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Liqueurs

Our Liqueur Selection

Sweet, fruity treats, seasonal Liqueurs, cocktail-must-haves and specialist ingredients for Espresso Martinis, Mai Tai’s and Margaritas, you’ll find all your mixing needs in our liqueur collection.

A beginner’s guide to Liqueurs

In their crudest form, Liqueurs are spirits that have been flavoured, sweetened and typically bottled between 15% and 25% ABV.

They are so much more than just sweet booze though. With an extensive heritage, liqueurs have been consumed for centuries, the earliest of which are descended from herbal medicines and said to have originated from Italian and French monasteries.

Today, liqueurs are produced all over the globe. If you go to any bar or if you are a cocktail enthusiast, liqueurs are in everyday use as the majority of cocktails will call for one in some form or another.

Here’s our Beginner’s Guide to Liqueurs that divides up this eclectic category into logical groupings and aimed at helping you appreciate and understand the differences within it.

How are Liqueurs made?

Liqueurs are generally made by adding flavourings to a base spirit and then sweetening with sugar. From this basic premise you can build layers of complexity, be it in how you add the flavour in, or whether you also flavour the base spirit itself before distilling it.

Simple Liqueurs

These are the kind of liqueurs where a producer has started with a neutral spirit and added flavour. Usually this is done by infusion or extraction.

In some cases, botanicals are prepared (ground, juiced, quartered etc.) to expose maximum surface area in order to allow efficient flavour extraction. They are steeped in cold alcohol. Once the flavour has been captured in the spirit, the solids are filtered out and the mix is watered down and sweetened.

Most producers go beyond this basic approach alone though.

Typically, botanicals are grouped by flavour or kept separate to maximise their infusion potential and the time each takes is carefully monitored. Some need mere hours, others need months. Some suit steeping in warm alcohol to fully coax out the flavours, others need to be kept cold. The ABV of the base spirit plays a big role in what flavour compounds are extracted.

By having different macerates (infusions), producers optimise the flavours of each and then blend the different liquids together and create their perfect finish recipe consistently.

Complex Liqueurs

More complicated methods to produce Liqueurs involve distillation. For those, the base alcohol is not always neutral. It can be a mix of botanical distillates that have been especially made for further infusion. It could be Whiskey, Gin or Brandy. For example, there are liqueurs made by taking brandy and steeping oranges into it, then also vapour infusing more citrus during distillation and sweetened after. There are others who distil dozens of separate botanicals then blend to a secret recipe.

Sometimes these Complex Liqueurs are left as a clear liquid and just sweetened before bottling, but often, they are further infused with more ingredients to create even brighter flavours.

It’s not uncommon to find some of these liqueurs are left to marry in oak for up to a year either.

Fun vs Heritage

There’s no denying that traditional liqueurs have some of the most storied and authentic family histories in all of drinks, but liqueurs are versatile in nature and can be so much fun too.

They can be drunk neat and over ice, there are recipes that call for them in mixers in mixed drinks, in coffee, in cocktails and some have even become necessary dessert ingredients.

There are thousands of flavours, as many shades of colour and when all is said and done – Liqueurs ensure that cocktails don’t always have to be serious to be tasty. A splash of Nutella flavoured liqueur over a banana split, a float of coffee liqueur in a hot chocolate, blue drinks, layered cocktails - let your imagination run wild!

A short history of Liqueurs

The story of liqueurs is literally as old as medicine and one that has evolved just as much. There are recipes portrayed in Greek scrolls and markings for digestive liqueurs that date as far back the Egyptian Pharaohs.

Medieval monks are the ones credited for developing liqueurs into what we know today. Their interest in herbs, roots and shoots and their quest to preserve their medicinal properties though alcohol resulted in the creation of some of the most enduring brands. Names like Chartreuse, Jägermeister, Benedictine are all part of that era and the alchemical desire to create elixirs of life.

Fast forward a few centuries and high-quality liqueurs were being made in big cities with active ports, each bolstered by their access to exotic goods from the spice trade. The Italians became reputed makers, even influencing drinking habits of other royal courts across Europe, while companies such as Lucas Bols made some of the most iconic flavours though the produce made available via The Dutch East India Company.

