American whiskey is a distilled beverage produced in the United States from a fermented mash of cereal grain. The primary types of spirit included under this designation are bourbon whiskey, rye whiskey, rye malt whiskey, malt whiskey, wheat whiskey, Tennessee whiskey, and corn whiskey. All of these are made from mashes with at least 51% of their named grains.

Also included are blended whiskeys, blends of straight whiskeys, grain whiskeys, and spirit whiskeys, which do not specify a dominant grain. In the case of blends, American whiskeys may include artificial colors and flavorings. Laws regulating the above products vary between those produced for consumption within the United States and those exported abroad