Also called "brown likka" or "brown
juice", brown liquor refers to any number of brown colored alcoholic beverages: bourbon, brandy and Cognac Brown
juice is enjoyed in glasses, snifters, and cups--both plastic and pimp-- straight up, on the rocks and in mixed drinks. They can be drunk by sipping or, for the more adventurous, "taken to the
head"--swallowed all at once.
Brown liquors are frequently drunk at backyard barbecues by uncles named Willie, Shorty or Shark, aunts named
Peaches, Sisseretta or Precious, and play-cousins named
Pookie. At these events, brown liquor is accompanied by brown liquor
music.
However, appreciation of brown liquor crosses generations. It is enjoyed by members of the hip hop and contemporary R&B sets as well. Brown liquor has been immortalized in many hip hop and R&B songs including Busta Rhymes' "Pass the Courvoisier" and Jill Scott'
s "Crown Royal on
Ice". Cognac, also known as "'yak" or "the 'nyac" is an essential ingredient of the "Thug Passion" cocktail popularized by a song of the same name by Tupac Shakur.
Remy (Remy Martin), Erk &
Jerk (E&J), Courvoisier, Crown Royal, Henny (Hennessy) and Wild
Turkey are several examples of
brown liquor.
