As you explore the index of cocktail recipes you will find many of them use liqueurs, or cordials that you are probably not familiar with. Names like Drambuie, Cointreau and Benedictine appear often and then the there is the crème liqueurs. What are all of these, what flavors do they add to cocktails and can one be substituted for another? These are all questions that are answered in the descriptions of the most common liqueurs below.
A-C Liqueurs <<
O-Z Liqueurs >>
- Damiana- A lightly-flavored herbal liqueur produced in Mexico. The primary ingredient is the damiana herb grown in Baha California, Mexico that has long been used as an aphrodisiac. Try this liqueur in a Damiana Golden.
- Domaine de Canton- A ginger-flavored liqueur with an eau-de-vie and Cognac base produced in France.
- Drambuie- The guarded formula for this liqueur includes Scotch (at least 10 years old), heather honey and herbs. The name comes from the Gaelic dram buidheach which translate to "the drink that satisfies."
- Dubonnet Blanc, Dubonnet Blond, White Dubonnet- One of the two styles of Dubonnet, a French wine based aperitif. Blanc is made by adding herbs and botanicals to fortified dry white wine.
- Dubonnet Rouge, Red Dubonnet- The sweeter, richer of the two styles of Dubonnet. Rouge has a red wine base that is flavored with spices.
- Ecstasy- This lemon and pomegranate flavored, clear liqueur is energized with natural stimulants including guarana, taurine and ginseng.
- Frangelico- A hazelnut flavored liqueur made from the infusion of toasted hazelnuts into alcohol and water. It is receives additional flavors from toasted coffee, cocoa, vanilla berries and rhubarb root.
- Galliano- A smooth, spicy liqueur with overtones of anise and vanilla from Livorno, Italy.
- Ginger Liqueur- A ginger-flavored liqueur that is made with a variety of ginger. Herbs and honey are also often added to a brandy, rum or neutral spirit.
- Gingerbread Liqueur- A gingerbread-flavored liqueur produced by Hiram Walker that is only available during the autumn and winter seasons.
- Godiva- A line of chocolate liqueurs produced by the renowned Godiva Chocolatier.
- Grand Mariner- A distinguished orange liqueur from France with a Cognac base.
- GranGala Triple Orange- An orange liqueur with a Italian VSOP brandy base and flavored by Mediterranean oranges. A substitute for Grand Marnier.
- Herbsaint- Another substitute for absinthe.
- Hpnotiq- This ocean blue tropical liqueur is a nice blend of vodka, cognac and just the right fruits (a family secret) that is a great substitute for blue curaçao.
- Irish Cream Liqueur- A cream and chocolate based Irish whiskey liqueur. Popular brands include: Bailey's Irish Cream, McGuire's Irish Cream and St. Brendan's Irish Cream.
- Irish Mist- A sweet, aromatic blend of Irish whiskey, honey, herbs and other spirits made with a recipe that dates back more than 1,000 years. One cocktail that features Irish Mist is an Irish Canadian.
- Lemoncello- A sweet, lemon-flavored Italian dessert liqueur made from lemon zests.
- Lychee Liqueur- Very sweet liqueurs flavored by either distilling or infusing lychee fruit into a base spirit. Lychee-flavored liqueurs are some of the most recently developed spirits that filled a demand for an easy to make Lichtinis.
- Maraschino- Used mostly as a mixer, this white liqueur is made with black marasca cherries and pits.
- Midori- A light green-colored liqueur that has a sweet melon flavor. It's a versatile liqueur for cocktails including the Grinch and Vanilla Vixen.
- Navan- A liqueur with a Cognac base flavored with natural black vanilla from Madagascar. This premium spirit is produced by Grand Marnier and follows in the company's fine tradition of flavored Cognacs. Drinks like the Mile High Manhattan and PAMA Paradise include Navan.
