West Visayas State University 2020

Unit 4: Compound Spirits

Introduction
All alcoholic beverages are made
by fermenting some form of sugary brew
into ethanol and carbon dioxide. Because
yeast can only ferment so much before
alcohol levels become toxic to them, we have to distill to get higher alcohol
concentrations and that’s why “spirits” are differentiated in two ways: they’re distilled,
and they have higher average ABVs, from around 20% to as high as 80 or 90% ABV.
The term “spirit” refers to everything you see in a liquor store besides wine and beer.
For instance, you may also see bottles with names like Fernet Branca, Amaretto,
Peach Schnapps, or Peychaud’s Bitters. These are all part of the colorful, intoxicating
extended spirits family, but they’re not quite spirits because they’ve had things like
sugar, herbs, and spices added to them and tend to have lower ABV.
All spirits bottles have to be labeled with some pretty specific information: the
brand name; the kind of spirit in the bottle like vodka, gin, tequila, rum, and whisky,
further required details regarding the spirit, for instance the age of the whiskey if it’s
under four years; the alcohol by volume (ABV), which must be written as a
percentage but will often also be labeled as “Proof”; the country of origin as well as
address and name of the importer or bottler; and, last but not least, a big fat
government warning about the dangers of alcohol. Spirits are the highest ABV
products of the yeast-based fermentation of a liquid brewed to have fermentable
sugars. Unlike beer or wine, however, spirits are the product of a second step called
“distillation” that further fortifies them. Compound Spirits are defined as a mixed
beverage, which is blended or composed carefully by extracting flavor, color and
sweetness from various fruits, herbs, plants, and nuts. These are distilled beverages
with added flavorings and relatively high sugar content.
In this unit, students will learn the core of Compound Spirits and divided into
Two Topics as follows; Topic One, History of Gin; Styles of Gin; Notable Gin Brands;
Famous Gin Based Cocktails; and Topic Two, Liqueurs/Cordials.

Learning Outcomes
At the end of this Unit and after actively participating in the live and
online class the student should be able to:
1. discovered the history of gin;
2. discussed the different following styles of gin as to uses, composition,
alcoholic and how they are made;
3. identify the different notable brands of gin and famous gin based
cocktails;
4. find out the history of cordial/liqueurs;
5. disclosed how cordial/liqueurs are made; and
6. determined the types of cordials/liqueurs.

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Topic 1: Compound Spirits

Activity
Name:________________________________ Course, Yr & Sec:__________
Teacher: ______________________________ Class Schedule: ___________
Matching Type
Direction: Match the basic function in Column A for the following job position in
Column B. Write the letter of your choice on the space provided.

Column A Column B

___1. Gin is flavored with oil of. A. tonic water

___2. Gin is the distillate of. B. neat with ice

___3. The distillate is diluted with. C. Netherlands

___4. The world’s most popular gin D. juniper berries

___5. The term dry means a lack of. E. heavy

___6. Gin is best drunk __. F. grain mash

___7. A popular cocktail with gin and lime cordial G. Gordon’s

___8. Gin and tonic is composed of gin and __. H. water

___9. There are two types of gins dry and __. I. sweetness

___10. Gin originated 17th Century in the __. J. Gimlet

Note to Students: Detached this page and submit to your

Professor on the given due dates.

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Analysis
Name:________________________________ Course, Yr & Sec:__________
Teacher: ______________________________ Class Schedule: ___________
Instruction: Write your answer on the space provided.
Please be guided by the following rubric. 10 pts: 7 or more sentences
5 pts: less than 5 sentences
0 pts: no description

1. Differentiate distilled gin from compounded gin.

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2. Discuss briefly and differentiate types of distillation.
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Note to Students: Detached this page and submit to your

Professor on the given due dates.

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Abstraction

Gin
The term ‘gin’ is taken from the first part of the word
Genièvre, which is the French term for juniper. Juniper is the
principal botanicall as flavorings agent used in the production
of gin. The word ‘Geneva’ is the Dutch translation of the
botanical, juniper. Maize is the cereal used in gin production
in the United Kingdom. However, rye is the main cereal
generally used in the production of Geneva gin and other Dutch gins. Gin is a
colorless distilled beverage widely consumed around the world, produced by a
number of different methods, but always with juniper as the predominant taste. The
volatile content of gin is made up of terpenoid compounds, mainly from juniper
berries, but also from other botanicals such as coriander seeds, angelica root or citrus
peel.Compound Spirits are defined as a mixed beverage, which is blended or
composed carefully by extracting flavor, color and sweetness from various fruits,
herbs, plants, and nuts. These are distilled beverages with added flavorings and
relatively high sugar content.
History of Gin. Gin’s reputation has enjoyed a roller-coaster ride since its
invention. Once worshipped for warding off the plague, gin has conversely been given
the moniker “kill me quick” in its time. It dates way back to 11th-century Italy, when
brainy herbalists used juniper berries in alcoholic potions to treat ailments as serious
as the Black Death or as trivial as tummy trouble, juniper being widely regarded as a
powerful remedy. It also proved pretty popular with taste buds.
In the 1500s the juniper craze found its way to the European lowlands where
the inhabitants wanted to flavor their local spirit, brandewijn. They started to refer to
this new concoction as genever or jenever, taken from the French for juniper genièvre.
While credit for gin’s creation is often given to Dr Sylvius de la Boe, a professor of
medicine in Leiden, Holland, it’s not entirely clear who first nailed the recipe; such
was the level of experimentation.
When the Dutch United East Indies Company sailed around the globe, word of
genever spread. English soldiers brought it back home after sampling it during the
Thirty Years War when the Dutch offered a shot of the stuff before battle a practice
that introduced the phrase “Dutch courage.” It grew in popularity in Britain and
shortly after the Dutch monarch William of Orange came to the throne in 1688, he
passed legislation to open up the market, enabling more people to make spirits. With
genever having appealed, juniper was a popular choice for flavoring, and the spirit
soon became known as “gin.”
Britain has always exhibited rare levels of enthusiasm for drinking, and in no
time the spirit was being distilled with reckless abandon. It has been estimated that
by 1723 every man, woman, and child was drinking around 1/2 a quart of gin a week.
At this time it was referred to as “kill grief” and “kill me quick,” possibly because
occasional ingredients included sulfuric acid and urine. In 1751 the government
stepped in and introduced restrictions on distillers. Over the following fifty years nine
distillers took the lion’s share of the market, including Alexander Gordon, George
Tanqueray, and James Burroughs, the man behind the Beefeater brand. Thus a drink
that was once the preserve of the poor gradually became more finely crafted and
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aristocratic. The profile of the flavor changed during this period, and the sweeter
Dutch styles became drier as the spirit improved and distillers added other botanicals,
giving birth to the national gin we know today, London Dry.
The 18th century saw the emergence of luxury gin palaces, and the popularity
of the spirit with naval officers elevated gin’s status. Meanwhile, the birth of tonic
water, patented in 1858, made gin and tonic fashionable. This tipple started life
medicinally managing malaria in the tropics, thanks to the quinine in the tonic, but it
soon became the must-have accessory to the colonial lifestyle. From here we move
away from neat gin and onto the mixed drink, or cocktail. Around the turn of the
1800s British drinkers had started to mix gin into punches, while naval officers were
adding lime to give rise to cocktails like the Gimlet. However, it was the Americans
who made gin the mixing marvel. By the 1860s the spirit had caught on in America,
although the style of gin they used is questionable. The great cocktail historian David
Wondrich points out in his book Imbibe! that unsweetened gin might not have made
it to America until the 1890s, when the rise and rise of the Martini encouraged
drinkers to use a lighter, dry style of the spirit.
Whatever the Americans were using initially, Jerry Thomas, the first superstar
bartender, records a selection of gin cocktails in his seminal tome of 1862, Bartenders
Guide, or How to Mix Drinks. The list of cocktails, which includes the Gin Toddy, Sling,
and Fix, confirms that while bourbon was on the rise at this time, gin was always
close at hand.
It was Prohibition in the 1920s that secured gin’s prominence in cocktails. With
the law against spirit production, the likes of bourbon and aged spirits became more
difficult to come by, and anyone making illicit booze looked toward gin. Bathtub gin
was easy to produce and flooded illegal drinking dens, or “speakeasies,” during this
decade. The poor quality inspired new mixes to mask the bad taste. Gin cocktails flew
out of these dens, and as frustrated bartenders traveled to Europe to find work, bars
such as the American Bar at the Savoy in London and Harry’s New York Bar in Paris
saw an influx of new and inspiring creations, many of which had gin at the base.
All of which means gin has inspired all manner of creative cocktails, from the
Martinez and the Tom Collins to the White Lady and the Corpse Reviver. In the 1950s
vodka emerged as the white spirit (tend to refer to spirits as white and dark) of
choice for consumers and gin was pushed to the back of the drinks cabinet, but as
bartenders began to research classic drinks they rediscovered many of the recipes
that had made gin so vital to the evolution of the cocktail. Over the last twenty years
gin has become popular again and is firmly back in the hearts and minds of
bartenders, who work with a range of gins with all manner of exotic botanicals. Many
rightly consider it the most important spirit in cocktail history.
How Gin is Made. There are two important components to how a gin is
made. First, there is distillation, which is the trade or required skill, and it is this
process that affects the end product. Secondly, there’s the choice of aromatic material
and botanicals. Without the plant world, we wouldn’t have gin as we know it today, so
the Botany of Gin section (see here) explores the great variety of botanicals, ancient
and modern, that are available to the modern gin distiller. Nearly all of today’s gins
are designed and distilled with a two-stage process in mind. In the first stage of
creating a gin, a producer ferments some sort of grain or fruit, then distils it to create
a base spirit. In the second stage, the base spirit is re-distilled with aromatic
botanicals, including juniper, to create the final product. This is the short of it. The
complete story of how a gin is crafted from start to finish is a lot more complicated.
We’ll start at the very beginning.

