→ How to Pronounce Cocktails, Wine & Spirits

Bar & Cocktail Pronunciation

Beer
Franziskaner — frahn-tsiss-KAH-ner — LISTEN
Harnaś — HAR-nash
Hitachino Nest — hee-TAH-chee-no

Hoegaarden — HOO-gar-den
Kasztelan — kash-TEH-lahn

Leinenkugel's — LIE-nen-koo-gulz
Łomża — WOAM-zhah
Löwenbräu — LUR-ven-broy

Pilsner Urquell — PILZ-ner UR-kwell
Singha — SING
Smithwick's — SMITH-icks
Tsingtao — CHING-dow
Yuengling — YING-ling

Weihenstephaner — VY-en-shtay-fah-ner — LISTEN

Bitters
Angostura — ang-uh-STOOR-uh — LISTEN

Boker's — BOH-kers
Peychaud's — pay-SHOHZ — LISTEN

Regans' — REE-gunz — LISTEN

Cocktails

Aperol Spritz — AP-er-ol spritz

Batida — bah-CHEE-dah (or bah-TEE-dah)

Bijou — BEE-zhoo
Boulevardier — boo-luh-var-dee-AY
Caipirinha — kai-pee-REEN-yah
Daiquiri — DAI-kuh-ree
Kir Royale — keer roy-AL
Mai Tai — MY-tie
Mojito — moh-HEE-toh

Negroni — neh-GROH-nee

Paloma — pah-LOH-mah

Piña Colada — PEEN-yah koh-LAH-dah

Sazerac — SAZ-uh-rak
Ti' Punch — tee POONSH
Vieux Carré — vyuh kah-RAY — French for “Old Square,”

referring to the French Quarter. — LISTEN

Cognac/Brandy
Armagnac — ar-mahn-YAK
Calvados — kal-vah-DOHS

Courvoisier — koor-vwah-ZYAY — LISTEN

Hennessy — HEN-uh-see
Rémy Martin — ray-MEE mar-TAN

Gin

Beefeater — BEEF-ee-ter
Bombay Sapphire — bom-BAY SAF-fire
Hendrick's — HEN-dricks

Tanqueray — TANG-kuh-ray

Bar & Cocktail Terms

Anise — ANN-iss

Aperitif — ah-pair-uh-TEEF
Cinchona — sin-KOH-nah

Digestif — dee-zhess-TEEF

Demerara — dem-uh-RARE-uh

Macerate — MASS-uh-rate

Mise en place — meez ahn PLAHS

Nouvelle — noo-VELL — French for “new.”
Orgeat — or-ZHAHT — LISTEN
Sommelier — suh-muhl-YAY
Terroir — tair-WAHR
Verjus — vair-ZHOO

Worcestershire — WUSS-ter-sheer — LISTEN

Spirits

Absinthe — AB-sinth — LISTEN
Amaro — ah-MAH-roh

Amaro Montenegro — ah-MAH-roh mon-teh-NAY-groh
Anisette — ANN-ih-SET
Apéritif — ah-pair-uh-TEEF
Amaretto di Saronno — ah-mah-RET-toh dee sah-ROHN-noh
Becherovka — BEH-kher-ov-kah — LISTEN

Bénédictine — beh-neh-deek-TEEN
Chambord — sham-BOARD

Chartreuse — shar-TROOZ
CioCiaro Amaro — cho-CHAR-oh ah-MAH-roh
Cocchi — KOH-kee
Cognac — KOHN-yak — LISTEN
Cointreau — KWAHN-troh
Crème de cassis — krem duh kah-SEES
Crème de cacao — krem duh kah-KOW — LISTEN
Crème de noyaux — krem duh nwah-YOH
Curaçao — KYOOR-uh-sow (rhymes with cow) — LISTEN
Cynar — chee-NAHR

Disaronno — dee-sah-ROHN-noh
Drambuie — dram-BOO-ee
Falernum — fah-LER-num
Fernet — fair-NET — LISTEN

Frangelico — frahn-JEH-lee-koh
Galliano — gahl-YAH-noh — LISTEN
Grand Marnier — grahn mar-NYAY

Licor 43 — lee-KOR koo-ah-REN-tah ee TRES
Lillet — lee-LAY

Luxardo — loo-ZAR-doh — LISTEN
Maraschino — mare-uh-SKEE-noh
Pernod — pair-NOH
Punt e Mes — POONT eh MESS
Rumple Minze — ROOM-pull MINTS
Sambuca — sam-BOO-kah

