with yeasts working at 15 to 24 degrees Celsius that collect at the top of the vessel.

Fruit brandy Spirits

Distillate from fermented fruit without added alcohol or flavouring. Typical examples are Kirschwasser, plum brandy and Obstler.

Oleo saccharum Bar and cocktails

A citrus-oil and sugar mix in which sugar draws the essential oils out of citrus peels.

On the rocks Bar and cocktails

A serving style in which a drink is presented over ice cubes in the glass, usually a tumbler.

Oolong Coffee, tea and cocoa

A partially oxidised tea that lies between green and black tea.

Orange Pekoe (OP) Coffee, tea and cocoa

A black tea leaf grade of whole, usually long twisted leaves; the term describes the leaf form, not a taste of orange.

Orange wine Wine and sparkling wine

White wine fermented on the skins like red wine. This gives it colour, tannins and powerful aromas.

Orthodox manufacture Coffee, tea and cocoa

The traditional method of black tea manufacture with withering, rolling, oxidation and drying, in which the leaf largely stays intact.

Ortswein (village wine) Wine and sparkling wine

Middle VDP tier: wine from sites of one named village, meant to show the character of that parish.

East Frisian blend Coffee, tea and cocoa

Very strong black tea blend with a high share of Assam, traditionally drunk in East Frisia with rock sugar and cream.

Oxidation Tasting

A change in a drink caused by oxygen that breaks down freshness and fruit and creates notes of nuts, sherry or cardboard.

Oxidation (tea) Coffee, tea and cocoa

An enzymatic reaction in damaged tea leaves in which compounds react with oxygen, shaping the colour and flavour of oolong and black tea.

P

Pallet (Euro pallet) Trade and logistics

A standardised wooden load carrier on which drinks are stacked for transport and storage.

Event beverage supply Trade and logistics

Supplying celebrations and events with drinks and equipment, including return of unused goods.

Pasteurisation Production

Briefly heating to below boiling point to kill germs and make the drink last longer.

Peaberry Coffee, tea and cocoa

A coffee bean that developed alone rather than in a pair inside the coffee cherry and is therefore round rather than flat.

Perlage Tasting

The rising and appearance of carbonation bubbles in sparkling wine, champagne or beer; fine and lasting is a sign of quality.

Semi-sparkling wine (Perlwein) Wine and sparkling wine

Wine with light carbon dioxide and lower pressure than sparkling wine. It fizzes gently and is often offered in simpler qualities.

Pet-Nat (Pétillant Naturel) Wine and sparkling wine

Lightly sparkling wine in which the first fermentation is completed in the bottle, without a second fermentation.

Deposit Trade and logistics

An amount charged on top of the price when buying a container and refunded when it is returned.

Deposit system Trade and logistics

The whole of deposit collection, take-back, settlement and return of containers.

Pilsner Beer

A pale, bottom-fermented beer with a clear hop bitterness and a lean body. It is the most widely drunk style in Germany.

Pisco Spirits

Grape brandy from Peru and Chile, distilled from wine or grape must.

Pool bottle Trade and logistics

A uniformly designed reusable bottle shared by many bottlers and exchanged among them.

Port wine Wine and sparkling wine

Fortified sweet wine from Portugal's Douro Valley whose fermentation is halted by adding brandy.

Pot still Spirits

Copper batch still used for distillation; typical for malt whisky, cognac and many rums.

Prädikat wine Wine and sparkling wine

Highest German quality tier based on grape ripeness, without added sugar. Levels range from Kabinett to Trockenbeerenauslese.

Pressing Production

Separating juice from fruit or mash using pressure, as the basis for juice, must, wine and fruit brandies.

Primary aromas Tasting

Aromas that come directly from the grape or raw material, such as fruit, flowers or herbs.

Proof Spirits

Historical measure of alcohol content. In the USA one proof equals half a percent by volume, so 80 proof is 40 % vol.

Prosecco Wine and sparkling wine

Italian sparkling or semi-sparkling wine from the Glera grape, usually tank-fermented, fruity and light.

Pu-erh Coffee, tea and cocoa

A fermented tea from China's Yunnan province that is often pressed and aged.

