Liqueurs
Liqueurs represent a vast and variable category of alcoholic spirits, distinguished by the fact that they are flavored with, well, almost anything. Fruit-flavored liqueurs like triple sec are well-known to most drinkers, but there are also cocoa-flavored liqueurs (creme de cacao), cream-infused liqueurs (Baileys, et al.), coffee-flavored liqueurs (Kahlua), whiskey-flavored liqueurs (Drambuie, et al.), and nut-flavored liqueurs (Frangelico, and many more). Bitter, herbal liqueurs represent a huge category of this segment, with amari being a specific sub-category of bittersweet liqueurs that has a devout following. (It’s also a separate category of coverage here at Drinkhacker.) Many of these herbal liqueurs are derived from ancient medicinal recipes. Liqueurs can vary wildly in alcoholic content and can be consumed neat, on the rocks, or — most commonly — as a component in any number of cocktails.
Top Liqueurs Posts:
A Brief History of Orange Flavored Liqueurs
St. Germain Elderflower Liqueur
Drambuie 15 Liqueur
If the name of this product alone doesn’t confuse you into oblivion, the description of it just might. Apologies in advance. While colloquially billed as a tequila, it’s officially a liqueur, but one made with 100% blue agave tequila. It’s green in color, but flavored with oranges. Or rather, green oranges (or rather, natural green…
We last checked in on Asheville’s Eda Rhyne Distilling Company back in 2020 when their young portfolio featured only a trio of impressive herbal liqueurs. Three years and one global pandemic later, these mountain medicine makers have added to their lineup with a handful of new offerings including an RTD and a long-awaited rye whiskey…
The Meletti Family has been producing spirits since the 1870s, and they are one of Europe’s largest makers of Sambuca and Anisette. More recently, their amaro with its grapefruit and honey profile has become one of the darlings of the modern American cocktail scene. Now another Meletti expression has arrived stateside, Meletti Coffee. Coffee liqueurs…
Lux Row’s Ezra Brooks brand is getting the glow-up treatment, with new and reformulated versions of two of its entry-level products, Ezra Brooks Straight Rye and Bourbon Cream. Both are changing proof, recipes, bottles, and labels, so let’s dig in and see if these changes are for the better. Ezra Brooks 99 Straight Rye (2023)…
Croatia’s Maraska, best known for its Slivovitz but also the producer of my #1 maraschino liqueur, has dropped a slightly odd new product which takes a distillate of macerated green walnuts and infuses it with natural chocolate. Nocelino Chocolate includes no artificial coloring or flavorings and can be used on its own or in place…
With this latest feature, we finally get caught up to the full offerings of the New York-based Heimat distillery, which produces farm-to-glass, fruit-only-no-additive liqueurs using fruit sourced in their “backyard” of New York through partnerships with family-owned farms. We first covered their limited edition Barrel Finished Bosc Pear early this year, followed by a profile…
Among my hardnosed and surly bartender brethren, Fernet is king… and they have a brand. Before the botanical forearm-tattooed kneecappers come for me demanding loyalty, I promise this particular Fernet will content any Bitterhead. For the uninitiated, Fernets tend to feature a few distinct ingredients that distinguish them from their Amari cousins; chief among them…
Let’s take another dive into Giffard‘s spin on an essential cocktail ingredient: triple sec, in this case presented as a triple-distilled, clear expression of the classic orange liqueur. Giffard Triple Sec is fine but not overly unique, leaning more heavily on sweeteners than you’d expect considering the usual fare from the brand. Yes, the…
Straightaway Cocktails’ Accompani brand, based in Portland, creates a range of relatively obscure beverages, ranging from vermouth to ready-to-drink amari-based cocktails. Today we look at one of its more enigmatic creations, Mari Gold, an amaro whose key ingredients include Seville orange peel, citron peel, orange blossom, and gentian root. To start with, note that Mari…
Short on grapefruits? Consider a grapefruit liqueur if you’re in a pinch, particularly a luxe expression like this one from the always on-point Giffard, made from steam-distilled pink grapefruit peels. The nose of Giffard’s Pamplemousse perfectly evokes sharp, sour Ruby Red grapefruit sitting on a Sunday morning brunch buffet, ready for digging into with mouth-puckering…