Other drinks

Liqueurs
«Cigar Clan» №2(32) 2007

Liqueurs are arguably the most fascinating type of alcoholic drinks.

They are mixed on legends and stories from the early medieval times. Some recipes are guarded as jealously as state secrets. The widest range of ingredients includes herbs and roots, exotic fruit and spices, chocolate and cream. They all stimulate infinite creations. In the meantime, liqueurs are classified not only by flavouring. Geographic origin and types of distillates, production technologies and ways of consumption, even certain historic figures can be reason for a certain classification.

The prototypes of the first liqueurs are likely to have been made by the Arabs. They knew distillation techniques and were able to make spirits which are a base for any liqueur. Once the Arabs conquered the Iberian peninsular, distillation equipment and technology moved to the north — to France and later to all Western Europe where the liqueurs were made as we know them today.

It is widely accepted that medieval monks invented liqueurs by infusing herbs and roots in spirits. The word liqueur comes from Latin liquefacere (“to dissolve”) that refers to a process of extracting aromas and flavours with the help of a distillate.

From the 11th century healing infusions and elixirs could be found in many European monasteries, but they were administered solely for medicinal purposes — as preventive means or cures. Two renowned monastery liqueurs of France — Chartreuse and Benedictine have come from the medieval times. In Italy spirits were mixed with flavourings starting from the 13th century; later liqueurs were served as compulsory during ceremonies for all treaty signings.

Liqueurs were mainly used for medicinal purposes for hundreds of years. They were primarily made from medicinal and aromatic herbs; honey was added occasionally to sweeten bitter taste. The English word cordial (‘heart medicine’ or ‘invigorating preparation’) is used sometimes instead of the French word liqueur.

Great sea voyages led to discoveries of new continents, as well as new food products, herbs and spices. The base of ingredients to experiment with new liqueurs was widely increased. In the 17th century in France only monks, apothecaries and winemakers had rights for distillation, but the laws in Holland were not so strict — that’s where the first commercial liqueur infused on orange peels was produced. In the end of the 18th and especially in the 19th century liqueurs with appealing exotic flavours appeared. They quickly gained recognition in royal and aristocratic courts. The number of liqueur producers grew fast and their imagination didn’t know the limits. It was difficult to find a fruit, a plant or a spice which were not tested for aromas and flavours. Liqueurs in the 19th century enjoyed the peak of the popularity.

The modern era rather reflects technological breakthroughs, marketing advances and new bar culture. One of the notable examples is Baileys Original Irish Cream liqueur. Its creation was possible thanks to a new technology that mixed cream and spirit. Today, along with traditional herbal and fruit liqueurs one can find such curiosities as cinnamon-flavoured Goldschlager with golden flakes inside clear liquid or Tiramisu that was inspired by the eponymous Italian dessert. Now liqueurs are widely used in cocktails. Some of them, like Grenadine and Blue Curacao are used only for cocktails and not served pure.

In modern interpretation, liqueurs are sweet alcoholic drinks based on a distillate and usually infused with additional ingredients. Thus, any liqueur consists of two main parts — an alcoholic base and a flavouring which dictate how a liqueur tastes like.

A liqueur base can come from a neutral spirit through distillation of agricultural crops, mainly grains. Sometimes ready spirits — cognac, whisky, rum, tequila are used for a base. The most popular examples of cognac-based liqueurs are Grand Marnier and Godet. For whisky-based drinks these are Baileys, Drambuie and Irish Mist. The quality of a distillate or a spirit often influences the price and the image of a liqueur.

As for flavourings, theoretically they can be any plants from fruit and vegetables to herbs, roots, nuts and flowers. Animal products are used quite rarely — except for cream and eggs which are part of some most famous liqueurs of the world. Regardless of the type of flavouring, all drinks can be divided in two large groups. Liqueurs with a general name, or generics (Creme de Cassis, Curacao, Amaretto, Limoncello and others) can be made by any producer. Liqueurs with protected trademarks (Kahlua, Grand Marnier, Cointreau) are produced by specific companies with patented recipes.