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Creating the Base Spirit. The clear,

generally neutral spirit that results from the first
step of the gin creation process is what might
be more commonly known as vodka. Unlike
vodka, though, the goals here can differ.
Whereas vodkas often aspire to be as neutral as
possible, for gin especially contemporary gin a
completely neutral character is not always the
most desired outcome. When distilled, some
fruits or grains can impart an earthy depth, or
brightness, that an expert gin distiller can use
to great effect when botanicals are added.
Whether distilled multiple times until the final
base spirit is truly neutral, or whether the goal
is a quirky spirit with character, a distiller begins
with something that they wish to ferment Much produce can be made into a base
spirit. Some of the more common base ingredients include corn, wheat, potatoes or
grapes. More exotic items that can be fermented at this step include bananas, apples
or even carrots. When working with grain, the first step is to malt it. This involves
getting it wet and allowing it to sprout. Germination begins and the small seeds start
converting starch into sugars that, ideally, would be helping nourish the young plant.
Of course, distillers have other plans for that sugar. Malting isn’t equally easy across
all grains and that’s why you’ll see barley included in many recipes. Barley has very
high levels of the enzyme that does the converting, and it can help kick other grains
into gear, assisting the malting process. Once the grains have converted their stored
starch into usable sugars, the distiller needs to halt the germination to ensure the
fruits of the sprouting are available for distillation. The sprouted seeds are heated,
thereby killing them, and then the sugars are ready to use. As explained earlier, a
distiller can use almost anything as a base spirit for gin. If working with potatoes, or
another starch-heavy grain, the distiller adds either malted grain or an enzyme to help
break it down directly. If starting with a fruit juice or other sugar-heavy fruit, a
distiller doesn’t need to worry about this step, as they already have the sugar that’s
necessary to begin the next phase. The distiller adds yeast and moves the mash to a
fermentation vessel where the small bacteria will digest the sugar, creating carbon
dioxide and alcohol. Given time, a fermented, alcohol-laden liquid will be created in
the vessel. The liquid is siphoned out, leaving behind
the solids, and is then poured into a still where the
good stuff can be separated from the not-so-good
(i.e. toxic) stuff.
Using A Still The choice of still is one that
many distillers love to talk about in their promo
material, as many are quite proud of these
impressive pieces of equipment. Many also feel that
their choice of still says a lot about the type of
distiller they are. Take the pot still, for example. It
looks like its name might indicate. Heat is applied to
the bottom of the still and the alcohols are converted
to vapors, then re-condensed by passing through a
tube that is submerged in cold water. A pot still is used to
separate a spirit in stages known as foreshots, heads and tails. The result
is a characterful base spirit.

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The pot still separates a spirit in stages. The first alcohols to be condensed are
the foreshots, or the toxic stuff you wouldn’t want to drink, such as nail polish
remover. The next stuff up is the heads, which are high in congeners (flavor) and
ethanol. These are mostly used to add character, because the hearts are the right,
bright, smooth literal centre of most spirits we drink. The tails are often murky tasting,
and are often left discarded. The innovation of the column still is that it separates
these various parts of the spirit in physical space, by having various places where the
alcohol can condense, before being evaporated again. Since there is no more concept
of ‘time’, the still can be run non-stop. The column still is also called a continuous still.
A beautiful artisan column still at Adnams’Distillery in Southwold, UK.
Smaller distillers who use columns do not
run their stills 24/7, but many large-scale column
stills are in constant use. These columns are
actually appendages that are added onto a pot still.
Also, unlike their large-scale cousins, these stills
produce a neutral spirit that isn’t completely
neutral in flavor. They tend to maintain some of
the base ingredient’s flavor. This is why you get
some modern-day small-scale distillers producing
apple-based vodkas and gins that manage to
retain some of the apple’s original flavor notes. Pot
stills tend to produce a base spirit that has flavor
and character. Such stills are often associated with
artistry, ‘small-batch’ and craftsmanship, whereas
column stills are often associated with pure, clean
and large-scale operations. But neither is
inherently superior to the other.
The real artistry lies in the art of a distiller
knowing how to use their equipment to make a good product. It’s okay to fall in love
with the romance of a certain distilling process, but products should always be judged
on their own merit. It is also possible to make a gin in a single step. For example, a
distiller could add juniper and other botanicals to the mash and distil a gin in a single
pass; however, in practice very few distillers do this. The heads and tails of an initial
distillation contain toxic, or otherwise unpleasant, compounds; however, those same
heads and tails contain aromatic notes from the botanicals that the distiller might
want to include. So right now what we have is a neutral
grain spirit. If this were a book about vodka, we could
quit here and dive into the tasting notes. But not so fast.
This is gin, remember, and we have the all-important
second step: in which juniper and the other botanicals
are added to the neutral spirit.
The Types of Gin Making. Just as vodka
distillers can stop at the end of step one, some gin
distillers begin at the start of step two. Many distilleries
have reputations for creating a good, high-quality
neutral grain spirit, so specific gin distillers often
purchase that neutral spirit and use it as the starting-off
point for their gin. These sorts of relationships range
from partnerships between small scale distilleries (such
as between a gin distiller and a vodka distiller, or a gin
distiller and a whisky distiller, depending on the desired character) to industrial
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partnerships where neutral grain spirit is purchased from a massive, somewhat

anonymous factory. While many distillers take pride in designing a spirit from start to
finish, the use of neutral grain spirit need not necessarily indicate an inferior gin. If a
distiller is looking for a truly neutral character, the use of a neutral spirit can be a
convenient launching off point to keep costs down. With the base spirit in place, the
gin making can now begin. There are several different methods available.
In order to be called gin, a spirit must derive its flavor from a juniper infusion.
It is possible for a spirit to technically labelled a gin
without ever being redistilled. While this is true of many
supermarket brands of gin, where flavoring agents are
added to a neutral grain spirit to create a drink that is
superficially gin, we’re talking here about the addition of
real juniper. This is the principle behind a famous recipe
by mixologist Jeffrey Morganthaler and the many
homemade gin kits that are widely available in which
juniper is infused in vodka. Compound gins aren’t limited
to the home and the bottom shelf, however. There are
some high-quality compounds out there. For example,
Crater Lake Spirits in Bend, Oregon makes its Crater
Lake Estate Gin by infusing local juniper berries after
distillation. These gins are sometimes referred to as
‘bathtub gins’ as well. Though not necessarily a style
designation on its own, it has been seen by some as a
preferable name for gins produced by this technique,
because it distinguishes a creative choice from the
negative associations of a compounded gin.
Crater Lake Estate Gin, made by infusing local juniper berries in a base spirit, is known as a bathtub gin.
Bathtub gin is produced by adding aromatics or
extracts to the neutral spirit, without a further process
of distillation. If the flavors from the botanicals are
imparted without distillation, then it is by definition a
compound gin. However entwined the word
‘compounded’ is with an assertion of quality, its
important to keep in mind that the word encompasses
an entire spectrum of gins. Copper House Distillery uses
juniper, cardamom and coriander as well as other
botanicals such as orris root .
This is, by far and away, the most common type
of gin out there. These sort of gins begin with an initial
run of a spirit, and then that spirit is run through the
still again, only this time with botanicals. This ‘second’
distillation generally assumes a high-quality starting
product, which means that there’s a lot more artistry in
this second half of the process. If the first half is about
ensuring that the bad stuff is gone, this second process
is focused on taste and aroma. To that effect, there are
several different techniques that distillers can use to give their gin the character they
desire. Each will extract different aromatic molecules from the plants they are working
with, and therefore each will have its pros and cons. Truly all methods are equal at
this stage, separated only by the skills of the men and women working at the still.
Servicing the stills at Hendrick’s distillery in Girvan, Scotland.

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The first two methods involve maceration. In the first

one, the distiller will put the botanicals directly into
the liquid. That liquid will then be directly heated and
re-distilled. There’s a variation on this method that
might be more aptly described as the ‘tea’ method
wherein a bag of botanicals is dropped in the still,
then heated similarly, creating a swirling broth, that
once boiled and re-condensed will have its gin-like
character. A second type of maceration results in a
lighter style of gin. The botanicals are steeped in the
liquid for a period of time, often no more than a day,
and are then filtered
out. The resulting liquid
(which could rightfully
be called a bathtub or
compounded gin at this
point) is then re-
distilled, without ever
heating a single
botanical. Of the first method, critics might allege that
‘cooking the botanicals’ spoils the flavors or releases
undesirable aromas. Steeping extracts, phenols and
tannins may add a bitter character to the gin. Though
the critiques are true, several of the biggest names in
the history of gin, such as Beefeater and Tanqueray,
distil their gins in this fashion. Clearly, method alone
does not guarantee an inferior product.
Tanqueray places botanicals directly into the spirit before directly heating and re-distilling the gin.
The truth lies closer to the fact that this method simply releases “different”
aromas and a skilled distiller needs only to be aware of what they are doing to ensure
a quality gin. At Sipsmith, the still room is used to store the distillery’s experimental gin blends.
Steam Distillation.The next set
of methods has been moved forward by
the next generation of distillers. These
methods often result in a much lighter,
more botanically rich, but less intense
style of gin. The first method is based on
the principle of steam distillation. It’s also
alternately called vapor infusion or the
‘gin basket’ method. What they all have in
common is that the actual aromatics and
botanicals do not touch the liquid in the
still. They can be either suspended above
the liquid or located in the neck of the still,
so that the aromatic infusion occurs as it’s
about to re-condense. A distiller who
locates botanicals just above the liquid,
does so with the expectation that the aromatics will drip down and mix with the liquid
below, creating a more full-bodied flavor profile. Locating them in the neck better

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preserves delicate flavors. In both cases, steam distillation is a better way to extract
the essential oils, which are what gives a gin its character. However, even this
method has its detractors. Some distillers allege that the simple act of heating a
botanical destroys the most delicate of volatiles. The only solution to this conundrum
is to reduce the temperature. Fortunately, many distillers are well versed in physics.
By using a vacuum, the boiling point of a substance can be significantly lowered, to
the point where very little heat needs to be applied. This means that heat-sensitive
volatiles can now be distilled and re-condensed. A couple of notable distilleries that do
this are the Sacred Spirits Company in London, and Greenhook Ginsmiths in Brooklyn,
New York. Greenhook Ginsmiths uses vacuum distillation in order to keep temperatures down during re-distillation.
Thus far, all of these distillation
techniques have described situations
where the botanicals are all placed into
an apparatus together at one time.
There’s a certain artistry and challenge
in these tasks, because a slight change
in botanical essential oil content can
result in a change in the flavor of the
end product. Many smaller distilleries
label their bottles with ‘batch’ and
“bottle” numbers to differentiate
between distillations and manage the
expectation that the product might differ
a little bit from run to run. One might
wonder then, how larger distilleries are
often able to maintain a consistently
reliable product that seems unfailingly
similar from batch to batch. There are a couple of different ways that distilleries can
help mitigate this. The first happens after distillation. A distillery may blend the results
of several batches together for consistency. Smaller differences across a wide number
of distillations may be evened out by averaging the botanical profiles of each
distillation by mixing them together. The other method is actually part of the
distillation process. Though uncommon, some gin distillers are known to distill each
botanical individually. That way they can ensure that the expression of coriander is
where they want it; the notes of their juniper are true to their vision, and so on. They
then precisely blend the various distillates together to create the final product.
Gin Dilution. The final step for many distillers is to reduce the strength of the
spirit that comes off the still to one suitable for consumption. Pure ethanol, for
example, comes out of the still at 190 proof, or about 95% alcohol by volume. This is
in fact the upper limit, ‘as pure as you can get’ by distillation alone. Some legal
designations, such as London gin in the European Union, require the gin with
botanicals to come out of the still at a minimum of 140 proof, or 70% alcohol by
volume. Obviously, very few gins are bottled at this proof. Many are diluted prior to
sales. In the United States, gin cannot be less than 40% alcohol by volume; in the
European Union gin cannot be bottled to less than 37.5% ABV and still be sold as gin.
Many distillers take this dilution step very seriously and pay very close attention to the
water they use. Martin Miller’s Gin’s identity is tightly tied to the Icelandic sourced
water that it uses to dilute its gin. Iceland is prominently featured on the bottle and
the ‘purity’ of its water is often referred to in its marketing materials.

