Dictionary:

liqueur

  (lĭ-kûr', -kyʊr')

Any of various strongly flavored alcoholic beverages typically served in small quantities after dinner.

[French, from Old French licour, a liquid. See liquor.]

Distilled, flavoured, and sweetened alcoholic liquors, usually 20-40% alcohol, 20-30% sugar.

[lih-KYOOR; lih-KER] A sweetened spirit flavored with ingredients like seeds, fruits, herbs, flowers, nuts, spices, roots, leaves and barks. The base can be brandy, rum, whiskey or other spirit and may be flavored in four ways: distillation-alcohol and flavoring agents are blended before being distilled (see distillation); infusion- flavorings are steeped in hot water, which is then mixed with the alcohol base; maceration-flavoring agents are steeped directly in the alcohol base; percolation-alcohol is dripped through the flavoring agents to extract their essences. Proprietary liqueurs (such as bénédictine, galliano and southern comfort) are made exclusively by specific liqueur houses with secret formulas, some of which have been closely guarded for centuries. Generic liqueurs (like amaretto and crème de cacao) are made by various producers using fairly standard recipes. Quality brands are typically flavored with the finest ingredients, essential oils and extracts; less expensive examples often use artificial flavorings. Cream liqueurs are flavored mixtures that have been homogenized with cream. They have a rich mixture that's velvety smooth and creamy, and they require no refrigeration. Crème liqueurs (such as crème de menthe) are distinguished by being sweet and syrupy. Liqueurs range widely in alcohol content, generally from about 15 percent (for some irish cream liqueurs) to 55 percent (green chartreuse), although a few "baby liqueurs" like Kahlúa Mudslide contain only 6.5 percent alcohol. Although the word "liqueur" is common usage today, such potables are also called cordials and, less frequently, ratafias. Liqueurs were originally used (and some still are) as a digestive. They are now usually served after dinner but also play an important role in many cocktails. Liqueurs can also be used in cooking, particularly for desserts. See also absinthe; advocaat; anesone; anisette; chéri-suisse; cointreau; crème d'abricots; crème d'amande; crème d'ananas; crème de banane; crème de cassis; crème de cerise; crème de noyaux; crème de rose; crème de violette; curaçao; drambuie; eau de vie; frangelico; glayva; goldwasser; grand marnier; herbsaint; irish mist; izarra; kahlúa; kümmel; mandarine liqueur; maraschino; midori; ouzo; pernod; prunelle; rock and rye; sabra liqueur; sambuca; sloe gin; strega; tía maría; triple sec.

For more information on liqueur, visit Britannica.com.

Bottles of strawberry liqueur

A liqueur is a sweet alcoholic beverage, often flavored with fruits, herbs, spices, flowers, seeds, roots, plants, barks, and sometimes cream. The word liqueur comes from the Latin word liquifacere which means "to dissolve." This refers to the dissolving of the flavorings used to make the liqueur. Liqueurs are not usually aged for long periods, but may have resting periods during their production to allow flavors to marry.

In some parts of the world people use the words cordial and liqueur interchangeably. Though in these places the two expressions both describe liqueurs made by redistilling spirits with aromatic flavorings and are usually highly sweetened, there are some differences. While liqueurs are usually flavored with herbs, cordials are generally prepared with fruit pulp or juices. Nearly all liqueurs are quite sweet, with a highly concentrated, dessert-like flavor.

Liqueurs date back centuries and are historical descendants of herbal medicines, often those prepared by monks, as Chartreuse or Bénédictine. Liqueurs were made in Italy as early as the 13th century and their consumption was later required at all treaty signings during the Middle Ages. [1]

Today liqueurs are made worldwide and are served in many ways: by themselves, poured over ice, with coffee, mixed with cream or other mixers to create cocktails, etc. They are often served with or as a dessert. Liqueurs may also be used in cooking.

