The world of liqueurs is so vast , it could take a soul days to get to bed each and every smorgasbord , perhaps even a life . ( That ’s not a bad way to spend your life , though ) . Not to be discombobulate with “ liquor , ” the Holy Writ “ liqueur ” comes from the Latin wordliquifacere , meaning to liquefy or melt , in mention to the infusion procedure used to make them . These sweet , infused tipples are made with a base spirit , flavorings like yield , crackpot , herbs and flowers , and add sugar .
The History of Liqueurs
Liqueurs have been around for centuries . Descendents of herbal medical specialty , many first showed up in the Middle Ages in monastery and convents across Europe . They probably originated in Italy and migrated to France , possibly via Catherine de ’ Medici who brought them along with her court of justice from Tuscany to France after marrying King Henry II in the sixteenth century . But it was in the Netherlands that liqueurs first take off on a commercial-grade scale . Bols , founded in 1575 , is the reality ’s previous distilled - spirit stain and claims they ’ve been producing liqueur consistently since that date .
Liqueurs were very popular in the former days of America . Homemakers ’ book published in the 1800s feature recipe for homemade versions , both medicative and unpaid , and European consequence like kirsch and curaçao flooded the American marketplace . Liqueurs were most commonly do peachy as after - dinnerdigestifs , until the later nineteenth century when bartenders started incorporating them into cocktails .
Historically , liqueurs were thought of as after - dinner boozing and nightcap , but as cocktail civilization shifts and grows , they ’re show up more and more in mixed deglutition .
In the ‘ XC , atomic number 10 colored , steamy - sweet cocktails serve in V - shaped glasses like the Appletini came into power . While this help boost liqueur sales , it also inspired some producers to pump out garish , sugary , hokey products . These , in turn , gave liqueurs an unfavorable reputation in the craft bartending community , and for a while , cordial were seldom construe behind any respectable bar .
Today , though , there is a glimmer of hope , and liqueurs are making a retort . Brands are turning out high - ending products made with fresh , instinctive ingredients , which mixologists are gallant to keep behind , rather than under , the measure . Modern , quality liqueur — bring on by brands like Combier , Rothman & Winter , Giffard and Leopold Bros.—have provided bartenders a world of tone to try out with . Historically , liqueur were thought of as after - dinner drinks and nightcap , but as cocktail polish shifts and grows , they ’re showing up more and more in mixed drinkable .
How Are Liqueurs Made
Although there are thou of different recipe , all liqueurs have a similar formula . They are defined by the United States Tax and Trade Bureau as flavored spirits containing at least 1.5 percent by weight moolah or dextrose , made by redistilling a spirit with fruits , plants , flowers or vestal juices or extracts from those constituent .
All liqueur start with a groundwork spirit , which can be anything from a inert grain spirit to gin to whiskey . That disembodied spirit is then modified through maceration or extract , which can take anywhere from a few minutes to a few year , depending on the cordial . In the case of maceration , fruit , nuts , flowers , roots and/or herb are soak and moderate in the base spirit , which absorbs their flavors and essences . extract follows the same basic science of maceration , except producers apply heat to more efficiently excerption and incorporate the flavors . After the sprightliness is modified , a sugar ( typically dim-witted syrup or honey ) is add to the mix . Then the tone need to sit around so all those marvelous flavors fuse together .
Notable Liqueur Styles and Brands
It ’s easiest to understand liqueurs by the flavorings that go into them , broken down into some basic , popular family .
Fruit , Citrus and Vegetables
Herbs and spice
Coffee / Nuts / Chocolate
flowered
Licorice and Anise : A very democratic flavor of liqueur . Many country have their own pas seul of anise liqueur . Some of the most democratic include :
How Do I Drink Liqueurs Straight?
Most liqueurs ( if they ’re respectable quality ) are unadulterated for sipping dandy or on the rock . The episodic citrus peel will aid open up the sweet-smelling varieties .
Notable Liqueur Cocktails
Spiked Coffee : Liqueurs have always been a popular choice when spiking coffee , inspiring well - known potable like Irish Coffee ( made with Irish cream ) and Caffe Corretto ( made with Sambuca ) .
Sidecar : This classic cocktail became popular in the twenties when it start making the rounds among the stylish stage set in London and Paris . Make certain to use quality brandy and orange liqueur to do the cocktail justice .
White Russian : This cocktail evolved from the Black Russian ( a admixture of vodka and coffee liqueur ) with the addition of cream , sometime around the 1950s .
Harvey Wallbanger : In this 1970s classic , orange liqueur and herbaceous - vanilla extract Galliano come together with vodka for something of an adult creamsicle .
The Last Christian Bible : First introduced in the 1920s , this cocktail came back into mode in the 1950s with Ted Saucier ’s cocktail bookBottoms Up , and again in 2004 at Seattle ’s Zig Zag Cafe . It ’s made with knock rummy , green chartreuse , maraschino liqueur and calcium hydroxide succus .
Aviation : Dressed up in pale purple , the airmanship might be the prettiest cocktail ever . It ’s made with a commixture of gin , maraschino liqueur , crème de violette and lemon succus .
Pousse Café : Liqueurs are also great for layered beverage , also experience as pousse cafés , because they depart in density . When work up a superimposed cocktail , always start with the heaviest ingredient , which contains the most sugar and least alcohol . The last ingredient should be the lightest , so experience innocent to top it off with your favorite full - proof disembodied spirit .