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The distillery floor at Iceberg Gin in Newfoundland,

Canada. Water from melted icebergs is used to dilute
the company’s gins.

Another example is Iceberg Gin from

Newfoundland, Canada. Ed Kean, a sea
captain from the Canadian Maritimes,
scouts and harvests hunks of icebergs,
which are melted to make the water for its
vodka and gin. Long Table Distillery in
Vancouver proudly sources its waters from
the Coast Mountain Range. Spring 44
Distilling cites its source as artesian mineral
spring water from the Buckhorn Canyon in
Colorado. The list goes on. As you can see,
this final step is far from an afterthought for
many distillers who believe that the quality of the water they use is just as important
as the botanicals and grains that go into the product.
Martin Miller’s, Long Table and Iceberg all take the origin of their water very seriously.
Non-Chill Filtering. Though we’ll be diving into
aromatics a little bit later on, there’s another step that
some distillers take at this point. Many aromatics are
soluble in alcohol but are not soluble in water. This
basically means that when you add water or ice, the gin
becomes cloudy. Fans of absinthe, pastis or ouzo might
recognize this effect, often referred to as either a louche,
or the ouzo effect. For absinthe, a louche is a highly
desired characteristic; for gins not so much, as distillers
will go to lengths such as chill filtering to improve the
clarity of the spirit. It’s a simple process, which involves
chilling the gin to around or below freezing and then
passing the spirit through a filter to remove the particles
that contribute to the cloudiness. Many distillers have
chosen to differentiate themselves recently by electing to
not use this process and calling their gins ‘non-chill
filtered’. A few examples include Vor Gin from Iceland,
Dodd’s Gin from England and Letherbee Gin from Illinois
in the United States. There are many different ways to make a gin. What’s important
to note is that although each process has its advocates, each method has produced a
well-received gin. If no process alone can guarantee a perfect end product, our
journey will take us on a closer look to the other important part of the process that
creates this botanical spirit. Whether put in a bag, suspended in a basket or thrown in
a tub with the mash, the journeys of these plants is what distinguishes one gin from
another.
Types of Gin. Malted barley is
an accepted alternative to the cereals.
The two key ingredients of gin was
(botanicals) recognized for flavorings
purposes are juniper berries and
coriander seeds. Types of gin are:

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Dutch Gin represents the original incarnation of gin, and is a different

product all together than the dry gins we know today. This Dutch Product is made
from both infused natural spirits and varying percentages of malt wine yielding a
pleasant cereal like flavor profile, a creamy mouth feel, and a great depth of flavor.
Old Tom Gin represents gin’s second evolution; Old Tom Gins were made
with the addition of sweeteners to hide impurities imparted through previously poor
distillation practices. This style of Gin isn’t as commonly known as it became hidden
by the more popular London Dry style.
London Dry Gin this gin can be produced anywhere in the world, it must be
made using a neutral spirit with a botanical flavor blend unquestionably dominated by
its defining Juniper component, with the supporting botanicals just adding to the
flavors.
Plymouth Gin can only be produced in Plymouth, England. This Gin is
relatively full bodied; it is always clear, slightly fruity and very aromatic. Plymouth Gin
must be made from only 100% wheat based neutral spirits which contains no bitter
botanicals, and is softer, earthier and contains slightly less Juniper than other Gins.
New Western Dry Gin this category has only been created in the past
decade, it allows distillers a greater opportunity for artistic freedom so gins can be
created that shift away from the usual focus of Juniper. Whilst Juniper must remain
dominant in all dry gins to achieve definition, these gins are most certainly defined by
the careful inclusion and balance of the supporting flavors.
Genever is the precursor to modern gin. Originating in sixteenth-century
Holland, genever is richer than gin, with a savory, earthy, malty flavor. Distillers
make genever in Holland, Belgium, and certain parts of France and Germany,
distilling it from malt wine spirits in lieu of neutral grain spirits. Genever's flavor
palate makes it an excellent choice for a Gin Old Fashioned or any cocktail that
contains sweet vermouth.
Sloe gin A liqueur made by steeping wild sloe berries found in hedgerows
across the English Countryside in gin and sweetener.
Fruit gins as the term implies, these are fruit flavoured gins that may be
produced from any fruit. The most popular are sloe, orange and lemon. International
Style New expressions of gin are appearing all over the globe seemingly every day,
from Spain to Japan, Brazil to the United States.
Freed from the traditional
botanical trappings of the London Dry
style, many contemporary gin
producers craft their spirits as direct
reflections of their geography,
incorporating local roots and
botanicals. To explore how best to use
more niche gins, try using them in a
Martini first, then move on to more
complex cocktails like a Negroni.
Gin Styles. Gin is a spirit with centuries of heritage that has enjoyed a
multitude of incarnations. Today most of us enjoy the London Dry style that has
become a symbolic British drink, but anyone with a sweet tooth can still pick up a
bottle of Old Tom and the malty Dutch-style genevers can be found online. What
connects the styles and defines gin as a spirit is the balance between the alcohol and
the flavors given to it by botanical ingredients. Various distillation techniques are used
in the production of gin. Two broad definitions are “distilled” and “compound”.

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Distilled gin has, as the name would suggest, been redistilled with botanicals to flavor
it, while for compound gins distillers simply add flavors to the spirit. To be described
as London Dry a gin has to be distilled and have no artificial additives.
Another important aspect of the production process is how the botanicals are
treated. In some cases the distiller will macerate them in a neutral grain spirit before
distilling the mix to get more of the aroma. Others distil as soon as the botanicals are
added to the spirit. There are a host of stills employed that can also change the flavor
and aroma profile. Essentially, a lot can impact on the gin you have in your bottle,
and gin distillers are masters of their craft.
There is a lot of modern gins that look to play with a variety of botanicals at
the heart of the spirit, but as a standard you’ll often find coriander seed, angelica root,
orris root, and citrus peels. If you plan to get creative with your cocktails then it’s
worth looking at some of the botanicals listed on the bottle and trying to accentuate
these flavors in your own creations.
For many purists juniper should be the champion botanical. Indeed the EU
states that gin should predominantly taste of juniper. This hasn’t stopped distillers
from playing with the profile of their creations, but the debate over what constitutes a
gin rages among the drinksmiths.
The staple Beefeater is
perhaps the quintessential London
Dry, a clean but robust spirit that
has plenty of juicy juniper as well as
some sumptuous citrus. Beefeater’s
master distiller Desmond Payne
remains one of the world’s great
distillers and more recently
designed Beefeater 24, a luxury
choice of gin that plays with flavors from Chinese green and Sencha teas.
Tanqueray is another name that exudes heritage and if you select the Special
Dry, with a punchy ABV of 47.3%, you’ll have a fine friend in the drinks cabinet for
most occasions. From the same stable you’ll discover Tanqueray No. TEN, a modern
incarnation that is crafted with hand-picked whole fruit botanicals and distilled four
times. Distiller Tom Nichol is a true master and apart from the stunning bottle it
comes in you’ll find fantastic fruity flavors, with white grapefruit among them along
with smooth chamomile aromas.
Bombay Sapphire, a gin that revived the spirit in the 1980s when it was much
maligned and associated, unfairly, with blue moods. This is a gin that works for those
not so keen on heavy juniper flavors, using a fresher, piney form of botanical to go
with cubeb berries and grains of paradise from West Africa—a very versatile gin and
useful for mixing.
Plymouth Gin is impressionable on the palate. Plymouth is a style of gin dating
back to the 1790s that has survived the evolution of the spirit and has retained its
own geographic designation (it can only be made in Plymouth, southwest England).
Typically the variant is rich and oily; the juniper is bold and there are some fresh
citrus qualities, but on the nose you pick up the likes of sage and heather.
Martin Miller’s uses Icelandic glacial water and has a beautiful mouth feel. The
botanicals give it a slight hint of lavender so if you’re thinking about mixing it then go
with floral flavors. One of my favorite gins in a Negroni is Martin Miller’s Westbourne
Strength, a gin that is bottled at 45.2% ABV. It has a more traditional gin flavor and
can stand out in the face of the cocktail’s other bitter ingredients.