Some liqueurs are prepared by infusing certain woods, fruits, or flowers, in either water or alcohol, and adding sugar or other items. Others are distilled from aromatic or flavoring agents. The distinction between liqueur and spirits (sometimes liquors) is not simple, especially since many spirits are available in a flavored form today. Flavored spirits, however, are not prepared by infusion. Alcohol content is not a distinctive feature. At 15 to 30%, most liqueurs have a lower alcohol content than spirits, but some liqueurs have an alcohol content as high as 55%. Dessert wine, on the other hand, may taste like a liqueur, but contains no additional flavoring.

There are many categories of liqueurs including: fruit liqueur, cream liqueur, coffee liqueur, chocolate liqueur, schnapps liqueur, brandy liqueur, anise liqueur, nut flavoured liqueur, and herbal liqueur.

Anise liqueurs have the interesting property of turning from translucent to cloudy when diluted: the oil of anise remains in solution when in the presence of a high concentration of alcohol, but crystallizes out of the solution when the alcohol concentration is reduced by dilution.

Floating liqueurs is a technique often used by bartenders to impress their customers. This is done by "floating" a measure of the desired liqueur in a glass by pouring it slowly over an inverted spoon or down a glass rod, so that the liquids of different densities will remain unmixed. This creates a rainbow effect in a glass when using different colored cordials. The most famous example of this is the pousse cafe.

See also

• List of liqueurs
• Cream liqueur
• Crème liqueur
• Nalewka
• Sloe gin
• Cordial

External links

• Comprehensive coverage of most liqueurs
• Kosher Liqueurs Israel (Likerz winery)

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Liqueurs

Alcoholic beverages
Alcohol	Ethanol • History of alcohol • Alcohol consumption and health • Alcohol advertising • Drinking culture • Alcohol abuse
Production	Brewing • Distilling • Winemaking
Fermented beverages	Beer (Beer variations) • Wine (Wine variations) • Cider (Cider variations) • Rice wine (Rice wine variations) Other Fermented beverages • Basi • Chicha • Huangjiu • Kumis • Mead • Pulque • Sahti • Gouqi jiu
Distilled beverages	Agave: Tequila • Mezcal  |  Almond: Amaretto  |  Anise: Absinthe • Arak • Ouzo • Rakı • Pastis • Sambuca Apple: Applejack • Calvados  |  Barley: Scotch whisky • Irish whiskey • Japanese whisky  |  Coconut: Arrack • Malibu Fruit: Brandy • Gin • Kirschwasser • Limoncello • Pisco • Palinka• Rakia • Schnapps Grape: Cognac • Armagnac • Sherry  |  Honey: Bärenjäger • Krupnik  |  Maize: Bourbon whiskey • Corn whiskey • Tennessee whiskey Plum: Slivovitz • Ţuică  |  Pomace: Grappa • Orujo • Zivania • Tsikoudia • Tsipouro Potato: Vodka • Aquavit • Brennivín • Snaps  |  Sorghum: Baijiu (Kaoliang) Rice: Rice baijiu • Soju• Awamori  |  Rye: Rye whiskey Sugarcane/Molasses: Rum • Cachaça • Aguardiente • Falernum • Guaro • Seco Herrerano Various cereals: Shōchū • Vodka • Whisky • Canadian whisky
Mixed drinks	Alcopop / Ready to drink / Premixed • Beer cocktails • Cocktails (true) • Flaming beverages • Shooters • Wine cocktails • Mulled wine

This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)

Dansk (Danish)
n. - likør

Nederlands (Dutch)
likeur

Français (French)
n. - liqueur

Deutsch (German)
n. - Likör

Ελληνική (Greek)
n. - ηδύποτο, λικέρ

Italiano (Italian)
liquore

Português (Portuguese)
n. - licor (m)

Русский (Russian)
ликер

Español (Spanish)
n. - licor

Svenska (Swedish)
n. - likör

中文（简体） (Chinese (Simplified))
利口酒

中文（繁體） (Chinese (Traditional))
n. - 利口酒

한국어 (Korean)
n. - 리큐르(달고 향기로운 독한 알콜 음료)

日本語 (Japanese)
n. - リキュール

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(الاسم) شراب مسكر معطر وعادة محلى‏

עברית (Hebrew)
n. - ‮משקה אלכוהולי חזק ומתוק, ליקר‬

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