What Are Liqueur's?

A liqueur is an alcoholic beverage that has been flavored with fruit, herbs, nuts, spices, flowers, or cream and bottled with added sugar. Liqueurs are typically quite sweet; they are usually not aged for long but may have resting periods during their production to allow flavors to marry. The word liqueur comes from the Latin liquifacere - to liquify.

A distinction can be made between liqueurs and the kind of cordials that are made with fruit juice. In some parts of the world, people use the words cordial and liqueur interchangeably. Liqueurs date back centuries and are historical descendants of herbal medicines, often those prepared by monks, as Chartreuse or Benedictine. 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.