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Hendrick’s was developed by Scottish

distiller William Grant & Sons. The team was
determined to create something summery but
unusual, and it includes oils of Damascus rose
and cucumber. These distinctive ingredients
lend themselves well to mixing with similar
flavors and aromas. Caorunn is another Scottish
gin and plays with the ancient Celtic ingredients
on the doorstep of the distiller. Rowan berry,
heather, bog myrtle, dandelion, and Coul Blush
apple are recognizable flavors and make this a
gin to play with if you’re looking at fall cocktails. Elsewhere Geranium plays with the
London Dry style while accentuating the floral notes of, as the name would suggest,
geranium oils, and with its highly perfumed aroma it works well in an Aviation.
Sipsmith is made in London, the first new gin to launch in the capital for 190
years, and here multi-talented Jared Brown uses a cute 317 quart/300 liter copper pot
still to deliver an intense gin bursting with tart lemon and marmalade flavors. This gin
is wonderful in Salvatore Calabrese’s Breakfast Martini. The trends in micro-distilling
have given rise to some small-batch
beauties.
Sacred meanwhile is made by Ian
Hart in his own living room in London, with
his vacuum distillation equipment wrapping
itself around bookcases and the TV. You
don’t get more boutique than this and the
gin is big on cardamom, nutmeg, and
Hougari frankincense.
Gin is a global spirit these days, in
America we have seen Gin 209 emerge
from San Francisco, using sweet orange and bergamot botanicals and Midwestern
corn for a soft spirit. In contrast, another gin from the same city, Junipero, comes
from the former brewers of Anchor Steam beer and at 49.3% ABV is
an aggressive and spicy gin that benefits from a decent dose of
vermouth beside it. There are many more and the variety inspires
creativity, all have their place and add something different to your
drinks.
Gin Essentials.The Glass. Balloon glasses and glasses of
similar styles are recommended by the gin distillers, the glass helps
funnel the botanical flavours upwards and with 95% of the flavour
coming from the sense of smell the aromas linger longer for a fuller
flavoured experience. While the stemmed design keeps the drink
cooler.
The Cold. To get the most from the flavour of your gin it is
important that the ingredients are as cold as possible. So Tonic
Water must be chilled and the gin, in warmer climates, should be
cool also. There is an absolute need for large ice cubes fresh from
a freezer.
Garnish. The best flavors apparently come from the
zest and the whole fruit may take the bubbles of the tonic away.
Lemon zest and lime zest tend to be the most popular fruits with

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gin but depending on the botanicals, strawberries to basil may be a more appropriate
garnish. A sprinkle of juniper berries too, especially in London Dry Gins, is a nice twist.
The following are the famous Gin cocktails.
Singapore Sling. Created around 1914 by Ngiam Tong Boon, bartender at
the Long Bar at the Raffles Hotel in Singapore, although the original recipe has been
much adapted over time.

Glass: Highball or Hurricane

Ingredients: 1fl oz/30ml gin

3 tsp cherry brandy
1 1/2 tsp Cointreau
1 1/2 tsp Bénédictine dash Angostura bitters
4fl oz/120ml pineapple juice
3 tsp lime juice
2 tsp grenadine
ice cubes

Garnish: Slice of pineapple and fresh cherry

Procedure: Shake the ingredients with ice and strain into a glass. Garnish with a slice
of pineapple and a fresh cherry

Tom Collins. London stakes a claim to this drink from the early 1800s, when
it was allegedly served at the coffeehouse bar at the Limmer’s Hotel, London.

Glass: Highball

Ingredients: 2fl oz/60ml gin

1fl oz/30ml lemon juice
4 tsp sugar syrup
sparkling water to top ice cubes

Garnish: Slice of Lemon

Procedure: Shake the ingredients with ice and strain into a highball over fresh ice.Top
with sparkling water and garnish with a slice of lemon.

Martini. Steer clear of limes for garnish, unless you’ve got a penchant for the
things. Or scurvy. Instead go with an olive or a lemon zest twist. If you’re going dry,
then enhance the savory side with a few olives on a toothpick.

Glass: Martini

Ingredients: 2fl oz/60ml gin

3 tsp dry vermouth
ice cubes

Garnish: Olive or Lemon Zest twist

Procedure: Stir the ingredients in a mixing glass with ice and strain into a martini
glass. Garnish with an olive or a lemon zest twist.
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Bronx. According to one story, the Bronx was invented in the early 1900s by
bartender Johnny Solon at New York’s Waldorf-Astoria.

Glass: Martini

Ingredients: 1 jigger gin

½ jigger sweet red vermouth
½ jigger dry vermouth
½ orange juice

Garnish: Slice of Orange and Cherry

Procedure: Shake all the ingredients then strain into a pre-chilled cocktail glass. Clip
a slice of orange and cherry on the rim of the glass as garnish.

Gibson. Is essentially a dry martini with a pickled onion garnish, instead

of lemon or olive. Surprisingly, the garnish change makes it into an entirely
different drink like many cocktails, the history of the Gibson is a bit murky. The
most reliable story: it’s thought to have been created around 1898 by
businessman Walter D.K. Gibson. Apparently he thought eating onions prevented
colds, so he added this unique garnish.

Glass: Martini

Ingredients: 1 jigger gin

1/3 bar spoon of dry vermouth

Garnish: Drop of Olive

Procedure: Stir all the ingredients and strain the mixture into
pre-chilled martini glass. Garnish with cocktail onion on top of the drink.

Gimlet. A drink that evolved after Lachlan Rose’s preserved lime juice
became popular with scurvy-suffering sailors in 1867.This drink can also be served
straight up without the soda and in a highball glass.

Glass: Highball

Ingredients: 2fl oz/60ml gin

4 tsp lime cordial
ice cubes
lime wedge or zest

Garnish: Slice of Lime

Procedure: Stir the ingredients in a mixing glass with ice and strain into a rocks glass
over fresh ice. Top with soda water and garnish with a wedge of lime or some zest.

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Aviation. Created by Hugo Ensslin at New York’s Hotel Wallick in the early
1900s, when it included crème de violette, but it was made famous without it by
Harry Craddock in his seminal Savoy Cocktail Book. Try both versions.

Glass: Champagne Saucer

Ingredients: 1 3/4fl oz/50ml gin

3 tsp maraschino liqueur
1 tsp crème de violette
3 tsp lemon juice
ice cubes
lemon zest to sprits
cherry

Garnish: Cherry

Procedure: Shake the first four ingredients with ice cubes and fine strain into a glass.
Squeeze the oil from the lemon zest over the surface of the drink and discard. Garnish
with a cherry.

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Application
Name:________________________________ Course, Yr & Sec:__________
Teacher: ______________________________ Class Schedule: ___________
Direction: Write down the ingredients, corresponding quantity needed and
procedure of making each cocktail drinks. (5 points each).

B.)Orange Blossom A.)Pink Gin

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D.) Gin 7 C.)Golden Fizz

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Note to Students: Detached this page and submit to your

Professor on the given due dates.

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Assessment
Name:________________________________ Course, Yr & Sec:__________
Teacher: ______________________________ Class Schedule: ___________

Multiple Choice. Direction: Choose and circle the LETTER of the correct answer.

1. The base of London Dry gin must be.

A. sugarcane C. malt
B. wheat D. grain mash
2. Which of these is not a relative of gin.
A. Genever C. Old Tom
B. Absinthe D. Sloe Gin
3. Which of these is not a common botanical in London Dry gin
A. grains of paradise C. orris root
B. angelica root D. lemon grass
4. This is the recipe of which cocktail: gin, Benedictine, cherry brandy, Angostura
bitters, pineapple juice, and lemon?
A.Singapore Sling C. Mai-Tai
B. Daiquiri D. Martini
5. What's the name of the style of gin that is sweeter than London dry but drier than
Jenever?
A. Plymouth Gin C. Old Tom Gin
B. Sloe Gin D. Steinhaeger
6. A popular brands of gin that is clean but robust spirit that has plenty of juicy
juniper as well as some sumptuous citrus and plays with flavors from Chinese
green and Sencha teas.
A. Tanqueray C. Beefeater London Dry
B. Bombay Sapphire D. Hendricks
7. A popular brands of gin that revived the spirit in the 1980’s and works for those not
so keen on heavy juniper flavors, using a fresher, piney form of botanical to go with
cubeb berries and grains of paradise from West Africa.
A. Bombay Sapphire C. Sipsmith
B. Hendricks D. Tanqueray
8. A popular brands of gin known for being playful and always goes down a favorite
behind the bar. It is crafted with hand-picked whole fruit botanicals and distilled
four times.
A. Tanqueray C. Hendricks
B. Beefeater London Dry D. Bombay Sapphire
9. What does orris root do to a gin?
A. Gives it a herbal flavor C. Fixes in the flavor
B. Keeps the gin clear in color D. Don't use it - it's poisonous!
10. What’s the name of the sweet style of gin that is sometimes described as the
“missing link’ between jenever and London Dry?
A. Old Man C. Old Tom
B. Old Annie D. Old Age

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TRUE OR FALSE.

Directions: Read each of the following statements. Write the word TRUE if the
statement is correct and FALSE if otherwise.

______1. Blueberry is used to make Sloe Gin?

______2. Around 37.5 percent is the minimum alcohol level to be a true gin.

______3. A classic martini is made with vodka and gin.

______4. Coriander is the second most popular botanical used in gin after juniper.

______5. Gin was invented by the Dutch.

Note to Students: Detached this page and submit to your

Professor on the given due dates.

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Topic 2: Liqueurs and Cordials

Activity
Name:________________________________ Course, Yr & Sec:__________
Teacher: ______________________________ Class Schedule: ___________
Matching Type
Direction: Match the basic function in Column A for the following job position in
Column B. Write the letter of your choice on the space provided.

Column A Column B

___1. A clear liqueur made from anise seed an A. Drambuie

flavored with bitter almonds
B. Pernod
___2. A clear liqueur flavored with caraway seeds
from Scandinavian countries C. Kahlua

___3. A raspberry flavored liqueur. D. Southern

Comfort

___4. Orange flavored liqueur and produced out E. Chambord

of triple sec and orange Curacao
F. Cointreau
___5. A peppermint liqueur made from fresh mint
and brandy G. Anisette

___6. Cognac based liqueur flavored with oranges H. Chartreuse

and orange Curacao
I. Grand Marnier
___7. Mexican liqueur made from coffee beans,
vanilla and brandy J. Crème de
Menthe
___8. A high proof American liqueur that is
Bourbon base enriched with a peach flavor

___9. Scotch whiskey based liqueur made with

honey and herbs

___10. Its color is a combination of yellow and

green and it is produced from a combination
of several ingredients such as spices, herbs and roots.

Note to Students: Detached this page and submit to your

Professor on the given due dates.

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Analysis
Name:________________________________ Course, Yr & Sec:__________
Teacher: ______________________________ Class Schedule: ___________
Instruction: Write your answer on the space provided.
Please be guided by the following rubric. 10 pts: 7 or more sentences
5 pts: less than 5 sentences
0 pts: no description
1. Briefly discuss. What is Maceration?
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2. Briefly discuss. What is Percolation?
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Note to Students: Detached this page and submit to your

Professor on the given due dates.

