Wine is made from fruit, and the juice, sometimes with added water and sugar, is fermented with yeast. The result is a drink that is alcoholic and usually between 8 and 14 percent alcohol.

Spirits on the other hand can be made using wine, grain or even just plain sugar. It’s also fermented, but is always the result of distilling the alcohol out of the ‘wine’, to give a higher percentage drink. Usually between 20 and 50 percent alcohol, although some, like Everclear are about 90 percent alcohol which is pretty much nearly pure alcohol.

In all cases, the alcohol produced is ethanol or ethyl alcohol (same thing).