In the world of distilled spirits 
no products are as magical 
as cordials and liqueurs. 
Products in the category encompass 
virtually every flavor imaginable 
and can be used as aperitifs,  shooters, 
after-dinner drinks, and components 
of classic cocktails.

A cordial or liqueur - 
the terms are used interchangeably 
in this country and always appear together 
in governmental regulations - 
is made by combining distilled spirits 
with certain flavorings.

The original cordials are shrouded in mystery, 
which is not surprising since 
their creators were medieval alchemists. 
In addition to searching for the formula 
to transform base metals to gold, 
these romantic figures also searched 
in vain for a life-prolonging elixir. 
While that particular recipe was never found, 
many others were created in the process. 
In those days these spirits had more 
arcane uses than as simple beverages. 
Rather than being used to stimulate the appetite 
or soothe digestion, cordials and liqueurs 
were used as medicine for various ailments, 
as love potions and aphrodisiacs and as cure-alls.

In fact the origin of the term cordials 
reflects these origins. 
It is derived from the Latin word 
cor meaning "heart", 
because the earliest cordials were 
administrated to the sick to stimulate the heart 
and lighten the spirit. 
It is unnecessary to explain the medicinal 
and therapeutic values of certain seeds, 
herbs and roots that were used at the time 
as most of them are found in modern pharmacopoeia: 
caraway seed, coriander, angelica root, 
oil of orange, oil of lemon and various herbs rich 
in iodine are but a few.

The term liqueur also has its root in Latin, 
in this case liquefacere, 
which means to dissolve or melt 
and reflects the method by which a liqueur is created.

Cordials and liqueurs are usually thought 
of as sweet and in fact by definition 
they must contain at least 2.5% sugar by weight, 
although most cordials are considerably higher 
in their sugar content and many contain up to 35%  
of sweetening agent. 
The sugar may be beet, maple, cane, 
honey, corn or a combination of these. 
If the sweetening accounts for less than 10% 
by weight of the finished product, 
the resultant cordial may be labeled "dry". 
Most cordials and liqueurs contain between 
17% and 30% alcohol by volume, 
although some range up to 50%.




One of three methods is usually 
used to extract the flavors needed 
to produce a cordial. 
They are:
infusion or maceration
percolation
distillation


Fruit flavors are extracted either by 
infusion or maceration. 
Percolation is used to draw flavor 
from leaves and herbs 
while distillation is used 
to extract flavor from seeds and flowers.

Fruit flavors are usually derived by
infusion, where crushed fruits are 
steeped in water, or maceration, 
in which they are steeped in alcohol to absorb 
almost all of the aroma, flavor and color of the fruit. 
Once the liquid is drawn off, 
it's stored in a tank for several days 
and then filtered. 
The fruit then under-goes distillation 
to extract whatever flavor remains. 
This distillate may then be added to 
the original liquid to give it more character. 
The final step before bottling calls 
for the addition of syrup made from sugar 
or another sweetening agent 
to reach the desired sweetness level.

Percolation, 
which is sometimes referred to as brewing, 
is similar to the process for making coffee. 
In this process, the flavoring is placed 
in the upper part of an apparatus 
which contains brandy or 
another spirit in the lower part. 
The spirit is then pumped up over 
the flavoring agent and is allowed 
to percolate through it over and over again 
several weeks or months. 
The flavor and aroma are thus extracted 
from the flavoring agent which then 
under-goes distillation to extract 
any remaining flavor. 
The distillate may then be mixed with 
the percolate which is next filtered, 
sweetened and bottled.

Distillation, 
unlike the two other methods, 
uses heat to extract the flavor 
from such flavoring agents as anise, 
caraway orange peel and mint. 
After the flavoring agent has been steeped 
in alcohol for several hours, 
it is placed in a copper pot still 
with additional spirits and distilled. 
The colorless distillate is then sweetened 
with syrup and usually colored with 
vegetable coloring or food dye before bottling.



Generic liqueurs are those produced 
and marketed by several suppliers 
under the same universally used name. 
Some of the more common varieties 
are amaretto, samuca, triple sec 
and peppermint schnapps. 
But even among generic liqueurs 
brand names are prominent. 
Proprietary liqueurs are those brands 
usually produced from a closely 
guarded formula and sold under a 
trademarked name by only one producer. 
Famous proprietary liqueurs include 
Drambuie, Grand Marnier, Irish Mist 
and Jagermeister.
For more information go to:
Cognac, Brandy, Liqueur & Cordials

Other Spirits:

• Rum
• Tequila
• Scotch Whisky
• Gin
• Vodka
• Canadian Whiskey
• American Whiskey-Bourbon
• Brandy
• Cognac