The Beginner’s Guide to Fruit Liqueurs

When you start looking into cocktail recipes, you will quickly start to run into liqueurs.  These are the other types of alcohol that are a little different from base spirits like gin and vodka as well as being separate from things like wine and beer.  Within the types of liqueurs, one of the biggest groups is fruit liqueurs.  But what types can you get and what can you do with them?

What is a liqueur?

A liqueur is defined as an ‘alcoholic beverage that is bottled with added sugar and have added flavours from fruits, herbs or nuts’ which makes them different from things like flavoured liquors, fruit brandy and eaux-de-vie, which all have no added sugar.

There are several categories of liqueur:

• Berry liqueurs – these are made with any types of berry and include things like Chambord (raspberry) and crème de cassis (blackcurrant)
• Chocolate liqueurs – these are made with chocolate and other ingredients and include crème de cacao
• Coffee liqueurs – these are made with coffee and other ingredients and include Kahlua and Tia Maria
• Cream liqueur – these are made with dairy cream and include Dooley’s and RumChata
• Crème liqueur – these are made with lots of sugar to make a syrup-like consistency but don’t actually contain any crème with examples including crème de mure (blackberry) and crème de menthe (mint)
• Fruit liqueurs – these use a wide range of different fruits to give the drink flavours and we will look at examples further down
• Herbal liqueurs – these use herbs, often a mixture, to create the flavour and include things like Sambuca, Galliano and Chartreuse
• Honey liqueurs – these are flavoured with honey and include Drambuie
• Nut liqueurs – these are flavoured with nuts and include Amaretto (almonds) and Disaronno (apricot kernel)

What is homemade fruit liqueur?

One of the great things about fruit liqueur is that you can easily make it yourself to create the perfect flavours for what you love.  Many people use vodka as a base as it is colourless and doesn’t have a strong flavour of its own, but you can try other base spirits too.

There are two main ways to add flavour to the spirit – mix the flavoured extract into it or take the raw ingredients and add them then leave it to steep for a number of days or weeks.  The first is quicker but the second will produce a better result.

If you go with the second idea, add the ingredients to a glass bottle and keep them in a dark place at room temperature.  Most fruit will need 2-4 weeks to transfer the flavour while other ingredients like spices can be left for just a few days.

After this, you need to sweeten the drink but don’t add sugar straight to the alcohol as this doesn’t work well.  Mix sugar with water in a saucepan, simmer until it dissolves then leave to cool.  This is called sugar or simple syrup and can be added to the liqueur once it has finished steeping.

Fruit Liqueurs to get to know

When you start looking at the range of fruit liqueurs, you quickly realise there are hundreds of variations, many made with the same fruit but with different base spirits or additional ingredients.  So, it is a good idea to start with some basics and then expand your range from there.  Here are some of the basics to get to know.

Amaretto

This is an Italian almond-flavoured liqueur that uses apricot pits and always tastes a little like marzipan to me.  It can also have different spices and flavours added by different brands.  You can drink it straight, with club soda or orange.

Campari

Another Italian drink, this red liqueur is made by combining herbs with fruit and is often served just over ice.  It is also used in some famous cocktails including the Negroni.

Chambord

Chambord is the top selling raspberry liqueur and comes in a stunning round bottle.  It is a classic, dating back to 1685 when King Louis XIV visited the Chateau de Chambord in France and the drink was served.  It uses both red and black raspberries as well as honey and vanilla on a base of Cognac.

Cointreau

Cointreau is a type of Triple Sec and this means it is an orange flavoured liqueur.  It is used in drinks like the Cosmopolitan and can be enjoyed straight with a bit of lime juice if you love sharp flavours.

Crème de cassis

Crème de cassis is a blackcurrant liqueur that has a dark red colour and a sweet taste.  It is most famous for being in the Kir cocktail but there are lots of other ideas too.

Crème de mure

This is a blackberry flavoured liqueur that is great for cocktails like The Bramble and can also be used in place of Chambord and other raspberry liqueurs for a slightly different taste.

Limoncello

Limoncello is a sweet lemon flavoured dessert liqueur that uses lemon zests.  It can be enjoyed straight after being chilled as well as used in cakes and other recipes.  Plus, there are plenty of cocktail recipes for it.

Maraschino

Maraschino is a cherry liqueur made from Marasca cherries and is popular in cocktails as it isn’t as sweet as some of the other cherry liqueurs.

Midori

There’s no mistaking Midori with its brilliant green colour and distinctive melon flavour.  It came from Japan originally and is now used for its own range of cocktails including the Midori Sour.

Sloe gin

Despite the name, this isn’t actually gin but a type of fruit liqueur made with sloe plums from blackthorn bushes.  It features in cocktails such as the Alabama Slammer.

Southern Comfort

Southern Comfort is a mixture of whiskey with peaches and is used in lots of cocktails as well as being served on its own.

Other fruit liqueurs to try

After you have tried some of these favourites, you are ready to try out something different.  Not all liqueurs are available everywhere but if you search online, some of the big specialist providers can often offer more than a local store.

Amer Picon

This is a bitter French aperitif that is flavoured with orange and is used mostly in cocktails such as the Liberal.

Aperol

This Italian aperitif was created back in 1919 and has an orange flavour but also features a range of ‘secret’ herbs, rhubarb and gentian.  It is great for cocktails that need bitter orange ingredients.

Crème de banana

This is a banana flavoured liqueur that is often sweet and really tastes like bananas – I’ve tried the Bols version and is it very nice.  There are also special cocktails just for it that make the most of the tropical flavour.

Crème de coconut

Coconut flavoured liqueurs usually use rum as a base and feature in things like the Blue Hawaiian cocktail.  They are usually either clear or creamy but are different from cream of coconut which is a non-alcoholic ingredient.

Crème de framboise

These are the other raspberry liqueurs apart from Chambord and use a variety of raspberries in the drink.

Hpnotiq

This is a blue coloured liqueur that blends vodka, cognac and a range of fruits although the exact recipe is a secret.  It can be used in place of blue curacao in any of the blue cocktails.

Pama Pomegranate Liqueur

Made from pomegranates, this is a bit like the alcoholic version of grenadine and can be used in place of it to give a drink an extra boost.  It is also often added to classic recipes like margaritas to give them a pomegranate flavour.

Peach liqueur

This is a little different from peach schnapps and uses whole peaches and brandy.  It is often labelled as ‘peche’ which is the French for peach and brands including Bols make it.

Pineapple liqueur

Also known as Licor de Pina, it is a fruit liqueur made with pineapples that is often added to drinks to give them a tropical flavour.  Bols make a version as do Giffard and 99 Pineapples is another brand.

Strawberry liqueur

Strawberry liqueurs tend to be quite sweet and can be made with real strawberries or just with flavouring.  Looks for brands such as Bols and Fragoli for the best.

The perfect fruit

The great thing about fruit liqueur based cocktails is that they bring their own unique flavour to any drink.  Some are great as an aperitif, enjoyed before a meal, while others stand out in cocktails.

What’s your favourite cocktail with a fruit liqueur?  Tell us in the comments!