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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 of time, but may have resting periods during their production to allow the flavors to marry.
A lot of people use the words cordial and liqueur interchangeably. Though they both describe liquors made by redistilling spirits with aromatic flavorings and are usually highly sweetened, there are some differences. While liqueurs are usually flavored with the ingredients above, 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 historically, they derive from herbal medicines, often those prepared by monks, as Chartreuse [1] or Benedictine. Liqueurs were made in Italy as early as the 13th century.
Today liqueurs are made in every country of the world and can be enjoyed many different ways, including: in coffee, straight up, on the rocks, and mixed with cream or other mixers.
Some liqueurs are prepared by infusing certain woods, fruits, or flowers, in either water or alcohol, and adding sugar, etc. Others are distilled from aromatic or flavoring agents. The distinction between liqueur and liquor is not simple, especially since many liquors are available in a flavoured form today. Flavoured liquors, 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 liquor, but some liqueurs have an alcohol content as high as 55% (absinthe, for example, can be as high as 85%). Dessert wine, on the other hand, may taste like a liqueur, but contains no additional flavouring.
Liqueurs may be drunk neat, often during or after dessert, or may be used in cocktails or cooking.
There are many categories of liqueurs including: fruit liqueur, cream liqueur, coffee liqueur, chocolate liqueur, scnapps liqueur, brandy liqueur, anise liqueur, nut flavored liqueur, and herbal liqueur.
see also list of liqueurs
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