After Dark word list

A strong green anise-flavored spirit.

“One sip of absinthe and the letters started rearranging themselves.”

An almond-flavored Italian liqueur.

“He ordered amaretto smoothly and spelled it catastrophically.”

A dry to medium-dry style of sherry that is aged oxidatively after developing under flor.

“As soon as amontillado appeared in the late-night round, everyone started silently counting letters.”

A drink taken before a meal to whet the appetite.

“He swirled his aperitif and then choked on the final F.”

A wild party of drinking and revelry.

“Their book club is secretly a bacchanal with one book.”

Wild festivities marked by heavy drinking, revelry, or uninhibited celebration.

“Someone mentioned bacchanalia during the late-night round, and the conversation took a turn.”

A person who spends a lot of time in bars.

“Every barfly at that place knows him by his tab.”

Going from one bar to another during the same outing.

“The group had heard barhopping before the late-night round, but nobody trusted the spelling.”

A person who prepares and serves drinks at a bar.

“Nobody in the late-night round questioned the meaning of bartender; the letters were the problem.”

A prolonged session of heavy drinking.

“That weekend bender explains a lot about tonight's score.”

A cocktail made with whiskey, sweet vermouth, and Campari.

“The host repeated boulevardier twice in the late-night round before anyone wanted to go first.”

An American whiskey made mostly from corn.

“The bourbon agreed with everything he said, unfortunately.”

A theatrical entertainment style combining comedy, performance, and often glamorous or suggestive striptease.

“The late-night round paused for a second when burlesque showed up.”

Mildly drunk.

“He claims he spells better buzzed, and he is wrong.”

Live entertainment featuring music, comedy, dance, or variety acts in an intimate venue.

“The late-night round paused for a second when cabaret showed up.”

A dry red wine made from a widely grown grape.

“She swirled the cabernet and forgot the silent T entirely.”

A Brazilian cocktail made with cachaça, lime, and sugar.

“The host repeated caipirinha twice in the late-night round before anyone wanted to go first.”

A noisy, lively drinking party.

“The carousal went quiet the second this word came up.”

Drinking, celebrating, and socializing loudly or energetically.

“Someone confidently said carousing in the late-night round and immediately got challenged on the spelling.”

Sparkling wine from a region of France.

“Save the champagne until someone actually spells this.”

An alcoholic drink made from apples.

“The cider was innocent; his spelling was not.”

A mixed alcoholic drink.

“One more cocktail and he sings.”

A friendly, lively atmosphere of eating, drinking, and socializing together.

“Someone used conviviality correctly during the late-night round, then immediately second-guessed the spelling.”

Playfully flirtatious.

“That coquettish smile will not distract the judges. Much.”

Sick from excessive drinking or eating.

“He showed up crapulous and blamed the appetizers.”

An orange-flavored liqueur.

“The curacao is blue, like his team after that attempt.”

Also accepted: curaçao

A rum drink with lime and sugar.

“The daiquiri is frozen and so is everyone trying to spell it.”

The area of a venue set aside for dancing.

“The word dancefloor sparked the longest debate of the late-night round.”

Excessive indulgence.

“The weekend was pure debauchery.”

A person with an uncontrollable craving for alcohol.

“The dipsomaniac at the end of the bar spelled it perfectly, somehow.”

Excessive indulgence in pleasure, partying, or self-indulgent behavior.

“The late-night round paused for a second when dissipation showed up.”

A place where spirits such as whiskey, vodka, or gin are produced by distillation.

“The room knew exactly what distillery meant during the late-night round and still hesitated on the spelling.”

To behave playfully as if romantically interested.

“He tried to flirt with the judge for extra points.”

Behaving in a playfully romantic way.

“She got flirtatious with the scorekeeper and it worked.”

An aromatic white wine grape variety and the wine made from it.

“Nobody wanted to volunteer for gewurztraminer after the first syllable.”

Also accepted: Gewürztraminer

The aftermath of too much drink.

“This hangover has a personality.”

The pursuit of pleasure above all else.

“Tonight's theme is hedonism with a strict spelling requirement.”