French Liqueurs

Many French Liqueurs use certain words time and again.

One is calling a liqueur a 'crème' followed by the name of the fruit. This term refers to the liqueur's quality and has nothing to do with dairy. It’s an expression that also has laws attached to ensure the quality too - liqueurs named 'crème' must contain a minimum sugar content of 200g per litre.

The French also regulate other terms such as Cassis, the popular liqueur used to make a Kir Royale cocktail. Cassis means blackcurrant in French, but bottles labelled Crème de Cassis de Dijon contain only blackcurrants grown in Dijon, (while Cassis de Bourgogne uses currants grown in the greater Burgundy region). Legislation also dictates that Cassis Liqueur must have a minimum alcoholic content of 15 percent ABV and contain at least 400 grams of sugar per litre.

This might seem pedantic, but it’s not. The French producers in those regions are the grand masters of making flavoured liqueurs, the farmers specialist fruit growers, the region’s soil perfect for it and by having both an Appellation and laws on terms it means their savoir-faire can continue unblemished and you can trust that what you buy is indeed the ‘crème de la crème’.

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Spirit based liqueurs

Many spirits have strict laws around alcohol levels and additives. Most spirit producers love to experiment and end up creating products that sit outside of these boundaries…

Fruit infusions made from gin (like Sloe Gin), flavours added to Tequila (like chilli), syrups and cordials made from a Whisky base or famous Crème Liqueurs that use brandy or Irish Whiskey – there are so many liqueurs that start as a spirit and through the addition of sweeteners and flavours become intricate liqueurs.

The best versions use their chosen base to add complexity and depth to the flavours and ensure that it is still discernible to taste. It is not a blank canvass, it is a foundation.

Coffee Liqueurs

Boomers will know all about the White Russian, Millennials the Espresso Martini. Between the two iconic cocktails, it’s not hard to see why or how coffee liqueur has risen to such prominence.

The two big names remain Kahlua and Tia Maria but over the past five years, it has been the type of liqueur that has seen the most innovation and dozens of new names have emerged. Mr Black’s has become a favourite amongst bartenders and frequently releases limited edition coffee liqueurs using different base spirits and with a different focus on terroir of the region of the coffee used. Meanwhile Tequila based coffee Liqueurs are also booming.

Key variables to look for are the base spirit, the type of the sweetener used, the kind of coffee and the way it’s been roasted.

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Limoncello

Limoncello is an Italian lemon liqueur, primarily produced in Southern Italy and the coast of Amalfi. It is traditionally served chilled as an after-dinner digestif and remains a liqueur category that is very firmly rooted in tradition.

Just as is the case with homemade Sloe Gins, those made domestically and for local use in cafes and restaurants can be wildly different in the quantity of sugar used and their alcohol content. But typical commercial bottlings found in the UK are around 25-30% ABV and don’t stray too far into the syrupy zone...

There are also many variations of limoncello out there and the ‘ello category is much more diverse than most realise – there’s arancello (oranges), agrumello (mixed citrus), pistachiocello (pistachio nuts), meloncello (cantaloupe) and fragoncello (strawberry) to name just a few.

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Triple Sec

Triple Sec is a style of orange flavoured liqueur typically bottled between 25 - 40% ABV. They tend to be clean, clear in colour and have strong zesty orange aromas.

Triple Sec liqueurs are usually made by steeping orange peel into neutral alcohol and once the oils have been extracted, it is distilled. The resulting concentrated orange distillate is the cut with water and sweetened (often powdered beet sugar).

While no one really knows where the term "triple" originated, it can be said with confidence that triple sec’s origins are French. Originally, it was made with less sugar than could be found in Curaçao, which led to the name "sec" (which means dry).

Cointreau claims to have originated the term ‘triple sec’ and they say it is a reference to the three types of peel used in their liqueur: dried bitter peels, dried sweet peels and fresh sweet peels. This may or may not be true but regardless – they are by far the most famous Triple Sec brand and their iconic bottle is what most reach for when a recipe calls for some.

