These terms commonly appear on cordial labels. For more information about cordials, please ask the staff at your Virginia ABC store.
Absinthe
A green-colored anise- and wormwood-flavored liqueur. Absinthe is high proof, and should be consumed as follows: Pour 1 oz absinthe into a glass; place a sugar cube on an absinthe spoon or fork atop the glass rim; drip 3–4 oz of iced water over the sugar cube, slowly melting it into the drink; then stir. You will notice that the addition of iced water will cause the drink to become cloudy, a sign of a high-quality absinthe.
Amaretto
A sweet almond-flavored liqueur, which can be consumed straight or mixed in co*cktails such as the Amaretto Sour or the Alabama Slammer.
Amaro
A category of bittersweet herbal liqueurs often consumed as a digestif or aperitif. Each brand has a slightly different taste, depending on the herbal infusions added to grape brandy or neutral spirits; most are then sweetened to reduce bitterness and aged. Of particular note: Aperol, Campari, Ramazzotti, My Amaro, Fernet Branca.
Anisette
An anise-flavored liqueur, slightly sweet and lower in proof than many other anise-flavored liqueurs. (See also absinthe, pastis, arak, sambuca and ouzo.)
Apéritif
Apertivo
An alcoholic beverage sipped before a meal to stimulate appetite.
Arak
A colorless, high-proof anise-flavored liqueur originating in the Middle East. It is usually mixed with water and served over ice.
Bitters
Bitters are mixtures of spirits and herbal essences that originated in tonics and patented medicines. Essential co*cktail ingredients, they come in two sorts: First, "co*cktail" or aromatic bitters can enhance the flavors of many co*cktails, without measurably increasing alcohol content. Angostura bitters from Venezuela are a key ingredient in such co*cktails as the Old Fashioned. Originating in New Orleans, Peychaud's bitters are used in such co*cktails as the Sazerac. Second, "digestive bitters," while used in many co*cktails, are also consumed straight, as aperitifs and digestifs. Of particular note, seeamaro and herbal liqueurs.
Chocolate liqueurCrème de cacao
A liqueur infused or distilled with cacao beans or blended with chocolate. Chocolate liqueurs use chocolate syrup, and often cream, giving them a syrupy consistency and rich taste. Crème de cacao uses cacao beans, giving it a lighter chocolate flavor and consistency.
Coffee liqueurCafe / Crème de cafe
Liqueurs flavored or blended with coffee or coffee beans. Some of these foreground coffee as the main flavor; others use it as an accent. Of particular note: coffee liqueurs blended with rum (such as Kahlua and Tia Maria) and with tequila (such asPatron XO Cafe). For an extra coffee kick, experiment with espresso-based liqueurs.
Cordial
Liqueur
These terms are used interchangeably to mean a sweetened distilled spirit that is mixed with herbs, fruit, spices or other ingredients to achieve a distinctive, unique taste. (Note that even bitters, such as amaro, are sweetened to make the bitterness of the other ingredients palatable.) Serve cordials and liqueurs as aperitifs and digestifs; mix them into many popular co*cktails.
Cream liqueur
Crème liqueur
Cream liqueurs and crème liqueurs are distinct. Cream liqueurs contain dairy cream. By contrast, crème liqueurs do not contain dairy cream, but rather a larger amount of sugar than other spirits. Crème de menthe is a sweet, mint-flavored liqueur. Crème de cacao is a sweet, chocolate-flavored liqueur. Crème de cassis is a sweet liqueur made from blackcurrants.
Curaçao
Curaçao is an orange-flavored liqueur, first made by Dutch traders on the island of Curaçao, off the coast of Venezuela. It is slightly sweeter than triple sec, another orange-flavored liqueur(although the two can often be used interchangeably in co*cktails). The distinctive coloring of blue curaçao was probably first added to the spirit in the early in the twentieth century, and it does not affect the taste.
Digestif
An alcoholic beverage consumed after a meal to aid digestion.
Herbal liqueur
Herbal liqueurs are often unique products, arising from secret, proprietary recipes. Many of these are consumed chilled and straight, often after meals to aid digestion (digestifs), but they also can provide an interesting twist to many classic co*cktails. Of particular note: Bénédictine, Jagermeister, Becherovka, Strega and Galliano. See also amaro and the various anise-flavored liqueurs.
Honey liqueur
A liqueur flavored or blended with honey. Of particular note: Barenjager, Drambuie (Scotch and honey) and Irish Mist (Irish whiskey and honey). Serve these neat or over ice, and add them to co*cktails for a sweet kick.
Irish cream
A cream liqueur created with Irish whiskey and often other ingredients, such as coffee or vanilla. Serve Irish cream over ice, substitute it for regular cream in coffee, or mix it in co*cktails such as the B-52.
Maraschino liqueur
A clear, clean-tasting, dry liqueur distilled from Marasca cherries. Although sharing a common origin with the dessert-like "Maraschino" cherry, Maraschino liqueur is not sweet and fruity, but rather burnt-almond tasting, due to the infusion of fruit pits in distillation. It is an essential ingredient for such co*cktails as the Martinez and the Beachcomber.
Nut liqueurs
A liqueur flavored or infused with nut oils. Popular nuts used in flavoring liqueurs include almonds (Amaretto), hazelnuts (notably, Frangelico) and walnuts.
Orange liqueur
Among fruit flavorings, orange liqueurs are particularly numerous. These range from the bitter to the sweet, with particular flavors varying by recipe. Grand Marnier combines cognac with orange essence. Aperol has a complex, bitter flavor with strong orange overtones. (See also curaçao and triple sec.)
Ouzo
A colorless, anise-flavored liqueur originating in Greece and Turkey. It is usually mixed with water and served over ice.
Pastis
A liqueur flavored with anise seed and licorice root, originating in France. It is usually mixed with water and served over ice.
Sambuca
A colorless, anise-flavored liqueur originating in Italy. It is often paired with coffee, or mixed with water and served over ice.
Soju
Made in Korea for centuries, Soju is distilled from rice as well as sweet potatoes and barley. It has a clean, neutral taste, with slightly sweet overtones. Although lower in proof, it is similar to vodka for its ability to mix well in co*cktails. Traditionally it is consumed very chilled and neat in a shot glass.
Triple sec
A colorless, orange-flavored liqueur, made from orange peels. The French, who originated this spirit, termed it "sec" (dry), meaning that it is slightly less sweet than curaçao, another orange-flavored liqueur (although the two can often be used interchangeably in co*cktails). Triple sec can be consumed neat, and is also an essential ingredient in many popular co*cktails, such as the Cosmopolitan, Margarita and B-52.
