Sugar and other ingredients

Ordinary white sugar can be used to produce a plain alcohol which will be similar to vodka. However, you may wish to use other sugars to help flavour specific drinks. Moonshiners generally added a bit to their corn mash to boost the alcohol content!

Corn sugar for example ferments very well and would be a good choice for a corn based alcohol, along with cracked corn.

Cane sugar, molasses and brown sugars are the choices when making rum, since rum is made from sugar cane that has been burned and pressed to release its syrupy juice.

Agave sugar or syrup can be used to make tequila, since tequila is made from the roasted and pressed blue agave plant!

And, maple syrup makes a mighty fine maple liqueur when mixed with plain alcohol!