Curaçao

Curaçao was first created on the island of Curaçao and was initially made from a pot-stilled brandy and flavoured with the dried peels of Curaçao oranges. Some traditional curaçaos still exist but it’s not a protected appellation. Today, curaçao is produced in various spots across the globe and no longer made using the island’s famed dried orange peels, while the base spirit is decidedly more neutral in character.

It’s worth understanding the difference between Curacao and Triple Sec.

Firstly, they look different – triple sec is clear, whereas orange curaçao liqueurs are orange or even blue.

They are usually made differently – triple sec is intentionally singular in flavour and usually uses just orange, whereas curaçaos frequently have additional botanicals.

They taste different – triple sec liqueurs tend to have more pronounced zesty orange flavours than Dutch orange curaçaos (which favour a more subtle approach).

OTHER STYLES OF LIQUEUR

Herbal Liqueurs

Herbal liqueurs are by far the most common type of liqueur. It just doesn’t seem that way as we know most brands as being part of categories. Bitters. Amari. Vermouth. Pastis etc.

Apart from those that are pure Herbal Liquers (such as Licor 43, Chartreuse, Benedictine, Jägermeister) We’ve kept these liqueurs as part of those categories rather than lump them all in there on Spirits Kiosk.

Maraschino Liqueurs

Marasca (or maraska) cherries are small, dark and slightly sour variety of stone fruit originally cultivated on the Dalmatian Coast of Croatia. In the mid 1700’s they were turned into a liqueur and iconic brands such as Luxardo began creating an entire genre of liqueur that became globally famous. Flavours come in many different extremes, with sweetness, fruit and floral notes all varied, as well as the clarity of almond-like finish changing from producer to producer.

Nut Liqueurs

Once dominated by world-famous names – it’s easy to think that nut liqueur is just another word for Disaronno. However, look further and there are many craft producers making Amaretto and other less common nuts being used such as pistachios, macadamia nuts, hazelnuts, almonds walnuts and even peanuts.

Traditionally they are served as a digestif and each producer will infuse in their own spices, botanicals and flavourings to compliment the lead nutty characteristics. This means some will feel more intense while others are lighter.

Cream Liqueurs

Curaçao was first created on the island of Curaçao and was initially made from a pot-stilled brandy and flavoured with the dried peels of Curaçao oranges. Some traditional curaçaos still exist but it’s not a protected appellation. Today, curaçao is produced in various spots across the globe and no longer made using the island’s famed dried orange peels, while the base spirit is decidedly more neutral in character.

It’s worth understanding the difference between Curacao and Triple Sec.

Firstly, they look different – triple sec is clear, whereas orange curaçao liqueurs are orange or even blue.

They are usually made differently – triple sec is intentionally singular in flavour and usually uses just orange, whereas curaçaos frequently have additional botanicals.

They taste different – triple sec liqueurs tend to have more pronounced zesty orange flavours than Dutch orange curaçaos (which favour a more subtle approach).

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Vedrenne Crème de Cassis (Blackcurrant)

70cl 15% ABV
FR France

Kir Royal, twists on the Bramble or as a fruity addition to a Sour - this Crème de Cassis has your cocktail needs covered.

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Fruity

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Drambuie Whisky Liqueur

70cl 40% ABV
GB England

Drambuie is a whisky liqueur made of a blend of aged Scotch whisky, spices, herbs & heather honey, based on a century’s old recipe. The name Drambuie is derived from Scots Gaelic ‘An Dram Buidheach’ and means “The Drink that Satisfies”.

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Caramel

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Oak

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Vedrenne Crème de Mure (Blackberry)

70cl 15% ABV
FR France

Rich and intense blackberry liqueur. If you are making a Bramble or other cocktails - this is exactly the fruit liqueur you are looking for.

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Fruity

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Staibano Limoncello d'Amalfi

70cl 25% ABV
IT Italy

A light, crisp limoncello from Staibano, made with fresh Amalfi lemons. Sweet, citrussy and zesty, it's exactly what you hope it to be.

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Citrus

Sweet

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Vedrenne Crème de Pêche (Peach)

70cl 15% ABV
FR France

French summertime captured in a bottle - this peach liqueur is as plump a version of the fruit as you can get if you plucked it right off a tree!