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Abstraction

Liqueur

Liqueur and cordial are two terms for

the same thing: a distilled spirit flavored or
redistilled with fruits, flowers, plants, their
juices or extracts, or other natural flavoring materials, and sweetened with 2½
percent or more of sugar. To simplify matters we will use the word liqueur.
Liqueur is derived from the Latin word “liqueufacere” which means to dissolve or
melt. That is why liqueurs are said to be ideal as after dinner drink as they dissolve or
to melt, that is why liqueurs are said to be ideal as after dinner drink as they dissolve
or neutralize the after taste of food taken during meals.
The aroma flavor of herbs, seed, bark, roots, flower fruits, stones and peel. The
alcohol base can be brandy, cognac, rum, whisky or neutral grain spirits. Their distinct,
characteristics taste depends on the type of fruit or flavor that is infused into the
drink. Liqueurs are generally used as European version and cordials as the American
version of after dinner drinks. Both contain up to 35% of some sweetening agent. In
addition to mixing into a wide and wild variety of cocktails, liqueurs have two main
functions: to begin and end a meal.
In the 12th century came the discovery by alchemists of how to bring out the
essence of agricultural products to create al-kohl, the medieval cure-all. Next came
teaching others the many ways to make and use this remarkable “water of life.” It
took about 800 years from the discovery of distillation in the 9th century until monks
in France learned how valuable the sweet-tasting, health-giving benefits could be in
saving lives if they added flavors to alcohol.
So were born liqueurs in the form of two that taste so good they remain popular
to this very day: Chartreuse and Benedictine. Both were named in honor of the
monastic orders where they were first created. The further development of the most
complex, colorful, tasteful, and varied of all distilled spirit types has blossomed (like
many of the plants and flowers used in their production) since the 1600s. These new
products used combinations of so-called neutral spirits (clear with little or no flavor)
made from grain or wine or other agricultural products with (or over) fruits, flowers,
plants, their juices, or other flavoring materials. And the monks used various means
to bring out the best of their flavors in a controlled and standardized manner.
They turned these early pharmaceuticals into a tremendous variety of colorful,
different-flavored, spirit products. And that led to the huge industry known and
enjoyed all over the world today as cordials or liqueurs. The popularity of cordials has
never dimmed; popularity that lasts for 400 years must mean something. In the case
of these beauties, it means variety, reasonably low cost, generally lower alcohol, and
great use in drinks and in cooking.
The Birth of the Liqueur. Many historians attribute the first compounding of
sweetened herbs and alcohol to Italy’s Salerno University of Medicine and Science.
The art of turning medicine-taking from “ugh” to “wow!” was ultimately obtained by
Catherine de Medici, who was a member of one of Italy’s ruling classes (and also one
of the world’s great poisoners). In 1536, she introduced her new husband, King Henry
II of France, and his French court to what is today called a cocktail. The Rossoli was a
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varied mixture of everything from

jasmine leaves to chamomile and
sugar steeped in alcohol by Italian
peasants to ward off “the Death” (the
superstitious peasantry’s term for the
Bubonic Plague).
In very short time, this
“medicine” became a favorite of the
French aristocracy. They most likely
appreciated the mood altering
capabilities more than they did the effectiveness in warding off the plague and other
death-dealing ailments. During the Renaissance, the practice of adding alcohol to well
known medications became far more prevalent among the elite. Many upper-class
households had a dedicated “still room” for making distilled spirits to be used in
cosmetics as well as for
drinking. Women of the house used the same distillation methods to make rosewater
to improve complexions, and water of ground up cloves to relieve stomachache,
obesity, and worms.
Further proof of the Italian origin of these remarkable variations on an ancient
theme arrived in London in 1749 in the person of Giacomo Justerini. He brought with
him a number of complex recipes for making liqueurs. Signore Justerini’s name and
his “apothecary” shop have lived on. So has his partnership with Alfred Brooks, which
made J&B Scotch whisky a household name among the British Royal family and
today’s more moderate drinkers as well. While people in many countries were
creating more types of medicinal liqueurs, innovative distillation was growing on a
parallel track. It didn’t take too long for the two to join hands.
The monks were the first to realize the potential benefits of adding aqua vitae to
a distillate of herbs, leaves, or even plant roots. They quickly started using the new
method to get patients to take their medicine. In the 16th and 17th centuries,
hundreds of concoctions were born. In 1510, Benedictine monk Dom Vincelli created
the still-used recipe for Benedictine Liqueur. Only in more recent times has scientific
progress discovered the chemical agents that made those homely plants and flowers
a preventive for heart attacks. Now they can be put into a simple pill or capsule,
eliminating the original bad taste as well as the alcohol. Only in the last generation
have the facts been learned about how the healthful effects of these botanicals
continue to operate even in an alcohol base.
Today virtually hundreds of cordials/liqueurs use fruits and other ingredients to
add flavors undreamed of by the Moor Jabir, the world’s first distiller. Modern liqueurs
are the biggest category of all spirits if you look at the number of brands, and it’s the
third best-selling category worldwide. Not surprising considering that cordials come at
a far lower cost than other, more heavily taxed types of spirit.
The first “medicines”. Prior to World War I, the only “medicines” available
were first concocted as far back as prehistoric times by using plants and herbs found
in local regions. If you’re watching all the ads on TV today, that’s hard to believe. But
back then, botanicals were ground up and water was added, and then, often over
much protestation, they were administered foul tasting or not. The “medicine man”
could always blame the water and he would generally be correct. These initial
attempts to provide sick people with some relief through the wonders of chemistry
may have worked, sort of, but they were rarely taken as prescribed and they certainly
weren’t enjoyed.

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As tastes grew more sophisticated to the point where meat was cooked before
eating, the flavor of these locally produced medicines didn’t sit so well with the
masses. They blamed the “doctors” for not making the medicines more effective.
Then came the discovery of honey, and later, sugar cane. Medicine men quickly
realized that, as Mary Poppins sang many centuries later, “a spoonful of sugar helps
the medicine go down.” In a desire to make their medicines more effective, the
pharmacists of the day added a little sweetness by adding honey, dates, figs, or the
ground up sugar cane to make their medical selections more palatable. When they
mixed the powders with alcohol instead of water in their patients’ moods and
attitudes were markedly less hostile.
Cordial, Liqueur: A tale of two words. The words cordial and liqueur refer to
the same alcohol beverage type. The only difference is that cordial is more common
in the United States, while the Frenchification of the word liquor into liqueur belongs
to the Europeans. Interestingly, both words have Latin roots. Cordial is from the Latin
word cor or cordis, which means heart in English. The name is identified with the
heart because the earliest cordials were used as part of therapy to stimulate the heart
and to lighten one’s spirit.
The alcohol content of cordials is between 15-55%. Its aroma and taste is
produced by the addition of herbs, seeds, bark, roots, flower, fruits and peel.
Liqueur is taken from the English word liquefaction, which in turn is from the
same word in Latin that means the process of liquification, and that’s particularly apt
when applied to creating a liqueur made from ground up ginseng roots, for example.
The United States Standards of Identity originally gave the category the designation
of cordial. But liqueur has a more upscale tone to it, so it became more common
throughout the world.
According to every standard of identification worldwide, cordials and liqueurs are
made by “mixing or redistilling distilled spirits with, or over, fruits, flowers, plants or
pure juices, or other natural flavoring materials or with extracts derived from infusions,
percolation, or maceration.” They must contain sugar, dextrose, or
levulose not less than 2.5 percent by weight of the finished product. A host of other
controls factor into production, and are shown on the label. Examples include the use
of imitation flavors, the type of spirit used as a base, and so on.
The Making of Liqueurs. The makers of liqueurs are today’s alchemists, with
their secret formulas of herbs, spices, flowers, fruits, and exotic flavorings. No longer
looking for the elixir of life, they deal in flavor, color, romance, and profits. New
liqueurs are continually being developed, and both old and new are promoted with
recipes for new drinks in the hope that something like the Moscow Mule miracle will
happen again. And it does happen now and then: The oddly named Harvey
Wallbanger cocktail put Galliano in every bar.
Any liqueur begins as a distilled spirit; it might be brandy, whiskey, rum,
neutral spirits, or others. The distinctive flavorings may be any natural substance,
such as fruits, seeds, spices, herbs, flowers, bark. Many of them are complex
formulas containing as many as 50 ingredients. For example, Cointreau claims to use
oranges from five different countries. The flavorings may be combined with the spirit
in different ways. One method is steeping (soaking) the flavoring substances in the
spirit; this is called maceration. Another is pumping the spirit over and over the
flavoring substances suspended above it (as in a coffee pot), called percolation.
Alternately the flavoring substances may be added when the spirit is redistilled.
The sugar may be any of several forms, including honey, maple syrup, and corn syrup.
The sugar content is the main element that distinguishes liqueurs from all other types

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of spirit. It varies from 2½ percent to as much as 35 percent by weight from one

liqueur to another. A liqueur with 10 percent or less sugar may be labeled Dry. Color
is often added to colorless spirits, as in the cases of green Creme de Menthe and blue
Curacao. Colors must be natural vegetable coloring agents or approved food dyes.
A liqueur can be consumed as a shooter, served in a shot glass and quickly
hoisted and downed as part of a celebration, or as a cocktail ingredient: liqueurs are
integral parts of the Cosmopolitan, Margarita, and Rusty Nail. A liqueur can be sipped
straight (undiluted) after dinner in an elegant stemmed glass or snifter, added to
coffee, or mixed with cream to play the role of dessert. An easy way to make ice
cream more elegant is to pour a bit of liqueur over it just before serving.
Another option is to drizzle a teaspoonful of liqueur into a flute of Champagne.
It is impossible to include the names and uses of every liqueur here, but we will
attempt to list and describe a few of the most common one some generic types, some
brand names.
Liqueurs. Also known as cordials, liqueurs are sweet, flavor-infused spirits
that are categorized according to the flavoring agent (fruits, nuts, herbal and spice
blends, creams, and such). The word liqueur comes from the Latin liquifacere
(“to dissolve”) and refers to the dissolving of flavorings in the spirits. Artificial
flavorings are strictly regulated in most countries and where allowed they must
be prominently labeled as such.
Top-quality liqueurs are produced by distillation of either the fermented flavor
materials or the spirit in which they have been infused. Many liqueurs use
finished spirits such as Cognac, rum, or whiskey as their base. Others macerate
fruit or other flavorings in a neutral spirit. Crèmes (crème de menthe, crème de
cacao, etc.) are liqueurs with a primary flavor, while cream liqueurs combine
dairy cream and alcohol in a homogenized, shelf-stable blend.
Liqueurs are not usually aged for any great length of time, but they may
undergo resting stages during their
production to allow the various
flavors to “marry” into a harmonious
blend. Some Italian amari are rested
in barrels for several years as
the complex botanical mixtures
combine into deep flavors.
Townshend’s Distillery in Portland,
OR, produces a line of spirits, including herbal
liqueurs, from excess alcohol extracted from
their Brew Dr. Kombucha on the side.

