brown liquor

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.