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Fruity

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Peddlers Salted Plum Gin Liqueur

70cl 25% ABV
CN China

Peddlers Salted Plum Gin is unique Chinese take on a traditional sloe gin. It is inspired by the historical Suan Mei Tang recipes that are made for summer sipping and it is the first barrel aged Suan Mei Gin in the world.

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Fruity

Oak

Spiced

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Audemus Covert Liqueur

70cl 33% ABV
FR France

Covert liqueur brings together the fragrant warmth and complexity of fig leaves, spring honey and Cognac together. Evocative, richly perfumed and incredibly moreish!

Key Flavours

Sweet

Dried Fruit

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RumJava Signature Rum

70cl 35% ABV
US U.S.A.

Rum Java is a tasty American rum infused with freshly roasted Signature Kona Blend coffee beans. The beans come from Hawaii and as the bean produces a lot of oil, RumJava Signature has a particularly silky texture.

Key Flavours

Vanilla

Coconut

Coffee

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Luxardo Limoncello

70cl 27% ABV
IT Italy

A classic of the genre - Luxardo Limoncello has an attractive natural cloudy appearance and with the benefit of a lengthily infusion process, it has a bright flavour profile.

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Citrus

Sweet

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Grand Marnier

70cl 40% ABV
FR France

Grand Marnier is an exceptional blend of fine cognac and exotic bitter orange liqueur. This is their signature expression, first created in 1880 by Louis-Alexandre Marnier Lapostolle and since, become an icon of France's spirits heritage.

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Citrus

Dried Fruit

Oak

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Benedictine

70cl 40% ABV
FR France

Bénédictine D.O.M liqueur is made using dozens different herbs and spices such as saffron (which lends its amber hue). A necessary bottle in any cocktail maker's cabinet.

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Sweet

Fruity

Citrus

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Antica Black Sambuca

70cl 38% ABV
IT Italy

Antica Black Sambuca, takes the star of the show (literally) the Star Anise and combines it with a thick layer of liquorice. Rich in anethole oil and typically sweet - this sambuca has a distinctive and memorable flavour.

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Spiced

Sweet

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Luxardo Maraschino Originale Liqueur

70cl 32% ABV
IT Italy

Luxardo Maraschino Originale is still produced according to a special formula created by Girolamo Luxardo in 1821. It is an essential cocktail ingredient.

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Sweet

Fruity

Dried Fruit

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Nixta Mexican Liqueur

70cl 30% ABV
MX Mexico

Nixta Licor de Elote is a Mexican corn liqueur made from a base of tender, ancestral cacahuazintle maize (pronounced kaka • wha • SINT • lay), grown in the high valleys and foothills of the Nevado de Toluca volcano.

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Sweet

Caramel

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The King's Ginger Liqueur

50cl 29.9% ABV
NL Netherlands

First crafted by Berry Bros. & Rudd for King Edward VII in 1903, The King’s Ginger is golden in colour and delightfully robust in flavour. It's a revitalising and warming spirit that brings people together.

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Citrus

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Vedrenne Triple Sec

70cl 35% ABV
FR France

A solid triple sec and an essential for those making Margaritas, Cosmos or Kamikazes!

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Citrus

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Sheep Dog Peanut Butter Whiskey Liqueur

70cl 35% ABV
US U.S.A.

Blending peanut butter with whiskey? We thought the idea sounded a little nutty too but take our word for it - this is a tasty little treat for those with a sweet tooth.

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Caramel

Vanilla

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Vedrenne Crème de Litchi (Lychee)

70cl 15% ABV
FR France

Finally a lychee liqueur with some intensity! You can mix away with Vedrenne's version safe in the knowledge it'll come through into your cocktail creations.

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Fruity

Floral

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Cointreau Liqueur

70cl 40% ABV
FR France

Making a Margarita, Sidecar or Cosmo? You'll be needing this classic French Liqueur. Cointreau is an essential ingredient in any cabinet and a great expression of intense orange flavours.

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Citrus

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El Sueño Watermelon Tequila Liqueur

70cl 25% ABV
GB Great Britain

A fresh, fruity burst of watermelon blended with the crisp Tequila base of El Sueño Silver. Top it up with soda water for a refreshing spritz!

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