Freshly filled bottles of Raspberry Liqueur await

boxing and shipping at the Sidetrack Distillery in
Kent, WA on your left.

Unripened black
walnuts are
infused in high-
proof alcohol in
the process of
making Nocino,
an Italian-style bitter liqueur at Sidetrack Distillery in
Kent, WA on your right.

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Maple Liqueur by Salish Sea Organic Liqueurs earned a Gold

Medal in the American Distilling Intitute’s 2018 International Judging
of Craft Spirits.

Raspberry Liqueur by Skip Rock Distillers

earned a Gold Medal in the American Distilling
Institute’s 2018 International Judging of
Craft Spirits.

Helgolander German
style Herbal Liqueur by the
Dampfwerk Distillery Co.
earned a Gold Medal in
the American Distilling
Institute’s 2018 International
Judging of Craft Spirits.

Black Walnut Liqueur by Wood Hat Spirits earned a

Gold Medal in the American Distilling Intitute’s 2018
International Judging of Craft Spirits.

Rosolis Ziolowy Gorzki

is a rose-flavored stomach
bitters from the Lancut
Distillery in Poland.

Liqueurs can be hard to classify, but regardless of

flavor they can be broadly divided into two categories.
Generics are liqueurs of a particular type (crème de
cacao or curaçao, for example) that can be made by any
producer. Proprietaries are liqueurs with trademarked names
that are made according to a specific formula. Examples of
such liqueurs include Kahlúa, Grand Marnier, and Southern
Comfort.
Liqueurs have an extraordinary history and can play an essential role in a host
of drinks, but in cocktails they are used sparingly to add a little alcoholic sweetness
and color. Hailing from the monasteries of medieval Europe, the first herbal
liqueurs were medicinal remedies such as Chartreuse, which has been made to
the same recipe since the 1600s. Dutchman Lucas Bols helped generate a
commercial edge to the category in 1575 and today the company he founded

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offers all manner of colorful, sweet, and fruity concoctions.

Seed and nut liqueurs came along in the late 16th century, followed by orange
in triple secs, coffee in brands like Tia Maria, and finally creams, with Bailey’s
arriving on the scene in the 20th century. Among other styles is the whisky
liqueur that Drambuie made famous and the bourbon-based Southern Comfort.
And finally there are the bitter cocktail companions, packed with herbs and
bittering agents, like the amaros of Italy. So, much like a loud car salesmen, the
liqueur category is incredibly wide and the list way too exhausting to include in
its entirety here.
As a general rule liqueurs are lower in alcohol content than spirits. Those
produced in Europe have a minimum
sugar content of 100g per liter, or 250g
per liter for crème liqueurs, and 400g
per liter for crème de cassis. But there
is little restriction on how the flavoring
is introduced it can be added through
maceration or infusion, distillation, or
compounding (the addition of
concentrates). Here are some of the
more common liqueurs.
Bénédictine Containing 27 herbs and spices including cardamom and cloves,
this was created in 1510 by the monks of a monastery in northern France and
works well with brandy.
Chartreuse Another herbal remedy, created by French monks of the
Carthusian order. Both Yellow and Green Chartreuse contain 130 herbs, but the Green
comes in at 55% ABV and the Yellow at 40% ABV.
Cointreau An orange flavored liqueur. You’ll find many orange flavors out
there, all based on the themes of curaçao, the original orange flavored liqueur.
Another is Grand Marnier. When it comes to orange liqueurs, I’ll look to
artisan products like Merlet triple sec.
Falernum A syrup made from sugarcane, with flavors such as almonds and
cloves and a lower alcohol content than most liqueurs. Thanks to the success of
rum and tiki drinks, this historic liqueur is now prevalent in today’s bars.
Crème de violette With a base of brandy or neutral grain, this brings the
floral flavor of violet petals to a drink, along with their vivid color. Add 3 tsp to a Gin
Fizz to make it pretty.
Crème de framboise For those of you who can’t speak French, this is a
raspberry liqueur. Always look for brands that use quality fruit like liqueur
specialist Merlet.
Crème de cacao A chocolate liqueur that comes in white and brown versions.
Crème de cassis Almost as sweet as sugar syrup and with a base of black
currant.
Crème de mûre A blackberry liqueur that is a great addition to cocktails like
the Bramble.Chambord has produced a proprietary brand in a fantastic bottle.
Elderflower A flavor used in some classic drinks, elderflower liqueur has
recently become popular. St-Germain is a well known brand.
Pimento dram Rum-based and spicy, this is made from the pimiento berry
that gives us allspice and contains flavors of cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg.
Maraschino With crushed cherries at its base, this is another of the crucial
liqueurs in the pantheon of mixed drinks.

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Galliano L’Autentico Made with various herbs and plants, it includes subtle
licorice and vanilla flavors.
Becherovka A stomach settler created in 1805 in the Czech Republic, this has
gained new fame and status in cocktails.
Bailey’s The biggest selling liqueur on the market, Bailey’s blends Irish
whiskey with cream and spices. You’ll find it in almost every drinks cabinet in the land.
Amaretto An Italian liqueur made with bitter almond oil, apricot pits, and
other botanicals.
Frangelico A hazelnut liqueur that is quite potent and doesn’t make it into
many mixed drinks but is worth knowing about.
Malibu A coconut liqueur with a rum base that can find its way into tropical
treats.
Drambuie With a whisky
base and sweetened with
heather honey, this liqueur’s epic
history dates back to 1745. It’s
an essential in a Rusty Nail.
Jägermeister This bitter
and complex blend of 56 herbs
from Germany should be stashed
beneath most home bars.
A liqueur as a base for a cocktail instead of a spirit. It can be played around
with the flavors and start with simple ideas like mixing the liqueur with fruits, herbs,
and syrups that have a similar base to the liqueur, along with a mixer such as
soda water. Try mixing 4 tsp each of Grand Marnier and elderflower cordial with
slices of orange and strawberry, topped off with 5fl oz/140ml soda water to
create a Grand Esprit.
Cordial: The Making. Cordials have a wide spectrum of flavors available from
the potential basic flavoring ingredients. So, the tastes offered depend to a large
extent on the experience and skill of the distiller, the ways in which the flavors are
obtained, and the exact formulation of ingredients. Making cordials is a skill and an
art. It requires a wide knowledge of the earth’s plants, flowers, fruits, herbs,
vegetables, and almost every other botanical product found even in the most remote
parts of the world.
As an example or two, consider the recent introduction of a pomegranate cordial
a fruit mentioned lovingly in the Bible or the awareness of the fruit of an African tree,
the Amarula. It was reborn as a cordial called Amarula, which has a delightful taste
when percolated into an unflavored spirit.
When someone goes to make a cordial, he or she takes this very complex
knowledge and puts it to use in basically the same way that other distillers use their
knowledge to create other spirit types. Liqueurs are made by using many types of
spirits for a base, ranging from grain neutral spirits through brandy and rum and
surprisingly even to already-juniper-berry-flavored gin. To the base spirit, the
distiller adds the flavoring agents compiled from his secret recipe and then mixes with
care and attention.
Choosing The Base Spirit. Distillers select the base spirit of a cordial on the
basis of flavor, availability, and blending potential with the prime flavoring agent.
Each different spirit has a distinctive taste. Will the earthy notes of Tequila go well
with a scented flower? Alternatively, can the juniper laden gin blend in with a
pomegranate flavor? Or, can a sweet sugary rum match up with a sweet herb?

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Economic choices are also involved. If brandy is the base, it doesn’t make economic
sense to use a vintage Cognac. Or does it? Should vodka made from low cost wheat
or corn be used, or should the more exotic vodkas from grapes make the flavor base?
Finally, a decision must be made on how high the final price of the liqueur should be
value priced, premium, super-premium? That too has a definite effect on how much
the distiller pays for all the ingredients.
Marking The Differences. Years ago, the trade agreed that in order to keep
order in the marketplace, various price ranges designating the quality level of the
liqueur inside should be set and given names. In a bow to the French, they were
Ordinair for the lowest quality, up the ladder through Demi-fine to Fine, and
ultimately to the top, Surfine. In these days of global marketing, you rarely see these
designations, but they’re in the pricing if not on the label. To further assist the
consumer, however, all liqueurs are still classified as Crème when they’re thick and
extra sweet; Balm, which has a thick consistency; or Water, Extract, or Elixir, which
are all lighter.
Today, liqueurs are also classified by the flavor type. Most confusing of these
are Crème and Cream. The first is a category generally indicating a single flavoring
agent, such as crème de cacao, which is a sweeter, more heavily sugared liqueur with
a cocoa flavor. Cream, as in Bailey’s Irish Cream, is a category that came into being in
the 1980s. These liqueurs are made by using a technology invented in Holland to
stabilize dairy cream and give it a shelf life of about two months without refrigeration.
Cream liqueurs are blends, usually of a whiskey and fresh stabilized dairy cream. You
can also find rum creams and even an Amarula cream. The most common flavorings
come from chocolate, mint, and coffee. The best part of these dessert liqueurs is that
they last for a long time and still taste fresh. But shelf life isn’t much of a worry in
your refrigerator the drinks are so delicious that they don’t generally last two months.
Generic liqueurs are usually classified as non-descriptive Liqueurs. This class
includes Sloe Gin, which is made from sloe berries on a neutral spirit base. Another
category of liqueurs are Fruit Brandies, which are a colorless neutral brandy base to
which a blending of similar fruit flavors have been added. The use of flavored brandy
most likely arose years ago in the Cognac region of France where flavored Cognac
was often a preferred way to drink their native classic. Alizè is a flavored Cognac and
therefore classified as a liqueur. Finally, you have Schnapps, which is similar to a
flavored eaux-devie (the French version of vodka) but with no added sugar. In the
United States, even schnapps must adhere to the requirement that all cordials have a
given percentage of sugar added.
Adding The Flavor. Having determined the spirit to use as a base, the next
step in making a liqueur is determining how to get the flavor into the finished product.
The most common methods for extracting flavor from a
botanical include the following:
Maceration. The flavoring agents for the recipes
are soaked in the spirit and agitated. When the maximum
flavor has been leached from the botanicals, they’re
removed, and the remaining solids are filtered out.
Maceration is generally used for delicate fruits, such as
berries and bananas, where the flavor can’t stand up to
harsher methods.
Infusion. This method is similar to maceration, and
it’s the most inexpensive way to capture the essences of
dried leaves and plants. If you know how to “steep” tea,

