Liqueurs

Liqueurs are spirits that have been flavoured and sweetened. They are made by infusing, macerating or distilling a base spirit with ingredients such as fruit, herbs, spices, flowers, nuts, coffee or cream, and then adding sugar. In the UK and EU a liqueur must contain a minimum level of sugar and be bottled at 15 per cent alcohol or more, although many are considerably stronger. Liqueurs have been made for centuries, originally by monks and apothecaries as herbal medicines, and today they are essential for cocktails, for cooking and for sipping after dinner.
Fruit liqueurs
Orange liqueurs are the most widely used. Triple sec and curaçao are made with the peel of sweet and bitter oranges, and Cointreau and Grand Marnier are well-known examples. Crème de cassis, made from blackcurrants, is the key ingredient in a Kir. Cherry, peach, raspberry, melon and limoncello, the lemon liqueur of southern Italy, are all popular, as are sloe gin and other fruit gin liqueurs.
Herbal and spiced liqueurs
Many of the oldest liqueurs are flavoured with complex blends of herbs and spices, often to closely guarded recipes. Chartreuse and Bénédictine are both French in origin and historically linked to monastic orders. Italian amaro is bittersweet and herbal and is traditionally taken after a meal to aid digestion. Aniseed liqueurs include sambuca from Italy, and elderflower liqueur has become a favourite in modern cocktails.
Cream, coffee and nut liqueurs
Irish cream combines whiskey with fresh cream and is one of the best-selling liqueurs in the world. Coffee liqueurs such as Kahlúa and Tia Maria are indispensable for an Espresso Martini or White Russian. Amaretto is flavoured with almonds or apricot kernels, and hazelnut and chocolate liqueurs are also widely enjoyed.
How to enjoy liqueurs
Serve liqueurs neat or over ice in a small glass after dinner, pour them over ice cream, or add a splash to coffee or sparkling wine. In cocktails they supply sweetness and flavour: a Margarita needs orange liqueur and an Aperol Spritz its bitter orange aperitif. Store cream liqueurs somewhere cool and use them within a few months of opening.