John Barleycorn vs liquor

John Barleycorn and liquor both are nouns.

Word	Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
John Barleycorn	Yes	No	No	No
liquor	Yes	No	No	No

As nouns, John Barleycorn and liquor are synonyms defined as:

John Barleycorn and liquor: an alcoholic beverage that is distilled rather than fermented

Other synonyms of John Barleycorn include booze, hard drink, hard liquor, spirits, strong drink.

John Barleycorn (noun)	liquor (noun)
an alcoholic beverage that is distilled rather than fermented	an alcoholic beverage that is distilled rather than fermented
	the liquid in which vegetables or meat have been cooked
	a liquid substance that is a solution (or emulsion or suspension) used or obtained in an industrial process