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Shopping · ~20 min

Spirit labels decoded

Learn which words on a bottle are law vs marketing — then read American whiskey, agave, and Scotch labels for Manhattans and Margaritas.

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Evan Williams Bottled-in-Bond white label beside black label — real brand examples for reading law vs marketing

4 lessons in this path

Start here · Labels

Spirit labels decoded

Category, proof, and origin first — then adjectives. Law vs marketing on every bottle.

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2. Labels

American whiskey labels

Bourbon, rye, straight, bonded — and why Canadian “rye” is not US rye.

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3. Labels

Agave spirit labels

100% de agave, NOM, CRT tiers — the Margarita shopping checklist.

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4. Labels

Scotch whisky labels

Single malt vs blend, what “12 Years” means, peat as intensity — for Rob Roys and Penicillins.

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