liquor vs John Barleycorn

liquor and John Barleycorn both are nouns.

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

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

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

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

liquor (noun)	John Barleycorn (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