Cordial & Liqueur

Liqueurs, or cordials, are just as important as the base liquors in the bar, some more than others. A liqueur is a sweet distilled spirit with sugar contents starting at 2.5 percent, with the sweetest (ie. crèmes) going far beyond that. These spirits begin with a base liquor, which could be anything from a neutral grain alcohol to a brandy or whiskey. To this sugar is added along with a mix of herbs, fruits or spices depending on the desired result. You will often see liqueurs with a main ingredient, such as curacao (orange) or herbsaint (anise), while other liqueurs are more of a blend of flavor, like Campari, Drambuie and Tuaca.

There are distinct classes of liqueurs, such as absinthe, amaretto, curacao, Irish cream, and triple sec, for which a variety of brands are available.

Then, there are proprietary blends protected by specific brands and known only by the brand's name. The recipes of some of these liqueurs, like Averna, Benedictine, Chartreuse and Frangelico, date back centuries and are as popular as ever. And yet, others (like Hpnotiq, PAMA, TY KU and X-Rated) are new on the scene and are just as distinct from other spirits.

Learn more about individual Liqueurs.

http://cocktails.about.com/od/cocktailspeak/g/crdl_spk.htm