Liqueurs are flavored, sweet-tasting spirits, usually with 15-35% alcohol content, but some have more "spirit". We at delicando would like to introduce you to the world of liqueurs, so you can buy their most suitable.
Before buying liqueur: Worth knowing about the history of liqueurs
Like many other spirits, liqueur has its origins in medicine. In former Catalonia, high-proof liquor was distilled for the first time in the 13th century. A physician combined spirits with herbs to extract their ingredients and active substances. This process is also known today as maceration. After that, this alcohol mixture was distilled 1-2 times. Many years passed in which pharmacies and monasteries had an unspoken monopoly on the production of soothing, stimulating or digestive spirits. Even today, medicinal products with sometimes high alcohol content are offered in pharmacies. Spirits or liqueurs developed from a medicinal product to a stimulant as early as the 14th century. Due to the high price of sugar, production costs were immensely high at the time and liqueur consumption was reserved for the wealthy. After colonization, large quantities of sugar were available and liqueur production experienced a boom. Many traditional companies were founded as early as the 18th century. Among them are companies such as Bols, De Kuyper or Marie Brizard, which are still important points of contact when buying liqueur.
The agony of choice: buying liqueur today
According to the European-wide legal regulation, this flavored spirit must contain at least 100g (invert) sugar per liter and 15-40% vol. Sugar, various sweeteners and also honey can be used for sweetening. According to the Austrian Food Book, the following alcohols are permitted in liqueur production: Ethyl alcohol of agricultural origin, noble spirits, spirits, distillates, wine and fruit wine. Fresh, pickled and dried fruits, fruit pastes, herbs, tea, eggs, cocoa, milk, chocolates and special flavors may also be used in liqueur production. Crémes are very sweet liqueurs (at least 250g of sugar per liter) that are usually made into cocktails. If you want to buy liqueur, you are therefore faced with a huge selection of different flavors - so the choice is not easy.
Drinking recommendation for liqueur
The sheer endless spectrum of different liqueurs available also brings with it a variety of drinking recommendations: from pure enjoyment, "on the rocks", as an ingredient in a cocktail, a long drink, an ice cream or as a highlight in a cake. There are no limits to creativity. Unopened liqueur bottles have a very long shelf life, up to several years. However, the shelf life of already opened liqueurs depends on their contents. If ingredients such as eggs or cream are included, the liqueur should be kept well refrigerated and drunk within 1 to 2 months. Otherwise, it can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 6 months.