酒 in Chinese / Japanese...

酒 is the Chinese character, Korean Hanja, and Japanese Kanji which means alcohol.

This can refer to wine (esp. rice wine), liquor, spirits, sake, or to alcoholic beverages in general.

In the west, we tend to say “sake” to mean Japanese rice wine, however, this character is a little ambiguous in Japanese. It literally just means alcohol and is often pronounced “shu” in Japanese. Specifically, in Japanese, you might want to ask for “seishu” or 清酒 to get the sake that you are used to in the west. Seishu literally means “clear alcohol.”

啤酒 means beer in Chinese.

This can refer to virtually any fermented grain-based alcoholic beverage that has bubbles. So this includes all kinds of ales and lagers.

In China, the grains used for beer sometimes include rice. But even in Chinese beer, the concept is the same - beer must be made with hops and yeast.

Beer was the third word I learned in Chinese, and I've toured 3 different breweries in China, Tsing Tao, Lao Shan, and Yanjing. I've done my research on this calligraphy entry!

葡萄酒 is the Chinese, Japanese Kanji, and old Korean Hanja for wine.

Very specifically, this is for grape wine (an important distinction in Asia where most wines were rice-based until western influences came into play).

The first word, 葡萄 literally means grape (or grapevine), and 酒 means alcohol (generic term for alcohol, sake, wine, liquor).

杜松子酒 is the full Chinese name for the alcohol known as gin.

If you like this juniper-berry-based liquor, this could be your title. Don't skimp on the vermouth!

酒池肉林 is a Chinese idiom that is also somewhat known in Japanese and Korean.

This literally means “lakes of wine and forests of meat.”

Figuratively, it refers to debauchery, sumptuous entertainment, a sumptuous feast, or any kind of ridiculously-lavish spread of food and wine.

酒后吐真言 / 酒後吐真言 is a nice Asian proverb if you know a vintner or wine seller - or wine lover - although the actual meaning might not be exactly what you think or hope.

The literal meaning is that someone drinking wine is more likely to let the truth slip out. It can also be translated as “People speak their true feelings after drinking alcohol.”

It's long believed in many parts of Asia that one can not consciously hold up a facade of lies when getting drunk, and therefore the truth will come out with a few drinks.

I've had the experience where a Korean man would not trust me until I got drunk with him (I was trying to gain access to the black market in North Korea which is tough to do as an untrusted outsider) - so I think this idea is still well-practiced in many Asian countries.

VS

Please note that there are two common ways to write the second character of this phrase. The way it's written will be left up to the mood of the calligrapher, unless you let us know that you have a certain preference.

白酒紅人面黃金黑世心 literally says: [Just as] white liquor makes people's faces turn red, [So] yellow gold makes people's hearts turn black.

This is a warning about the nature of greed. The suggestion is that one who lusts for gold and riches will eventually have a black heart (or become a heartless greedy bastard). As a wall scroll, this is a reminder and warning to keep yourself from following the greedy path.

不殺生不偷盜不邪淫不妄語不飲酒 is the full list of the five precepts of Buddhism in Chinese.

There are many ways to translate or express these.
The following is one basic way:
1. Do not kill/murder.
2. Do not steal.
3. Do not commit adultery and/or sexual misconduct.
4. Do not lie or speak falsehoods.
5. Do not become intoxicated (with drugs/alcohol).

Here is another take from my favorite magazine: Lion's Roar: Five Precepts