Q

Quality wine (Qualitätswein) Wine and sparkling wine

German quality level for wine from a designated growing region that passed an official test and meets minimum requirements.

Spring water Non-alcoholic

Water from underground sources bottled at the spring; must meet drinking water quality but need not be officially recognised.

R

Radler (shandy) Beer

A beer mix drink of beer and lemon soda, usually 1:1; called Alsterwasser in northern Germany.

Rauchbier (smoked beer) Beer

Beer from malt kilned over beechwood fire, with a distinct smoke and bacon aroma, especially from Franconia.

Grape variety Wine and sparkling wine

The type of grapevine a wine is made from, such as Riesling or Pinot Noir. It shapes aroma, acidity and style.

Maturity notes Tasting

Aromas created by ageing, such as honey, leather, tobacco or nuts, that distinguish matured drinks from young ones.

Maturation Production

The time after production in which a drink rests and its aromas, structure and harmony develop.

Purity law (Reinheitsgebot) Beer

Historic rule from 1516 allowing beer to be made only from water, malt, hops (and yeast); today anchored in the provisional beer law.

Remaining shelf life Trade and logistics

Time remaining until the best-before date at delivery or sale.

Residual sugar Tasting

Sugar that remains in the drink after fermentation, given in grams per litre and decisive for the degree of sweetness.

Retronasal perception Tasting

Perception of aromas that travel from the mouth through the throat to the nose when exhaling, shaping the flavour impression.

Reverse dry shake Bar and cocktails

A variant of the dry shake in which the drink is first shaken with ice, strained and then shaken again without ice.

Rim Bar and cocktails

A coating of salt, sugar or spice on the glass edge that complements the drink's taste and look.

Rimming Bar and cocktails

A method in which the rim of a glass is coated with salt, sugar or spices.

Ristretto Coffee, tea and cocoa

A particularly short, concentrated espresso made with less water.

Robusta Coffee, tea and cocoa

A coffee species (Coffea canephora) that is hardy and high-yielding, contains more caffeine and gives a strong, bitter flavour.

Green coffee Coffee, tea and cocoa

The dried, unroasted seeds of the coffee cherry, the form in which coffee is traded and stored internationally.

Raw milk and certified raw milk Non-alcoholic

Milk not heated above 40 °C that may be supplied to consumers only under strict conditions, for example as certified raw milk or directly from the farm.

Rolling (tea) Coffee, tea and cocoa

A processing step in which withered tea leaves are twisted and pressed to break the cells and give the leaf its shape.

Rolling Bar and cocktails

A gentle mixing technique in which a drink is rolled back and forth between shaker cups without being shaken.

Rooibos Coffee, tea and cocoa

A caffeine-free infusion from the needle-like leaves of a South African shrub, usually sold as tea.

Rosé Wine and sparkling wine

Wine of pink to light red colour made from red grapes where the skins remain in contact with the juice only briefly.

Roast date (coffee freshness) Coffee, tea and cocoa

Information on when a coffee was roasted; it says more about freshness than the best-before date.

Roast level Coffee, tea and cocoa

A measure of how far coffee has been roasted, from light with more acidity to dark with roast aromas and bitterness.

Roasting Coffee, tea and cocoa

Heating of green coffee beans, during which colour, aroma and flavour develop.

Red wine Wine and sparkling wine

Wine made from red or blue grapes, with colour and tannins taken from the skins during fermentation on the mash.

Take-back obligation for deposits Law and labelling

Retailers selling one-way packaging subject to deposit must take back comparable packaging.

Rebate Trade and logistics

A subsequent refund or credit from the supplier, usually depending on the quantity purchased.

Stirring Bar and cocktails

A gentle preparation method in which ingredients are chilled and diluted with ice in a mixing glass using a bar spoon, keeping the drink clear.

Mixing glass Bar and cocktails

A tall, heavy glass vessel with a spout in which drinks are stirred with ice rather than shaken.

Rum Spirits

A spirit from sugarcane juice or molasses, fermented and distilled. White, golden and dark styles exist, often cask-aged.

