First, it is a member of the alcoholic beverage family represented by wine. This is made by fermenting fruit juice.
Fermentation means that yeast and bacteria break down starches and sugars and convert them into other substances. In this case, yeast and bacteria convert the juice into alcohol.
Next is sake, or brewed alcohol, such as sake and beer. This is made by first converting the starch in grains such as rice and barley into sugar using enzymes, and then fermenting the sugar.
Finally, shochu, awamori, whiskey, brandy, vodka, rum, and other liquors are made by heating a liquid containing alcohol and distilling it to extract a very high alcohol content. These liquors are called distilled liquors because they are made in this way.
As you can see, there are many different ways to make and types of alcohol.