Feeling ill after drinking too much.

“He arrived hungover and left humbled.”

A woman someone is in love with.

“He misspelled the name of his own inamorata, twice.”

Drunk or affected by alcohol.

“He sounded inebriated by the end of the night.”

Lack of moderation, especially in drinking alcohol or pursuing pleasure.

“One person at the late-night round swore they knew intemperance; the spelling attempt said otherwise.”

Under the influence of drink.

“He was mildly intoxicated by trivia.”

A clear cherry brandy traditionally distilled from fermented cherries.

“Someone mentioned kirschwasser during the late-night round, and the conversation took a turn.”

A light, crisp style of beer.

“He nursed one lager and still forgot the alphabet.”

A drink poured or consumed.

“One libation for the host.”

A sweetened alcoholic spirit flavored with fruit, herbs, spices, nuts, or other ingredients.

“Everyone in the late-night round knew liqueur, but spelling it aloud was another story.”

A man who seduces carelessly.

“Our resident lothario just got rejected by a vowel.”

A cherry preserved in sweet liqueur.

“She took the maraschino cherry and left the double letters behind.”

A drink of spirits, lime, and orange liqueur.

“One margarita per wrong answer is not a strategy.”

A drink of gin or vodka with vermouth.

“He ordered a martini to look smart before missing the word.”

A drink of champagne mixed with orange juice.

“One mimosa in and she challenged the whole table.”

To move around and chat with people.

“Go mingle, and stop hovering near the snack table.”

A bartender who specializes in creating cocktails.

“Everyone in the late-night round knew mixologist, but spelling it aloud was another story.”

The craft of mixing drinks.

“His mixology degree did not cover spelling under pressure.”

A mixed drink containing no alcohol.

“The designated driver's mocktail came with a superiority garnish.”

A drink taken before bed.

“A nightcap turned into four.”

A late-night venue for music, dancing, drinks, and socializing.

“The host read out nightclub during the late-night round, and half the room asked to hear it again.”

Entertainment and social activity that happens at night, especially in bars, clubs, and venues.

“Someone mentioned nightlife during the late-night round, and the conversation took a turn.”

The study and science of wine and winemaking.

“She knew the oenology facts but not where all the vowels went.”

A person who is especially knowledgeable about or fond of wine.

“The self-proclaimed oenophile still misspelled the wine list.”

A man who has many casual romances.

“The philanderer knew every name in the bar except this word.”

To drink before going out for the night.

“They pregame before spelling night, which explains the scores.”

An Italian sparkling white wine.

“The prosecco popped louder than his confidence.”

Slightly indecent.

“The toast got risque fast.”

Also accepted: risqué

A punch of wine mixed with fruit.

“Two cups of sangria and she invented a new vowel.”

Causing public outrage.

“Her story was genuinely scandalous.”

A strong alcoholic spirit or flavored liqueur, depending on regional style.

“The late-night round table recognized schnapps instantly and still could not agree on the spelling.”

The act of enticing someone.

“That playlist is attempted seduction.”

A trained wine expert in a restaurant.

“The sommelier can smell a bad vintage and a bad spelling.”

A hidden bar.

“The speakeasy is behind a fridge door.”

Attractively passionate; also hot and humid.

“She gave a sultry wink and stole his turn.”

Stylishly luxurious and expensive.

“This swanky party still ends with someone crying over vowels.”

Devoted to luxury, pleasure, and sensual enjoyment.

“The room knew exactly what sybaritic meant during the late-night round and still hesitated on the spelling.”

A spirit distilled from agave.

“The tequila made the decisions.”

Slightly drunk.

“She got tipsy and started spelling everything in cursive out loud.”

A fortified wine flavored with herbs.

“He knows his vermouth but not his silent letters.”

A clear distilled spirit.

“The vodka made the letters look negotiable.”

A spirit distilled from fermented grain.

“The whiskey said yes when everyone else said no.”

Also accepted: whisky

A friend who helps you approach someone.

“A good wingman would have whispered the second letter.”

Dizzy and unsteady.

“He went woozy halfway through a five-letter word.”