Rye whiskey Spirits

Whiskey whose mash consists mainly of rye. It often tastes spicier and drier than bourbon.

S

Juice from concentrate Non-alcoholic

Juice from which water was first removed and later added back; equivalent in fruit content.

Samovar Coffee, tea and cocoa

A metal water heater with a tap on which a small pot of strong tea concentrate is kept warm; typical of Russian and Iranian tea culture.

Acidity Tasting

The sour taste impression of a drink, giving freshness and liveliness; it should balance with sweetness.

Acidity in coffee Coffee, tea and cocoa

A taste impression of freshness and liveliness in coffee that comes from fruit acids and other acids in the bean and roast.

SCA score (cupping score) Coffee, tea and cocoa

A score on a 100-point scale used to rate coffee in a standardised tasting; from 80 points it counts as specialty coffee.

Licence to serve alcohol Law and labelling

Official permission to serve alcoholic drinks in a restaurant or pub.

Head Tasting

The foam on a freshly poured drink, especially beer; it affects appearance, aroma and mouthfeel.

Sparkling wine Wine and sparkling wine

Umbrella term for wine with carbon dioxide from fermentation and high bottle pressure, including Sekt, Champagne, Cava, Crémant and Prosecco Spumante.

Sparkling wine duty Law and labelling

An excise duty on sparkling wine, levied by quantity.

Schnaps Spirits

Colloquial umbrella term for clear, high-proof spirits; not a fixed legal category.

Fining Production

Treatment with additives that bind haze and unwanted substances and let them settle, so the drink becomes clear.

Spritzer (juice and sparkling water) Non-alcoholic

A non-alcoholic mixed drink of fruit juice and mineral water, usually 1:1 to 1:2.

Schwarzbier (black lager) Beer

A dark, bottom-fermented beer with mild roasted notes, lighter than stout.

Black tea Coffee, tea and cocoa

A fully oxidised tea with a strong flavour and a dark cup colour.

Sulphiting Production

Adding sulphur dioxide as a preservative that inhibits oxidation and microbes; labelling as sulphite is required.

Swirling Tasting

A circular movement of the glass that brings a drink into contact with air and releases aromas.

Scotch whisky Spirits

Whisky from Scotland that must be matured for at least three years in oak casks.

Second flush Coffee, tea and cocoa

The year's second picking, mainly for Darjeeling – stronger and rounder than the first flush.

Sekt (German sparkling wine) Wine and sparkling wine

Quality sparkling wine with higher carbon dioxide pressure, made by a second fermentation in bottle or tank.

Secondary aromas Tasting

Aromas formed during fermentation and further processing, such as yeast, butter or banana notes.

Sencha Coffee, tea and cocoa

Japan's most popular green tea: steamed and rolled, with a fresh, grassy taste.

Serving temperature Tasting

The temperature at which a drink is served; it largely determines how aroma, sweetness, acidity and carbonation come across.

Shaking Bar and cocktails

A preparation method in which ingredients are shaken hard with ice in a shaker to chill, dilute and combine them.

Shaker Bar and cocktails

A vessel for shaking drinks with ice, usually a Boston shaker made of two tins or a three-piece cobbler shaker.

Sherry Wine and sparkling wine

Fortified wine from the area around Jerez in Andalusia, aged using the solera system.

Short drink Bar and cocktails

A small, concentrated cocktail of roughly 60 to 100 millilitres, usually served without ice in a stemmed glass, such as the Martini or Manhattan.

Shrub Bar and cocktails

A mix of fruit, sugar and vinegar used as a sweet-sour syrup in drinks or as a refreshment.

Portafilter Coffee, tea and cocoa

A metal handle with a basket that holds the coffee grounds and locks into the group head of an espresso machine.

Single cask Spirits

A bottling taken exclusively from a single cask, not blended with whisky from other casks.

Single malt Spirits

Whisky made from malted barley distilled at a single distillery, usually in pot stills. It is not mixed with other distilleries.

Single origin Coffee, tea and cocoa

Coffee that comes from a single country, region or even a single farm.

Syrup Bar and cocktails

A thick, heavily sweetened preparation of juice, sugar and flavourings used to sweeten or flavour drinks.

