Liqueurs

Liqueur and Cordial are terms used for sweetened distilled alcoholic beverages: pastis, triple sec, amari, Chartreuse, Benedictine, etc.

A sweet alcoholic beverage made from an infusion of flavoring ingredients (such as seeds, fruits, herbs, flowers, nuts or spices) and a spirit (such as brandy, rum or whiskey). The flavorings can be added in one of three fashions; steeping, percolating/filtering, and redistilling. Essential oils and extracts are used to flavor many of today's liqueurs. Artificial flavorings make a lackluster contribution to the less expensive brands. Most commercial liqueurs are made with closely guarded secret formulas.

Also called cordials and ratafias, liqueurs are usually high in alcohol and range from 49 proof for Cherry Heering to 110 proof for green Chartreuse. The crème liqueurs (such as Crème de Menthe) are distinguished by being sweeter and more syrupy. Liqueurs were originally used (and some still are) as a digestive. They are now usually served after dinner but also play an important role in many cocktails. Liqueurs can also be used in cooking, particularly for desserts.

Abricotine - An apricot liqueur made in France

Absinthe - AB-sinth. Absinthe reached its peak of popularity and notoriety around the end of the nineteenth century. Reputed to be an aphrodisiac, absinthe is a potent, bitter liqueur distilled from wormwood and flavored with a variety of herbs. The ingredient that caused all the fuss was wormwood (actually deleterious only when taken in immense doses). Absinthe is a green-hued cordial and has a distinct anise flavor and is 68 percent alcohol (136 proof). Absinthe is usually diluted with water, which changes the color of the liqueur from green to milky white. Because it was considered habit forming and hazardous to health, absinthe was prohibited in many countries and was banned in the United States in the early 1900s. Absinthe has been available in the United States since 2007.

Advocaat - ad-voh-KAHT. Reminiscent of eggnog, this Dutch liqueur is made with brandy, egg yolks and sugar.

Amaretto - am-ah-REHT-toh. An after-dinner liqueur with an almond flavor that is made in Italy from apricot kernels, though it's often made with the kernels of apricot pits. The original liqueur, Amaretto di Saronno, was first made in Saronne, Italy, in 1525. Many American distilleries now produce their own amaretto.

Recipe for Homemade Amaretto
Recipe for Toasted Almond (amaretto, Kahlua, cream)
Recipe for Almond Mocha (coffee, Kahlua & Amaretto - almond)
Recipe for Peartini (pear vodka, amaretto, spiced simple syrup)

Anesone - AN-uh-sohn; an-uh-SOH-nay. A clear anise-flavored liqueur that is drier and of a higher proof than anise.

Anisette - AN-ih-seht; an-ih-SEHT. A clear, very sweet liqueur made with anise seeds and tasting of licorice.

Bahai - A coffee flavored Brazilian liqueur.

Bailey's Irish Cream - A mocha flavored whiskey and double-cream liqueur, a combination of Irish whiskey, cream, coffee, chocolate, and coconut.

Recipe for Homemade Irish Cream Liquor
Recipe for B-52 (Grand Marnier, Kahlua, Bailey's)
Recipe for Mudslide (vodka, Kahlua, Bailey's)
Recipe for Nutty Irishman/Hot Nutty Irishman with coffee (Frangelico - hazelnut, Bailey's)

Bénédictine - ben-eh-DIHK-teen. The oldest and perhaps most famous liqueur in the world, Benedictine dates from 1510. A sweet liqueur named after the Benedictine monks of the Abbey of Fecamp in the Caux district of Normandy, who first began making it in the 16th century. Though the recipe is a closely guarded secret, it is known that Bénédictine is Cognac-based and flavored with various aromatic, fruit peels and herbs. Its formula, which calls for twenty seven different herbs, plants, and peels, is a secret that has never been successfully been duplicated. Benedictine takes three years to make, followed by four years of aging.

B&B: A mixture of cognac and Benedictine, yielding a drier product than Benedictine alone.

Blue Curaçao (pronounced Cure-ah-souw) is an orange liqueur invented in the 19th century by Dutch settlers on Curaçao, an island in the Caribbean. There were originally several colors of Curaçao liqueur, including clear, blue, red, green and orange. The most popular colors today are blue and clear. The liqueur is flavored with the Laraha orange peel, a special type of orange tree that grows on the island. The original curacao liqueur has been made on the island since 1896. The Bols company invented Blue Curacao and started selling it as early as 1912. It’s become popular over the years for making blue tropical drinks that are often associated with beach resorts.

Blue Curaçao has a sweet orange peel flavor, with subtle bitter finish. The flavor is similar to Triple Sec, with a touch more bitterness. Also see "Curaçao" below.

