The Bar Snob: How to speak like a bar snob

Asking for a fancy drink and then pronouncing it wrong is one of the easiest ways to lose bar cred. Here's a phonetic guide to saying the names of some common bottles.

Bulleit. BULL-it. Yep, it's easier than you'd think. The "i" in this Kentucky bourbon is silent, and there's no need to attempt a French accent.

Chambord. sham-BOARD. The black raspberry liqueur gets its name from a picturesque French village.

Chimay. shim-MAY. It's the fanciest Belgian beer you're likely to find in bars around these parts, and it's a definite step up from the pedestrian Stella Artois.

Cointreau. kwan-TROW. It's not quite as swanky an orange liqueur as Grand Marnier, but it'll do in a pinch.

Courvoisier. core-VWAH-see-yay. The pricy French cognac surged in popularity back in 2002 after Busta Rhymes mentioned it by name. See also: Cristal. (kree-STALL).

Curacao. CURE-uh-sow. Pronouncing this citrus liqueur correctly is the only way to save face while ordering a blue-colored drink.

Dom Perignon Dom PEAR-in-yon. The real Dom Perignon was a Benedictine monk who helped introduce the world to sparkling wines.

Framboise. fram-BWAZ. The super-sweet Belgian lambic beer tastes like raspberries. But it's way more hip to order than Razzmatazz.

Glenmorangie. glen-MORangey. The Scotch whiskey's name rhymes with orangey.

Grand Marnier. GRAHN marn-YAY. Sits atop the orange liqueur heap. Try ordering this blend of cognacs and bitter orange essence neat.

Hoegaarden. WHO-garden. An easy way to establish bar snobbery is to let all your friends order their "hoe-gardens," then order yours the proper way.

Veuve Clicquot. VIV KLEE-koh. The grand lady of champagnes has a slightly more complex pronunciation in France, but in the States, this will do just fine.