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Spirits & Distilling

legs (or tears)

From The Oxford Companion to Spirits & Cocktails

refer to the trail of liquid left by a spirit on the inside of a glass when it is tilted or swirled. Observing the quality of the legs as a determinant of body is a common step in the initial visual assessment of a liquor during a tasting session. Thick, slow-moving legs indicate greater viscosity, which may be a function of more advanced age, higher alcohol, or added sugar.

McGhee, Harold. On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the Kitchen, rev. ed. New York: Scribner, 2004.

By: David Mahoney

This definition is from The Oxford Companion to Spirits & Cocktails, edited by David Wondrich (Editor-in-Chief) and Noah Rothbaum (Associate Editor).