St-Germain — san zher-MAN
Tuaca — too-AH-kah

Rum

Cachaça — kah-SHAH-sah — LISTEN

Clément — clay-MAHN

Demerara — dem-uh-RARE-uh

Goslings — GOZ-lingz

Mount Gay — mount GAY
Neisson — nay-SOHN
Rhum agricole — rum ah-gree-KOHL

Wray & Nephew — RAY and NEF-yoo

Tequila & Mezcal

Añejo — ahn-YEH-hoh — means “aged.” — LISTEN

Blanco — BLAHN-koh

Joven — HOH-ven

Extra Añejo — EKS-trah ahn-YEH-hoh

Milagro — mee-LAH-groh — means “miracle.”
Mezcal — mess-KAHL
Reposado — reh-poh-SAH-doh — means “rested.” — LISTEN

Vodka

Aivy — AY-vee
Arbikie — ar-BEE-kee

Belvedere — BEL-vuh-deer
Chopin — SHOW-pan
CÎROC — suh-ROK

Ketel One — KET-ul one
Sobieski — soh-BYESS-kee — LISTEN

Żubrówka — zhoo-BROOF-kah — LISTEN

The bar world is filled with words borrowed from French, Italian, Spanish, Gaelic, Polish, German, Japanese, and plenty of other languages that apparently never got together to discuss phonics. Even seasoned bartenders occasionally encounter a bottle and think, I know what you are—I just don't know how to say you.

This guide covers commonly mispronounced beers, spirits, cocktails, wines, brands, and bar terms using easy-to-read phonetic spellings.

For some of the real tongue-twisters, click — LISTEN to hear the word spoken in

real-world videos. Good to know: the pronunciation site allows up to 20 free uses per day before requiring a paid plan—so choose your tongue-twisters wisely.

And remember, pointing at a bottle and saying, “I'll have that one,”

is always Plan B. 😂

Whiskey/Whisky

AMERICAN

Bulleit — BUL-it
Michter's — MICK-terz — LISTEN
OYO — oh-WHY-oh
Platte Valley — PLAT valley
Rendezvous Rye — RAHN-day-voo rye
Sazerac Rye — SAZ-uh-rak rye

IRISH

Greenore — green-ORE
Jameson — JAY-muh-sun

Kilbeggan — kil-BEG-un
Knappogue Castle — nah-POHG castle

Redbreast — RED-brest

Tullamore D.E.W. — TULL-ah-more dew
Tyrconnell — tur-KON-ul

JAPANESE

Hibiki — hee-BEE-kee

Miyagikyo — mee-yah-GEE-kyoh

Nikka — NEE-kah

SCOTCH WHISKY

Aberlour — ab-er-LOW-er
anCnoc — ah-NOCK

Ardbeg — ard-BEG
Auchentoshan — OCK-en-TOSH-en
Bowmore — boh-MORE
Bruichladdich — brook-LADD-ee
Bunnahabhain — boo-na-HAH-ven
Caol Ila — cull-EE-lah
Cardhu — car-DOO

Craigellachie — cray-GELL-ah-kee
Dalwhinnie — dal-WHIN-ee
Glenfarclas — glen-FAR-klas
Glenfiddich — glen-FID-ick — LISTEN
Glenkinchie — glen-KIN-chee
Glenlivet — glen-LIV-it
Glenmorangie — glen-MOR-an-jee — rhymes roughly with orangey — LISTEN
Glenrothes — glen-ROTH-iss
Highland — HIGH-land
Islay — EYE-lah — LISTEN
Jura — JOOR-ah
Kilchoman — kil-HOH-man
Lagavulin — lag-ah-VOO-lin
Laphroaig — lah-FROYG

Ledaig — leh-CHIG
Lowland — LOW-land
Macallan — mah-KAL-an
Oban — OH-bin — LISTEN

Port Askaig — port ASS-kig
Talisker — TAL-iss-ker
The Balvenie — bal-VEN-ee
Tomatin — toh-MAH-tin
Tomintoul — tom-in-TOWEL

Wine

Beaujolais — boh-zhoh-LAY

Cabernet Sauvignon — cab-er-NAY soh-veen-YOHN
Chablis — shah-BLEE
Chardonnay — shar-doh-NAY
Chianti — kee-AHN-tee
Cuvée — koo-VAY
Dom Pérignon — dom pair-in-YOHN — LISTEN

Gewürztraminer — guh-VURTS-trah-mee-ner — LISTEN
Moët & Chandon — moh-WET and shahn-DOHN — LISTEN

Pinot Noir — pee-noh NWAHR

Prosecco — proh-SEK-koh
Riesling — REES-ling
Sancerre — sahn-SAIR

Sauvignon Blanc — soh-veen-YOHN blahn — LISTEN
Segura Viudas Cava — seh-GOO-rah vee-OO-dahs KAH-vah

Tempranillo — tem-prah-NEE-yoh
Veuve Clicquot — vuv klee-KOH — Veuve means “widow.” Barbe-Nicole became known as Veuve Clicquot—Widow Clicquot—after her husband died.

Viognier — vee-own-YAY