Small batch Spirits

A trade and marketing term for spirits made or bottled in small batches.

Smoothie Non-alcoholic

A pureed drink of whole fruit or vegetables, often with juice or yoghurt; thick and fruity.

Sommelier Wine and sparkling wine

Wine professional in hospitality and retail, responsible for selection, purchasing, storage, service and advice on wine and drinks.

Product range Trade and logistics

The totality of articles a trader carries.

Sour Bar and cocktails

A cocktail family of spirit, lemon or lime juice and sugar or syrup, balancing sweetness and acidity.

Spätlese Wine and sparkling wine

Prädikat level for wine from late-picked, fully ripe grapes. Usually fuller than Kabinett, and can be dry or sweet.

Specialty coffee Coffee, tea and cocoa

A term for particularly high-quality coffee that scores at least 80 out of 100 points according to the criteria of the Specialty Coffee Association.

Spherification Bar and cocktails

A molecular-gastronomy technique in which liquid is formed with alginate into small spheres with a thin gel skin.

Splash Bar and cocktails

An imprecise measure for a small pour of liquid, larger than a dash, roughly one to two bar spoons.

Spritz Bar and cocktails

A light aperitif drink of sparkling wine, a bitter aperitif or liqueur and a splash of soda, served over ice.

Sprudel (sparkling water) Non-alcoholic

Colloquial German term for water with plenty of carbonation, regionally also for mineral water in general.

Original gravity Beer

The amount of dissolved substances in the wort before fermentation, given in degrees Plato or percent; determines strength and body.

Still water Non-alcoholic

Mineral water with no or very little carbon dioxide, calm in the glass.

Stout Beer

A very dark, top-fermented beer with roasted notes of coffee and chocolate from heavily roasted barley or malt.

Straight up Bar and cocktails

A preparation chilled with ice and then strained, served without ice in the glass, usually a stemmed cocktail glass.

Strainer Bar and cocktails

A sieve that holds back ice, fruit pulp or herb remnants when a drink is poured out.

Drop shipment Trade and logistics

A sale in which goods go directly from the producer to the customer without passing through the trader's warehouse.

Sulphite declaration Law and labelling

A mandatory note 'contains sulphites' above 10 milligrams of sulphur dioxide per kilogram or litre.

Sweetness Tasting

The sweet taste impression, mainly caused by sugar but also influenced by alcohol and glycerol.

T

Table water Non-alcoholic

A manufactured drink made from drinking water, mineral water or other ingredients, with added minerals or carbon dioxide.

Tamping Coffee, tea and cocoa

Pressing the ground coffee in the portafilter flat with a tamper so that water flows through evenly.

Tank method (Charmat) Production

Sparkling wine production in which the second fermentation takes place in a pressure tank rather than in the bottle.

Tannins Wine and sparkling wine

Astringent compounds from grape skins, seeds, stems and wood. They give red wine structure and a dry, gripping mouthfeel.

Tap takeover Beer

An event in which a brewery fills several or all taps of a venue with its beers.

Taproom Beer

A bar attached to a brewery that serves the brewery's own freshly tapped beer.

Tea-like products Coffee, tea and cocoa

A food-law collective term for infusions made from plant parts that do not come from the tea plant, such as herbal, fruit or rooibos tea.

Tea bag Coffee, tea and cocoa

A portioned bag of filter paper or other material containing tea or herbal/fruit infusions, usually filled with fine leaf grades.

Tea grades Coffee, tea and cocoa

Trade terms such as Orange Pekoe or Broken that describe leaf size and shape of tea.

Tea plant (Camellia sinensis) Coffee, tea and cocoa

An evergreen plant whose leaves give black, green, white tea, oolong and pu-erh.

Tequila Spirits

Mexican spirit from blue agave with protected origin. Blanco, reposado and añejo exist depending on ageing time.

Terroir Wine and sparkling wine

The interplay of soil, climate, site and human practice that gives a wine from a particular place its character.

Tertiary aromas Tasting

Aromas developed through ageing in cask or bottle, such as nuts, leather, tobacco or honey.

