Stage 5
Spirits & Liquors
Liqueurs
Liqueurs are produced by adding distilled spirit to a sweetened liquid. Flavourings and colourings are usually added to this blend and these can come from fruit, nuts, herbs, kernels or even milk or eggs. The strength and type of spirit added can vary from a classic spirit such as Cognac, rum or whisky, to high strength and neutral ethanol.
In the case of many cheaper liqueurs, synthetic colourings and flavourings are used and there are considerable differences between naturally and synthetically flavoured liqueurs; those made using a natural product will, of course, taste far more authentic. The superior quality of the natural flavourings will also be reflected in the price.
It is also important to remember that there is a difference between a liqueur e.g. Cherry Brandy and its distilled fruit spirit equivalent e.g. Eau de Vie de Cerises. Cherry Brandy is produced using a sweetened spirit flavoured with cherries whereas the Eau de Vie is made from fermented and distilled cherry sugars.