Recipe for Sapphire Martini (gin or vodka)
Recipe for Blue Cosmopolitan (vodka, Triple Sec, lime & cranberry juices)
Recipe for Blue Hawaiian/Blue Hawaii (rum, blue curaçao, pineapple juice, coconut cream)
Recipe for Blue Lagoon (vodka, lemonade)
Recipe for Blue Margaritas (over ice or frozen)
Recipe for Blue Bayou (vodka, blue curaçao, pineapple & grapefruit juices)

Chambraise - A French liqueur made from wild strawberries

Chambord - A French liqueur made from small black raspberries

Chartreuse - A famous herbal French liqueur still produced by the Carthusian monks in France from a formula dating back to 1605 and containing 130 herbs and spices. This exquisite liqueur is available in two colors: yellow and green.

Cherry Heering - A famous, deep red, cherry-flavored liqueur made in Denmark. Created by Peter Heering and produced in Denmark since 1818, Cherry Heering is a ruby-red liqueur made by soaking lightly crushed Danish cherries and a blend of spices in neutral grain spirits, then cask-maturing the mixture for up to five years, adding sugar during the aging process.

Recipe for Cherry Liqueur
Recipe for Cherry Bounce

Cherry Marnier - A French cherry liqueur with a hint of almond

Chéri-Suisse - A Swiss liqueur with a cherry-chocolate flavor.

Cointreau - KWAHN-troh; kwahn-TROH. A fine, colorless, orange-flavored liqueur made from the dried skins of Curaçao oranges grown on the island of the same name in the Dutch West Indies. Cointreau is probably the most recognized brand of orange liqueur in the triple sec style. See Curaçao below.

Cream of Coconut - A coconut syrup used in many exotic drinks.

Crème Liqueurs - are distinguished by being sweeter and more syrupy.

Crème d'abricots - krehm dah-bree-KOH. A sweet apricot liqueur.

Crème d'amande - krehm dah-MAHND. A pink, almond-flavored liqueur.

Crème d'ananas - krehm dah-nah-NAHS. Pineapple-flavored liqueur.

Crème de Banane - krehm deuh bah-NAHN. A sweet liqueur with a full, ripe banana flavor.

Crème de Cacao - krehm deuh kah-KAH-oh. A dark, chocolate-flavored liqueur with a hint of vanilla, quite sweet and syrupy. White crème de cacao is a clear form of the same liqueur.

Recipe for Chocolate Liqueur

Crème de Cassis - krehm deuh kah-SEES. Black currant-flavored liqueur; an integral ingredient in Kir. Commercial production of crème de cassis began over 150 years ago in Burgundy, France (“cassis” means “blackcurrant” in French).

Outside of French borders, however, crème de cassis has had to navigate some troubled waters. In the latter half of the 19th century, U.S. distillers began growing blackcurrants and producing their own versions of the Burgundian liqueur. American production halted abruptly after the turn of the century, when the federal government banned growing blackcurrants because they carry white pine rust, a potential threat to the timber industry. Though imported versions of the liqueur remained on sale in the U.S., the drink’s popularity dwindled.

Although state governments lifted the blackcurrant-growing ban when disease-resistant strains were introduced, the intensely flavored tart fruit is yet to regain its previous popularity stateside.

Recipe for Homemade Crème de Cassis
Recipe for Kir and Kir Royal.

Crème de Cerise - krehm deuh sehr-EEZ. A French cherry-flavored liqueur.

Crème de Menthe - krehm deuh MENTH; MAHNT. Tasting of cool summer mint, this moderately sweet liqueur comes clear (called white) or green-colored.

Crème de Noyaux - krehm deuh nwah-YOH. The word noyaux is French for "fruit pits," and this sweet pink liqueur is flavored with the pits of various fruits. The resulting flavor is that of bitter almonds.

Crème de Rose - krehm deuh ROSE. An exotically scented liqueur flavored with rose petals, vanilla and various spices.

Crème de Violette - krehm deuh VEE-oh-leht; vyoh-LEHT. Dutch liqueur, amethyst in color, perfumed and flavored with essence of violets.

Crème Yvette - also called Creme d'Yvette or Creme de Yvette, is a proprietary liqueur made from parma violet petals with blackberries, red raspberries, wild strawberries and cassis, honey, orange peel and vanilla. It was once manufactured by Charles Jacquin et Cie in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, who purchased the brand formerly made by Sheffield Company of Connecticut. It became almost impossible to find after production stopped in 1969. The liqueur was, however, recently resurrected by Rob Cooper, the creator of St. Germain elderflower liqueur. In the fall of 2009, 40 years after it stopped production, Charles Jacquin et Cie revived the liqueur.