All liqueurs are blends even if only one flavouring is declared. Vanilla is often added to Creme de Cacao to enhance chocolate taste. Anise drinks are accented through citrus notes. Herbal liqueurs can contain several dozen of ingredients which are known only to the masters who make final blends. The alcoholic strength of a liqueur is not limited, but normally ranges from 15 to 70 percent. Liqueurs are seldom aged before selling (the rule is not always applicable for base spirits), but there are stages of ‘rest’ during production cycle which allow separate flavours to combine into a harmonious whole.

The French Benedictine is one of the oldest liqueurs in the world. The manuscripts at the Benedictine Abbey at Fecamp in Normandy reveal the date of its birth as 1510. The liqueur based on more than twenty herbs and plants was produced continuously up to the French revolution, but with the closure of the monastery production stopped for nearly a century. In 1860s the descendant of one of the monks found an old book with the recipe. After a year of work he released a “liqueur of the Benedictine monks of the Fecamp Abbey” which later became known as Benedictine. Its technology is one of the most complex. The production process consists of several stages. One part is blended and distilled. The other undergoes long maceration on the neutral spirit. Thus five base liqueurs are made. They are aged separately and then blended. The recipe is kept in a secret, but it is known that cloves, cardamom, cinnamon, mint are used among other ingredients. Each bottle of Benedictine is marked by the abbreviation D. О. М. (Deo Optimo Maximo) and sealed by red wax.

Chartreuse is another French herbal liqueur favoured by the church. It was blended by the Cartesian monks in La Grande Chartreuse Abbey near Grenoble back in the 16th century, but the first commercial sale started in the middle of the 19th century. A unique recipe includes over a hundred herbs which grow in the mountains of France, Switzerland and Italy. The liqueur is particular also because of a lengthy aging which takes 8-10 years.

The most popular category of fruit liqueurs is orange Curacao. Historically the name belonged to quality liqueurs produced by the Dutch from the peel of small bitter oranges. In the 16th century the oranges were brought from Curacao Island near Venezuela — hence the name of the liqueur. This category of liqueurs is also known as Triple Sec through repetitive distillation during production. In 1850s Cointreau was born in France — today it is one of the best selling brands among orange liqueurs. Grand Marnier is another well known name. Its creator Louis Alexander Marnier-Lapostole was the first to combine oranges with cognac and to achieve excellent results. In early 20th century the Marnier-Lapostole family bought Chateau de Bourg in Charante. The castle was built by one of Henry IVth courtiers. After the change of several owners, it was used as a state prison. Today all distillates for Grand Marinier cognacs and liqueurs are aged in this historic place.

Belgian Mandarine Napoleon is another curious citrus based liqueur. Cognac-and-tangerines liqueur was named after the French emperor who, according to historic narratives, won the heart of a favourite actress thanks to a similar elixir.

A special category of liqueurs is made of the so called cremes — thick sweet drinks usually based on one ingredient. Normally they are berries or fruit (Creme de Cassis, Creme de Banane), but also flowers (Сreme de Violette), aromatic herbs (Сreme de Menthe), chocolate (Сreme de Cacao). Burgundy is the birthplace of creme liqueurs. The most popular flavourings and blackcurrant and blackberry.

Creme liqueurs should be distinguished from cream liqueurs. They are widely known today, though they appeared a relatively short time ago. The first cream liqueurs — Carolan’s and Baileys were launched nearly 40 years ago. In 1960-70s the Irish whisky industry was threatened with overproduction. Instead of throwing their national drink in the sea, the Irish created a whisky-based liqueur with cream. In fact, they got an industrial version of the Irish coffee — a blend of whisky, cream and coffee aromatiser. One of the key now-hows is the technology to keep fresh cream and alcohol from separating when they are combined. Baileys achieved the greatest success — today its share accounts for a quarter of the world liqueur market.