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you know how to infuse. The botanical material is moistened until it’s soft. Then it’s
covered with the base spirit and allowed to step in that. This results in much of the
flavor being transferred to the base.
Percolation. Have you ever brewed coffee? This is the same thing. The heated
spirit is pumped through the flavoring ingredients over and over again. It’s generally
used with tough-covered flavorings, such as beans or pods.
Distillation. This method is very
similar to the way gin is made except that
juniper berries are rarely, if ever, used.
Botanicals are dried and put into a pot still.
The base spirit goes directly into the pot
still with the botanicals, or into a special
type of tray placed at the “head” of the still.
Then the material is put through the still,
which condenses the vapors from the
alcohol and the botanicals together.
Generally, a second distillation is used to
make certain that objectionable flavors are totally removed. This is the costliest way
of getting the base spirit and flavor together. Distillation is generally reserved for
rinds, flowers, and other more highly flavored botanicals.
The Final Touches. After going through one or more of the processes I
describe in the previous section, the resulting flavored liqueur that comes off the still
can be as high as 100 proof. Pure water is used to reduce the proof. Most of the
modern liqueurs are in the low alcohol range, between 25 proofs (40 percent alcohol
by volume, or ABV) and 70 proof (35 percent ABV). The mandated alcohol level for
fruit brandies is 70 proof. Some liqueurs, such as Chartreuse and Curacaos, are
permitted to be bottled at a higher 110 proof (55 percent ABV).
Next, the mixture is sweetened with simple sugar, honey, dextrose, or another
type of natural sugar. Then the liqueur is aged for a short time to help all the flavors
“marry.” Blends in which distillers want to avoid any additional accidental flavoring are
aged in stainless steel tanks. On the other hand, if the distiller wants more flavors,
the liqueur can be aged in wood casks to bring the wood’s extra flavor agents into the
blend. Some macerated liqueurs aren’t aged at all.
After this, the distiller adds color usually natural if desired. A few liqueurs are
chilled before filtering to remove certain unwanted oils that could cause clouding. If
the liqueur contains colloidal materials, they can be “fined” by being filtered through
albumen or milk that sinks to the bottom of the vat where it attracts particles that are
undesirable and makes it easier to remove them.
With the constant demand for new and improved flavor thrills in liqueurs, many
distillers have turned to food technology. Using mixtures of natural and manmade
flavors, for example, can produce flavors that taste cold when you take the first sip of
a liqueur and then turn hot in your mouth. Nothing is wrong with using this
technology, provided the ingredients have been approved for food and drink
consumption.
This kind of innovation, however, is frowned on by many high-end producers.
Marie Brizard, for example, has been making all natural liqueurs since 1755 when,
legend has it, nurse Marie brought a sailor back to health. In appreciation, he gave
her a recipe for an “elixir” that could cure all ills. She and her nephew, Jean-Baptiste
Roger, set up a company to produce this remarkable product and called it Anisette.
The company is still making it the same way.

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Types of Cordials. Not all cordials are equal. Some are “generic,” made using
a single commonly known and commonly found flavoring agent. These cordials are
used primarily in cocktail making. About 40 are generally available, including such
standard items as banana, cassis (black currants), cherry, coffee, kümmel,
peppermint, sloe gin (sloe berry), spearmint, triple sec , and a back bar full of others.
The other types are called “proprietary” because they’re made from exclusive
recipes created and maintained by the brand producer. Many of these cordials may
use one of the generics as part of their mixture, but they all add their own special
secret ingredients.

Famous Propriety Cordials

Cordial Primary Flavor/ Country of Origin
Made From
Absinthe Wormwood France
Amarula Tree fruit South Africa
Chambord raspberry France
Cheery Heering Cherry Denmark
Cointreau Orange France
Dr. McGillicuddy’s Cinnamon Canada
Elisir du Dr. Roux Herbal France
Frangelico Nut Italy
Hpnotig Tropical fruits France
Irish Mist Whiskey Ireland
Jagermeister Licorice France
Kahlua Coffee Mexico
Southern Comfort Bourbon USA
Villa Massa Lemon Italy
Vermeer Chocolate Holland
Cordials by the Ingredients. Because of the already vast number of products
called liqueurs, some way to put them in order had to be established. The following
sections tell you about the general categorization used by cordial producers. Please
keep in mind that with the current rush to flavor, questions arise as to whether a gin
should be flavored with raspberry. And, if it is, is it a cordial or just another in a line
of gins from one distiller? That conundrum gets even worse when dealing with vodka
because vodka has no flavor of its own that’s one of its major selling points.
Fruit Flavors. One of the most popular flavor families used in liqueurs are fruit
flavors. The offerings are expanding rapidly as tropical fruits, such as mango, kiwi,
Amarula, and maybe even some fruits yet to be known are added to the arsenal.
Sometimes the distiller can use the entire
fruit, including the pit (as in apricots), and
sometimes he can use only the flavorful
part, such as the peels of citrus fruits.
Eaux-de-vie that’s on the shelves in the
U.S. isn’t a true brandy. Rather, these
products are fruit-flavored brandies that
are generally at lower alcohol levels than
the true eaux-de-vie. And even fruit-
flavored brandies may be flavored with
something unusual.

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Fruit – Flavored Cordials

Flavor Generic Description
Source (Brand/s in Bold)
Apple This is the alcohol version of apple cider, the all- American drink. Low
alcohol level. Not to be confused with Apple Jack, which is a true brandy
Apricot Another fruit that can be either a liqueur or a flavored brandy. Made
from the kennel. Marie Brizard Apry.
Banana Sweet and heavy with a sometimes-overpowering banana flavor.
Inexpensive versions sometimes smell like furniture polish. Pisang
Ambon (Holland).
Blackberry Made as a liqueur and a flavored brandy. The brandy is a traditional
liqueur with purported medicinal properties
Cassis Crème de cassis made in the U.S. has a very berry taste. When mixed
(Currant) with a good white wine, it makes a very tasty Kir. The best drink and the
best cassis come from around Dijon in Burgundy, France, where both
originated
Cherry Made as a liqueur and a flavored brandy. Bright red with a so-so cherry
flavor. European cherry liqueurs have a much brighter flavor.
Maraschino is distinctive liqueur made only from Marasca cherries from
Italy and the Dalmatian coast by distilling the pits and the
pomace left from cherry wine. Stock (Italy). Most famous cherry liqueur:
Cherry Heering from Denmark
Cranberry Bright red with an astringent taste. Made in the U.S
Lime Growing in popularity throughout the world is Limóncello, the low
alcohol modern Italian liqueur often found in European bars where no
other liqueur is served. Pungent lemon-lime flavor is very
cooling. Made by many producers from local citrus. Villa Massa is
particularly good quality
Melon Light green; made with lime peel. Fairly sweet and 40 proof (80 percent
ABV). Freezolime.
Orange Light green with a pleasant honeydew flavor. Midori
Peach Two generic types. Curaçao, first made on the Dutch Caribbean island
of the same name uses peels of the local bitter orange. Also available in
blue. Triple Sec is made from both bitter and sweet peels in the U.S.
Grand Marnier is a triple sec made on a base of Cognac. Cointreau is
double distilled to get a “dry” flavor said to
be three times drier than regular orange liqueurs, which gave birth to the
“triple sec” designation.
Pear Wonderful pear aroma, but taste is hard to duplicate. Marie Brizard and
most other French labels are better
Raspberry Not many made in the U.S., and those from France are rated as far
superior. Chambord Royal black raspberry is ranked among the best
for color and aroma
Sloe berry Called sloe gin, but the sloe berry is actually a plum. The liqueur is made
with cherries and other flavorings that give it a bright red color. Despite
its name, it isn’t made from a gin base
Strawberry Very tough to make liqueurs that taste like strawberries. Best versions of
strawberry flavor are from France and made with wild berries.
Tangerine Mandarine Napoleón is made on a Cognac base using North African
tangerines. Other versions are made with South African tangerines, also
on a brandy base.