Cuarente Y Tres - A brandy based liquor from Spain containing 43 ingredients and a hint of vanilla. Also known as Licor 43.

Curaçao - KYOOR-uh-soh; KOO-rah-soh. An orange-flavored liqueur made from the dried peel of bitter oranges found on the Caribbean island of Curaçao. Curaçao may be blue, white, or orange in color. The taste is the same for all three.

What's the Difference Between Orange Curaçao and Triple Sec?

Four hundred years ago, the Dutch were some of the world's greatest traders and, not coincidentally, great distillers. They'd preserve the spices, herbs, and fruit brought home on ships in flavored liqueurs and other spirits. Curaçao was one of those liqueurs, flavored with bitter orange peels from the island of the same name. At the time, the liqueur would have had a heavy, pot-distilled brandy as its base.

Then the French came along (a couple hundred years later) and invented triple sec. The "sec" meaning "dry," or less sweetened than the Dutch liqueur. The origin of the "triple" is still up for debate, but the two leading schools of thought are "triple distillation" versus "three times as orangey". Triple sec was also clear, whereas curaçaos were dark in color.

Today, triple secs are usually still clear (made from a base of neutral spirits), whereas curacaos may start that way and be colored orange, blue, and even red. Cointreau is probably the most recognized brand of orange liqueur in the triple sec style, and Grand Marnier, despite being French, is more in line with the Dutch curaçao style as it has an aged brandy base.

Drambuie - dram-BOO-ee. A golden, Scotch-based liqueur consisting of Highland malt scotch whiskey sweetened with heather honey and flavored with herbs.

Eau de Vie - oh deuh VEE. French for "water of life," this term describes any colorless, potent brandy or other spirit distilled from fermented fruit juice. Kirsch (made from cherries) and Framboise (from raspberries) are the two most popular eaux de vie.

Forbidden Fruit - An American liqueur made from shaddock (grapefruit) and cognac

Fraisettee - Cordial made from alcoholic syrup, white wine and strawberries.

Framboise - Cordial made from raspberries, with high a alcohol content. See Eau de Vie

Frangelico - fran-JELL-ih-koh. A hazelnut-flavored liqueur enhanced with a secret formula of flower and berry essences.

Recipe for Hazelnut Liqueur

Galliano - gal-LYAH-noh. A sweet, anise-flavored, golden yellow liqueur with an herby, spicy taste, made in Italy.

Glayva - gla-VAH. This Scottish liqueur is made with Scotch whisky, honey and a well-guarded herbal formula.

Goldwasser - GOLT-vahs-sehr; GOLD-vahs-sehr. Originally made by Danzig in 1598, goldwasser is a spicy citrus flavored liqueur with 22k gold flakes mixed in. Also called Danziger Goldwasser, this full-bodied liqueur is flavored with caraway seed, orange peel and spices. Its name, which translates from German as "gold water," comes from the fact that it has minuscule flecks of gold leaf suspended in it. The gold leaf is harmless to drink.

Grand Marnier - GRAN mahr-NYAY. An orange-flavored cognac based French liqueur of the Dutch Curaçao type. See Curaçao.

Herbsaint - Developed and made primarily in New Orleans, Herbsaint is an anise-flavored liqueur that is used in such specialties as Oysters Rockefeller.

Irish Mist - A famous liqueur produced in Ireland, consisting of Irish whiskey and heather honey.

Izarra - ih-ZAHR-ruh. An herb-flavored liqueur based on Armagnac (A fine French brandy from Gascony, near Condom, a town southeast of Bordeaux. Like Cognac, Armagnac is aged in oak for up to 40 years.), Izarra is available in yellow and green varieties, the latter being the stronger of the two.

Kahlúa - kah-LOO-ah. Coffee liqueur originating in Mexico made from Mexican coffee beans.

Recipe for Homemade Coffee Liqueur

Kirschwasser - A strong, dry (not sweet) black cherry fruit brandy made by both the Germans and the French. See Eau de Vie

Kümmel - KIHM-uhl; KOO-muhl. A sweet colorless cordial liqueur of Dutch origin made from caraway seeds, cumin seeds, coriander seeds and aniseed, with herb flavors added.

Malibu - A Jamaican coconut flavored rum liqueur.

Mandarine Liqueur - man-duh-RIHN. An orange-flavored liqueur made with Cognac and mandarin oranges.

Maraschino - mar-uh-SKEE-noh; mar-uh-SHEE-noh. A bittersweet, cherry-flavored Italian liqueur made from wild marasca cherries (and their crushed pits) grown in the area of Trieste. This liqueur is sometimes used in sours in place of sugar.