TGFOP, FTGFOP and SFTGFOP Coffee, tea and cocoa

High leaf grades for whole-leaf black tea with many golden tips, used mainly for Darjeeling and Assam.

Theobromine Coffee, tea and cocoa

Bitter-tasting, mildly stimulating constituent of cocoa, chemically related to caffeine but considerably milder in effect.

Third wave (coffee) Coffee, tea and cocoa

A term for a coffee movement that focuses on origin, green coffee quality and craft preparation.

Throwing Bar and cocktails

A technique in which a drink is poured in a high arc back and forth between two vessels to aerate and chill it.

Tonic water Non-alcoholic

A carbonated, slightly bitter soft drink with quinine, popular as a refreshment and mixer.

Peat and peated whisky Spirits

When malted barley is kilned over peat fires, the malt takes up smoke. The whisky then tastes smoky, medicinal or maritime.

Route planning Trade and logistics

Planning of delivery trips in which customer stops, time windows and vehicle capacity are combined into efficient routes.

Traditional method Production

Sparkling wine production with second fermentation in the bottle, as for Champagne; also called méthode champenoise.

Grape juice Non-alcoholic

Fruit juice from wine grapes; sweet and, if unfermented, alcohol-free.

Trinitario Coffee, tea and cocoa

Cross between Criollo and Forastero that originated on Trinidad and combines fine aroma with hardier plants.

Drinking yoghurt Non-alcoholic

Liquid, drinkable yoghurt, usually with fruit preparation or flavourings, which under German law has a defined dry-matter content.

Drinking chocolate Coffee, tea and cocoa

Hot drink made from melted chocolate or drinking chocolate powder with milk or water, richer and creamier than plain cocoa.

Dry Wine and sparkling wine

Taste designation for wine with very little residual sugar. German law sets upper limits depending on acidity.

Dry and off-dry Tasting

Designations of the perceived sweetness of a drink; dry means barely sweet, off-dry slightly sweet and sweet clearly sweet.

Natural processing Coffee, tea and cocoa

A processing method in which whole coffee cherries are dried before the outer layers are removed.

Trockenbeerenauslese (TBA) Wine and sparkling wine

Highest classic Prädikat level: highly concentrated sweet wine from raisin-like, botrytised berries.

Drum roasting (slow roasting) Coffee, tea and cocoa

A classic roasting method in which coffee is roasted over a longer period in a heated, rotating drum.

Sediment and lees Production

Settled solids such as yeast, protein and fruit remnants that collect at the bottom of tank, cask or bottle.

Turkish coffee (cezve) Coffee, tea and cocoa

A traditional preparation in which very finely ground coffee is brought to the boil with water in a small pot and served unfiltered.

Twist Bar and cocktails

A thin strip of citrus peel that is squeezed over a drink to release its essential oils, then often used as garnish.

Typica Coffee, tea and cocoa

One of the oldest cultivated Arabica varieties, from which many of today's coffee varieties descend.

U

Umami Tasting

The fifth basic taste besides sweet, sour, salty and bitter: savoury and rich, as from glutamate; of minor importance in drinks.

Bottom-fermented Beer

Fermentation with cold-loving yeasts at about 4 to 12 degrees Celsius that settle at the bottom; the basis of lagers.

V

Vacuum distillation Production

Distilling under reduced pressure so that liquids evaporate at low temperature and delicate aromas are protected.

VDP (association of German Prädikat wine estates) Wine and sparkling wine

Association of German Prädikat wine estates: a group of wineries with its own stricter quality rules and a vineyard classification.

Taster and sommelier Tasting

Professionals who judge and describe drinks; the sommelier also advises restaurants on drinks and food pairing.

Tasting Tasting

A systematic examination of a drink with eyes, nose and palate to judge appearance, aroma, taste and quality.

Packaging Act (VerpackG) Law and labelling

Federal act on packaging duties (deposit, registration, reusables); replaced on 12 August 2026 by an EU regulation and an implementing act.

Packaging register LUCID Law and labelling

A public register where producers must register their packaging before placing it on the market.

Blending Production

Combining several batches, varieties or vintages into one drink with a consistent, desired style.