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Seeds and Nuts. Fruits aren’t the only flavor bases for liqueurs. Other
botanicals, like seeds and nuts, also make for great beverages
Seed and Nut Cordials
Flavor Source Generic Description (Brand/s in Bold)
Absinthe The famed French Fèe Verte (“Green Fairy”) was said to cause madness and was ultimately
banned from all European countries and the U.S. It was made from anise and wormwood,
which was deemed to be poisonous. Traditionally, the 72 proof (36 percent ABV) liqueur
was diluted with water, and poured over a sugar cube while it turned pearly white. In the
last few years, chemists determined that what made Absinthe so dangerous was a
poisonous substance called thujone. Removing that made Absinthe once again legal, and it’s
now available in the U.S
Anise One of the most widely used flavors licorice is from this seed. Anisette includes some other
flavorings to add depth to the licorice-like taste. It’s usually clear but occasionally tinted red.
European versions are more complex than those made in the U.S.
Anise A broad range of liqueurs with a licorice-like taste were made in imitation of the then-
Aperitifs banned Absinthe. Usually with an alcohol volume of 90 proof (45.5 percent ABV). Clear, but
when water is added, they turn pearly white. Best examples of these: Pastis, a French
generic (except for one produced by Ricard), Ouzo (from Greece), Raki (from Turkey),
Herbsaint (from the U.S.). Generic types are also made in Spain and Italy.
Caraway Used in making Kümmel, which was originally made in Holland in the 16th century. This
liqueur also includes cumin seed and has an aftertaste of anise. The Allash Kümmel made
in Germany is regarded as being top quality
Chocolate Crème de cacao is the primary liqueur that uses chocolate. It can be either brown or clear,
and it’s primarily for use in making cocktails. A lot of generic types have chocolate blended
with coffee, mint, or fruits. Among the proprietaries are: Droste Bittersweet, which tastes
like a Nestle chocolate bar; the Swiss Marmot, which has actual pieces of chocolate floating
in it; Sabra from Israel, which is a chocolate-orange liqueur; from Holland, Vandermint,
which, as indicated, is a blend of chocolate and mint; and CocoRibe, made with Virgin
Islands rum. The most recent famous chocolate names added to the liqueur lists are
Godiva Chocolate, White Chocolate, and a ready-to-drink cocktail with vodka.
Coffee Crème de café, crème de mocha, and coffee liqueur are all names given to some generic
types of coffee liqueur. Coffee-flavored brandy has a higher proof and uses brandy as a
base. Finally, branded proprietaries include the first coffee based liqueur, Kahlua, which
possibly adds molasses for smoothness. Tia Marie, a product of Jamaica, has a lighter
body.
Elder The fruit of this bush has a unique flavor and is used in making higher alcohol (80 proof or
Brush 40 percent ABV) and a sweet slightly licorice flavor. Sambucca Romano is probably the
best-known
Herbal Goldschlager is one of the more unusual liqueurs because
it has real flakes of gold a mythical aphrodisiac in its mixture of herbal flavors. Galliano,
the liqueur that started the rush to highly flavored products with the Harvey Wallbanger
after World War II, is made in Italy and is named for an Italian war hero. The herbal vanilla
flavor is less complex than similar liqueurs made in France and gets very little aging.
Jägermeister is a huge recent success story in the U.S., although it’s been made in
Germany since 1878, where it’s designated as bitters. It’s best enjoyed chilled and downed
quickly. Licor 43 (“Cuarente Tres”) is named for the 43 ingredients that go into its making;
it’s based on an ancient farmer-made drink. Tuaca Liquore has a lighter than typical
herbal-vanilla flavor and a light amber glow
Pits and Fruit pit kernels, such as those found in peaches and cherries, give a bitter almond flavor to
Kernels a number of nut flavored liqueurs and fruit-flavored types. Amaretto Disaronno is the first
and best example of a bitter almond version. Frangelico is another favorite made from
nuts, but this one is made from hazelnuts. The generic crème de noyaux and crème de
almond are made from almond and fruit pit kernels.
Mint Crème de menthe is one of the most classic generic liqueurs. It’s colorless but is sometimes
tinted green, red, or occasionally gold. Peppermint Schnapps is a colorless, drier version
Spices Spices are generally used as accent flavors, but you can find Cinnamon Schnapps and
Ginger Schnapps as well as a ginger-flavored brandy
Tea Suntory Green Tea is the best-known brand, but with the increased interest in tea as a
dinnertime beverage, new types are coming onto the market nearly every month

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Branded, Spirit-Based. Some liqueurs are

derived from a flavored whiskey base. These
liqueurs weren’t hugely successful until recently;
their growth in popularity could be due to the
more accepted use of spirits in general,
specifically whiskey. The exact ingredients in
Southern Comfort are still a mystery, but it is
known to be based on Bourbon, which is logical
given the name. Used as a mixer for many years,
it’s still a favorite among young adult drinkers.
Canadian Whisky. Yukon Jack has a citrus
flavor blended with herbs and a long Canadian
whisky finish. Its 72 proofs (36 percent ABV).
Irish Whiskey. Irish Mist was born in the mists of time when
warring clans ruled the land and the recipe for making “Heather
Wine” was closely guarded. The formula disappeared when Ireland
was invaded. In the 19th century, distillers tried to fathom the
recipe but failed. The story is that in 1948, an Austrian refugee
turned up at a distillery with his family’s recipe for a heather liqueur
known to be of Irish descent. It was tried and the Heather Wine
was discovered again or maybe that’s just a typical Irish yarn.
Scotch Whisky. Drambuie has a
touch of honey to sweeten the herb-spice
blend, and it has a touch of Scottish peat.
Drambuie Cream adds stabilized fresh
dairy cream to smooth things out. This
secret recipe was held by the McKinnon
family from 1745 until 1906 when the
liqueur finally went public. It started as a
gift, after the Scottish Rebellion of 1745,
from Bonnie Prince Charlie to Charles McKinnon, who had
given him sanctuary. The prince gave McKinnon the recipe,
calling it an dram buidheach (the drink that satisfies).
Cream Liqueurs. A number of attempts to produce
liqueurs with a fresh cream taste had failed to meet the shelf life test; they turned
sour quickly while waiting for a customer. The most public examples were the low
priced, ready-to-drink cocktails called Heublein
Cows they tasted wonderful but turned sour in
a couple of weeks. This notable failure turned
most producers sour. Dutch technicians finally
found a way to stabilize fresh dairy cream. The
increased shelf life of at least two months
opened the way to an entirely new kind of
cordial. A recipe was developed for Bailey’s
Irish Cream made on an Irish whiskey base
with light chocolate, coffee, and coconut flavors.
Bailey’s success encouraged others, and soon
the market had a number of cream cordials
enough to warrant a new category.

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Today a number of whiskey-based cream cordials like Myers’s Rum Cream;

Droste Cream, flavored with bittersweet chocolate from Holland; Kahlua Cream with
coffee and cream; and even Venetian Cream, based on Italian brandy with almond,
butterscotch, and coconut. One of the latest cream liqueurs is Tequila Rose, which,
despite its name, is a strawberry-flavored liqueur with a Tequila base. Bailey’s now
offers caramel and mint variations.
Two Classic Liqueurs. Chartreuse is called “the world’s most mysterious
liqueur.” Its recipe was recorded in the 16th century by an alchemist who gave it to
local Carthusian monks as a “health liqueur.” The monks perfected it and protected it
from hundreds of nefarious folk who wanted it for themselves. Even in the face of
torture during the French Revolution, the monks never disclosed the recipe. In 1817,
when France was a little more hospitable, they resumed production of the liqueur.
The recipe for Benedictine was first recorded in 1510 by its creator Dom
Bernardo Vincelli, a monk at the Benedictine abbey in Fècamp, France. Seventy years
after the French Revolution was over, one M. LeGrand reintroduced the liqueur
commercially. An arrangement with the benedictine order permits use of the name
and the initials D.O.M. The initials stand for Deo Optimo Maximus (to God, most good,
most great). Brandy was added in 1920 along with the two-headed bottle and
bottleneck that permitted mixing from a single source.

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Application
Name:________________________________ Course, Yr & Sec:__________
Teacher: ______________________________ Class Schedule: ___________
Direction: Create cocktail out the given liqueur. Write down the name, ingredients,
corresponding quantity and procedures (5 Points each).
1. Malibu 2. Triple Sec
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3. Creme de Methe 4. Kuhlua
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________________________________ ________________________________

Note to Students: Detached this page and submit to your

Professor on the given due dates.
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Assessment

Name:________________________________ Course, Yr & Sec:__________

Teacher: ______________________________ Class Schedule: ___________
Multiple Choice
Direction: Choose and circle the LETTER of the correct answer.

1. Liqueurs are normally consumed as.

A. An aperitif before a meal or digestif after a meal
B. A component of cocktails
C. A flavor enhancement to foods such as deserts
D. All of these answers are correct.
2. which of the following are the following are coffee flavored liqueurs.
A. Tia Maria and Kahlua C. Cointreau and Grand Marnier
B. Drambuie and Amaretto D. Galliano and Benedectine
3. Which of the following are orange flavored liqueurs?
A. Cointreau and Grand Marnier C. Jaegermeister and Chartreuse
B. Amaretto and Frangelio D. Midori and Maraschino
4. Which ingredient gives Crème de Menthe its unique flavor?
A. oregano C. mint
B. fennel D. basil
5. Midori is a sweet, green, melon flavored liqueur that comes from?
A. Mexico C. Japan
B. Poland D. Austria
6. What is the spirit base for Drambuie?
A. French brandy C. Jamaican Rum
B. Scotch brandy D. Mexican Tequila
7. Which of the following statements is not true about Benedictine?
A. It is an ingredient used to make a Rusty Nail
B. It was originally made by the Benedectine work
C. It is matured in oak casks for 3 months
D. It is a French liqueur based on cognac
8. Which of the following visual signs would indicate that liqueur on a shelf might be
spoiled?
A. The liqueur has turned cloudy C. A change in color
B. The liquid has separated D. All answers are correct
9. Besides water, what is the main ingredient of the liqueur Malibu?
A.Coconut C. Almond
B. Banana D. Pineapple
10. What is the main ingredient of the liqueur maraschino?
A. Cherry C. Black Currant
B. Raspberry D. Strawberry

Note to Students: Detached this page and submit to your

Professor on the given due dates.

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References

Unit 1

Cousins, J. Lilicrap, D., Weekes, S. Food and Beverage Service, 9th Ed. 2014

Rojo, L.G. Bar and Beverage Service with Mixology, 2nd Ed. (2012)

Katsigris, C., Thomas, C., (2012). The Bar and Beverage Book, 5TH Ed. 2012

Ditan, L. J. Principles of Bar Service Operation (2007 Edition) Textbook of Food and
Beverage Management and Operations. (2008).

Luntz, P. Whiskey and Spirits for Dummies, 2008, Charming, C. Everything Bartenders
Book, 4th Ed. Gin Bible www.cholmondelyarms.co.uk

Unit 2

Cousins, J. Lilicrap, D., Weekes, S. Food and Beverage Service, 9th Ed. 2014

Roldan, A.S., Edica, Benito, T., Cruz Dela, R.M. (2013) Revised Edition. Foodservice
and Bartending

Katsigris, C., Thomas, C., (2012). The Bar and Beverage Book

Rojo Lorenzo G., (2012). Bar and Beverage Service

Andrews, Sudhir. (2008). Textbook of Food and Beverage Management and

Operations.Textbook of Food and Beverage Management and Operations. (2008).
Luntz, P. Whiskey and Spirits for Dummies, 2008

Charming, C. Everything Bartenders Book, 4th Ed.

Ditan, Joseph L.A. (2007). Principles of Bar and Operation

Gin Bible, www.cholmondelyarms.co.uk

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