Midori - mih-DOOR-ee. A pale green liqueur of Japanese origin that tastes of fresh honeydew melon.

Ouzo - OO-zoh. From Greece, this clear, sweet anise-flavored liqueur is usually served on the rocks as an Apéritif. It's generally mixed with water, which turns it whitish and opaque.

Parfait Amour - Cordial made of citron, cinnamon, coriander, and brandy.

Passion Fruit - A liqueur made in Hawaii from peaches or mangos.

Peanut Lolita - A liqueur made from peanuts.

Pear Liqueur - A Hungarian made liqueur, some even have a pear in the bottle.

Peppermint Schnapps - A mint flavored liqueur similar to crème de menthe, but lighter bodied and less sweet.

Pernod - pehr-NOH. A yellowish, anise-flavored liqueur similar to Absinthe. Pernod is very popular in France and is usually mixed with water, which turns it whitish and cloudy.

Pralines - A New Orleans liqueur that recreates the butter pecan/brown sugar/vanilla flavor of the traditional praline candy

PRUNELLA: A liqueur made from plum pits, figs, and vanilla beans.

Prunelle/Prunella - proo-NEHL. A sweet, pale-green, brandy -based liqueur flavored with Sloe (wild plums).

Rock and Rye - An American rye whiskey-based liqueur flavored with lemon or orange essence and distinguished by a chunk of rock candy in the bottom of each bottle.

Sabra Liqueur - SAH-bruh. A chocolate-orange-flavored liqueur made in Israel.

Sambuca - sam-BOO-kuh. An anise-flavored, not-too-sweet Italian liqueur that is usually served with 2 or 3 dark-roasted coffee beans floating on top.

Sloe Gin - sloh JIHN. A liqueur made by steeping pricked or crushed sloe berries in gin. (Sloe is a wild European plum, the fruit of the blackthorn (Prunus spinosa). The purple-skinned sloe has an extremely tart yellow \flesh.)

Schnapps - The word "schnapps" (from the German Schnappen, to snap) refers to a mixture of vodka, gin, brandy or other spirit. In Scandinavia the word is snaps and almost always means Akvavit. In the U.S. the term has taken on a new meaning to identify a whole new generation of intensely flavored, sweet, inexpensive liqueurs of moderate strength (22 to 30% alcohol by volume). The Dekuyper brands of Applebarrel and Peachtree schnapps, while not the first in the U.S markets, are generally credited with launching the schnapps craze due to a technical breakthrough that yielded a fresh rather than cooked fruit flavor. Other flavors such as cola, cinnamon, root beer, tropical (hot shot), butter scotch, strawberry, hazelnut, lemonade, apricot, peppermint, blueberry, bubble gum, tequila, and numerous others are making the schnapps a dominant force in the liqueur market. The most unique schnapps has to be Gold schnapps, which is peppermint schnapps with very fine flakes of gold foil added in.

American schnapps are alcoholic beverages that are produced by mixing neutral grain spirit with fruit or other flavors. This mixture is then bottled with added sugar and (usually) glycerine, producing a smooth, syrup-like drink with an alcohol content of between 15% and 50% ABV (30–100 proof). American schnapps is available in a broad variety of fruit, berry, and spice flavors. These drinks technically fall into the category of liqueurs because of their added sugar content.

Southern Comfort - The oldest American liqueur, well known the world over, Southern Comfort is a blend of bourbon, peaches, and peach liqueur. It is dry and strong (100 proof - 50 percent alcohol) as liqueurs go. Produced in St. Louis, Missouri.

Strega - STRAY-guh. A golden-colored Italian liqueur made from herbs and flowers, Strega has a sweet, mildy flowery flavor.

Swedish Punc - (Caloric Punch) a Scandinavian liqueur made from batavia, arak, tea, lemon peel and 70 other spices. Also called caloric punch for its warming properties.

Tía María - tee-uh muh-REE-uh. A coffee flavored liqueur from Jamaica. Dryer than Kahlua, Tia Maria is Jamaican rum based and flavored with spices.

Recipe for Homemade Coffee Liqueur

Triple Sec - TRIH-pl-sehk. A strong, clear orange-flavored liqueur very similiar to Curaçao, a liqueur made from the skins of the Curacao orange. Cointreau is a high quality brand of triple sec. Triple Sec is used to make the mixed drink, Margarita. See Curaçao.

Tuaca - Italian brandy based liqueur flavored with vanilla, citrus, almond, coconut, orange and cocoa.

Vandermint - A liquid after dinner chocolate mint is the best way to describe this liqueur from the Netherlands.

Yukon Jack - A Canadian whiskey based liqueur, flavored with citrus and herbs.