Whole milk Non-alcoholic

Drinking milk with a fat content of at least 3.5%, either standardised to this value or with its natural fat content.

Alcohol by volume (ABV) Spirits

Statement of alcohol content as a share of total volume at 20 degrees Celsius. On labels it appears as % vol.

Heads and tails Spirits

The first and last fractions during distilling, which are separated off. Between them lies the middle cut, the drinkable heart.

Temporary licence Law and labelling

A time-limited permit to serve alcohol at a party or event without a permanent licence.

Packaging unit (VPE) Trade and logistics

The smallest quantity in which a supplier sells an item, for example one crate or one carton.

VS, VSOP, XO (age statements) Spirits

Age grades for cognac and similar brandies indicating the minimum maturation time in cask.

W

Goods receipt Trade and logistics

Acceptance and checking of delivered goods against the delivery note and the order.

Water treatment Production

Cleaning and adjusting process and mixing water for hardness, mineral content and purity, since water makes up most of most drinks.

Water hardness Non-alcoholic

Measure of dissolved calcium and magnesium salts in water, stated in degrees of German hardness (°dH).

Water temperature (tea) Coffee, tea and cocoa

The temperature of the brewing water, which varies greatly by type of tea and, together with steeping time and leaf quantity, largely determines the flavour.

Water process (decaffeination) Coffee, tea and cocoa

A decaffeination process without chemical solvents in which caffeine is dissolved from green coffee with water and removed using activated carbon.

Pasture milk Non-alcoholic

Milk from cows with regular access to pasture; the term is not legally defined and is guided by industry standards.

Wine quality categories Law and labelling

Quality tiers under wine law, from wine without origin to Prädikatswein.

Weinbrand (German brandy) Spirits

A spirit from distilled wine, aged in oak. The designation is regulated in Germany.

Grape harvest Wine and sparkling wine

Harvest of wine grapes, in Germany mostly in autumn, by hand or by machine.

White tea Coffee, tea and cocoa

A lightly processed tea made from young buds and leaves that is only withered and dried.

Weissherbst Wine and sparkling wine

Rosé wine made from a single red grape variety, designated as quality wine of one variety and one region.

White wine Wine and sparkling wine

Wine usually made from light-skinned grapes that are pressed before fermentation without skin contact.

Wheat beer Beer

A top-fermented beer with a large share of wheat malt; fruity and spicy with banana and clove notes.

Withering Coffee, tea and cocoa

The first processing step of tea leaves, in which they lose water and become soft.

Vermouth Wine and sparkling wine

Aromatised, fortified wine flavoured with herbs and spices, including wormwood.

Whisky / Whiskey Spirits

A spirit from fermented grain mash, distilled and matured in wooden casks. Origin and grain determine the style.

Winemaker (vintner) Wine and sparkling wine

A person or business that grows vines and makes wine from them, often from vineyard to bottling.

Vodka Spirits

A neutral-tasting spirit from grain, potatoes or other raw materials, usually heavily filtered, at 37.5 percent or more.

Wulkje (cream cloud) Coffee, tea and cocoa

Cream that, in East Frisian tea culture, is carefully added to the tea at the edge of the cup and rises like a little cloud without being stirred.

Wort Beer

The sugary liquid obtained from mash and hops that forms the base of beer before fermentation.

Z

Draught system / dispensing system Trade and logistics

Equipment that cools, pressurises and dispenses draught beer.

Centilitre and bar spoon measure Bar and cocktails

The usual bar measure: 1 cl equals 10 ml. A bar spoon holds roughly 5 ml, which is half a centilitre.

Centrifugation Production

Separating solids from liquid by rapid rotation to remove sediment, yeast or pulp.

Steeping time Coffee, tea and cocoa

The time tea or coffee steeps in hot water before it is poured off or removed.

Simple syrup Bar and cocktails

A simple solution of sugar and water, usually 1:1 or 2:1, that sweetens cocktails and mixes in easily.

Ingredient list Law and labelling

A list of a food's ingredients in descending order by weight.

Zwickelbier Beer

Naturally cloudy, unfiltered beer drawn straight from the sampling tap (Zwickel) of the maturation tank, with gentle carbonation.