About Liqueurs

There are literally hundreds of varieties of liqueurs in the world. What distinguishes a liqueur from other alcoholic beverages is its distinct dessert-like sweetness. Liqueurs can be made with fruits, nuts, and many other flavorings. Liqueurs can even be made at home.

Liqueur vs. Liquor

The words "liqueur" and "liquor" are often used interchangeably, but their differences are significant. Liquors are pure substances, usually distilled from grains or other single plants, and include whiskey, vodka, gin and rum. A liqueur is a combination of a liquor, sugar and added ingredients, usually fruits, nuts, spices or herbs. To make a liqueur, a flavor is dissolved (the word "liqueur" comes from the Latin liquifacere, "to dissolve") in a liquor such as rum or vodka. Sugar is usually added, as a liqueur must be at least 20 percent sugar. There are hundreds of liqueur varieties, and a great many of them originated in France. The alcohol content of liqueurs ranges from 15 to 50 percent alcohol by volume.

Chocolate

Chocolate liqueurs are spirits infused with actual chocolate, such as crème de cacao or Godiva Dark and White Chocolates. These liqueurs are often added to milk or cream drinks or combined with a coffee liqueur.

Coffee

Coffee liqueurs are based on a variety of different liquors, such as cane spirits, and contain coffee beans as the base of flavoring. The most popular coffee liqueur brands are Kahlúa and Kamora. Most coffee liqueurs contain between 20 and 25 percent alcohol (about 40 proof).

Cream

Cream liqueurs actually do contain cream (or dairy) as a prominent ingredient. These liqueurs are often added to ice cream and include popular brands such as Baileys Irish Cream and Saint Brendan's (both based on Irish whiskey). Cream liqueurs usually have about 40 percent alcohol.

Crème

Crème liqueur is quite distinct from cream liqueur, as it contains no milk or dairy. What distinguishes a crème from other liqueurs is the extremely high volume of sugar. When poured, a crème liqueur is nearly as viscous as a syrup. Crèmes can include liqueurs from any flavoring category, including chocolate (crème de cacao), herbs (crème de menthe), or berries and fruit (crème de cassis).

Fruits and Berries

Fruit and berry liqueurs are based on extracts of fruits. A fruit liqueur can be made from nearly any fruit: apple, cherry, pear, lychee, guava, apricot, banana, mango, passion fruit, coconut or blackberry, to name a few. Among the most popular are orange (Curaçao, Grand Marnier and Triple Sec), lemon (Limoncello), currant (cassis) and raspberry (Chambord).

Nuts and Herbs

The most famous among the nut liqueurs are amaretto (made from almonds or the pits of apricots, peaches, or cherries) and Frangelico (made from hazelnuts and herbs). Among the herbal liqueurs are Chartreuse (a combination of many plants and flowers) and anisette or pastis, based on the herbs anise and star anise. Anise liqueurs are popularly consumed diluted in water; when the liqueur meets water, a cloudy green-tinged opaqueness is produced.

References

• Liquor vs. Liqueur
• Liqueurs of the World

Resources

• List of Liqueurs