Liqueur Types
Liqueur is a generic term used to describe a range of cordials and schnapps that infuse natural sweetness or bitterness into traditional spirits. Liqueurs are typically made from a base liquor such as whiskey, vodka or rum, into which various types of additives are dissolved and fermented to produce a new flavor. You could start today and still be trying new varieties years from now. Does this Spark an idea?
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Sweets
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Many types of fruits can be added to traditional spirits to produce liqueur of a sweet nature. From raspberries or strawberries to peaches and apples, few fruits haven't been added to spirits through the centuries to impart uniqueness. These types of liqueurs are traditionally imbibed as part of flavored cocktails or by themselves, such as in the case of traditionally clear schnapps originating in Northern Europe.
Bitters
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Sweetness isn't the only objective of liqueur making. Some liqueurs are made to impart a bitter taste to the drinks to which they are added. According to Tastings.com, bitters evolved from Medieval times as crude treatments for ailments such as hangovers. Containing less of a sugar content, these liqueurs are traditionally made, not with fruit, but various herbs, flowers and roots that give the final product a unique, cleansing flavor. A familiar commercial bitter: licorice- and spice-flavored liqueur is Jagermeister.
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Coffee and Cream
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A common form of liqueur is made to complement coffee. In coffee or cream varieties, these liqueurs are produced to add punch to hot or cold coffee drinks. Some, such as Bailey's Irish Creme, are flavored to add sweetness, but others are infused with just coffee beans to give various cocktails a coffee-like punch. A popular cream liquor, according to Tastings.com, is creme de cacao or Curacao, which are produced commercially or homemade.
Exotics
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If something can be added to spirits to imbue the final product with flavor, added kick or just conversation value, it probably has been. Botanicals, such as aniseed, have historically been added to produce pernod in France, sambucca in Italy or ouzo in Greece. This is just one flower of many that have been added to various liqueurs, often in proprietary blends, to give this type of alcohol a uniqueness that never ceases to surprise.
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