The nut-flavoured category of liqueurs is led by the Italian Amaretto that includes almond oil and crushed apricot kernels. In Italy almond liqueurs are distinguished by place of origin — the name of the city is usually added after the generic word (Amaretto di Pisa, Amaretto di Verona and others). Amaretto di Saronno is known best of all — thanks to a beautiful love story from the times of the Italian Renaissance. In early 16th century one of Leonardo da Vinci’s students was painting frescos for Santa Maria dell Grazie church. A young girl whom the artist met in Saronno, a town not far from Milan, was the model for Madonna with child. When the work was finished, the girl presented her own liqueur as a sign of love and loyalty. Amaretto di Saronno Originale brand remains the benchmark among the category of these liqueurs.

Frangelico, another popular nut liqueur from Italy, was first made by a hermit monk from wild nuts and herbs in the 17th century. To commemorate the creator, the bottles have an unusual clerical robe shape. Today Frangelico is made of hazelnuts and aromatic herbs in Piedmont, in the north-west of Italy.

An unusual class of liqueurs is made of egg yolks. It is known as Advocaat and made in Holland. Modern yolk liqueurs are modeled after Brazilian drinks of brandy and avocado pulp which the Dutch encountered during their sea voyages. They decided to create a liqueur with similar thick texture back at home. Instead of rare avocado they took egg yolk and a special emulsion which keeps the yolks mixed with the spirit. The unconventional Advocaat name has nothing to do with legal profession but is a Dutch interpretation of the Brazilian aguacate — avocado.

The most popular new generation liqueurs are made with cocoa beans and chocolate. Several years ago Govida, the producer of premium chocolate, launched the eponymous liqueur. Later Godet, white chocolate-based liqueur, was made by a French cognac producer.

Another success story is connected with coffee liqueurs. Mexican Kahlua, an integral part of many cocktails, appeared before World War II, but gained real recognition only after it was exported to other markets in early 1960s. Tia Maria from Jamaica is based on famous Blue Mountain Java coffee — it is more intense in aromas, but with lesser density than Kahlua.

Today one can find exotic Asian liqueurs. The most famous is the bright-green Japanese Midori with a flavour of white melon which is especially good in tropical cocktails.

In the 19th century, on the peak of popularity, liqueurs often accompanied meals. Today they are seldom served with food, except for desserts, but they are still in demand as aperitifs and digestives. Liqueurs are often served as drinks on their own, but their new role is to be part of numerous cocktails.

Bitter liqueurs are traditionally served for aperitif — Campari, Becherovka and others which stimulate appetite. Also, any category of liqueur can be an aperitif if served in a tall glass with large ice cubes. Fruit and creme liqueurs go well with desserts or instead of them. Bitter and herbal liqueurs are best as digestives (remember their medicinal properties), as well as chocolate, coffee and other liqueurs with a base of cognac and aged spirits. Liqueurs in cocktails is a separate topic, worth writing another article.

To match a cigar to a liqueur or vice versa is not an easy task as the drinks are often too concentrated in flavours and have a very high sugar content. This may overpower the aromas and flavours of cigars. Nonetheless, interesting results can be obtained by combining them with cream liqueurs — from Irish Cream to South African Amarula, made with exotic marula fruit with caramel flavours and vanilla and chocolate notes. Another suitable option might be with nut, coffee and chocolate liqueurs which may interact with cigar aromas and flavours and enhance them.

Some American producers found an original way to make special ranges of liqueur-flavoured cigars. Tatiana Cigars includes about a dozen of options, one of which is amaretto flavoured. Drew Estate offers cigars with coffee flavours of Kalhua liqueur — the producer promises smooth, rich flavour. The Cigar Connection company last year launched Cojimar brand with flavours such as raspberry liqueur with champagne, amaretto, sambuca and others.