noun
brewed liquor; fermented alcoholic beverage
Refers to alcoholic drinks made by fermentation (e.g., sake, beer, wine), as opposed to distilled spirits (蒸留酒) or mixed liqueurs (混成酒).
日本酒は醸造酒の一種です。
Sake is a type of brewed liquor.
ビールやワインも醸造酒に分類される。
Beer and wine are also classified as brewed alcoholic beverages.
混成酒 refers to liqueurs or mixed alcoholic drinks, often made by adding flavorings to distilled spirits, distinct from the purely fermented 醸造酒.
Compound of 醸造 (brewing) + 酒 (alcohol). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the term is a straightforward technical compound.