Strawberry Liqueur

It's needless to say that strawberry is a very popular flavor. I love strawberry flavors and when I decided to make a strawberry liqueur I had no idea what to expect as I had never tried a store-bought strawberry liqueur before. I've had so many strawberry flavored sweet foods and that I guess that is what I expected, but I know well enough now that with alcohol infusion the flavors you expect don't always come through.

I chose to go organic with this recipe, and I will be trying to do this more often. I've read too much about the fungicides and pesticides on conventional ingredients to ignore organics when they are available.

Finding strawberry liqueur recipes was easy around the net and they were all very similar. Cut up a bunch of strawberries and cover them with alcohol, add spices, honey, etc. I wanted to keep it simple so I took from the simplest recipes and made my own variant.

Follow along!

 Homemade Strawberry Liqueur recipe #1

Ingredients:

• 3 pints organic strawberries
• 1/2 cup clover honey
• 1/2 cup simple syrup (or just white sugar and water to make the syrup)
• 4 cups 80 proof vodka
• large, seal-able jar for infusing

1. It's important to note that my strawberries sat in the fridge until they were mushy and probably close to a state where some people wouldn't eat them. Despite the mushiness and their appearance, most fruit and berries are still perfectly fine to eat when it looks bad on the outside (sometimes even better tasting).

2. Quarter all of the strawberries, place into the infusing jar or container.

3. Pour 4 cups of 80 proof vodka over the strawberries. This should cover the strawberries

4. Seal infusing container and let steep for 3 - 4 weeks.  Shake up the container every few days, or at least once a week.

5. Make up a small batch of simple syrup (at least 1/2 cup) then combine with 1/2 cup clover honey. I personally cooked up the simple syrup on the stove and added the clover honey after I had turned off the heat and let it cool to just warm. Set aside the sweet mixture to cool. It's important to note that you will only use 3/4 cup of this mixture.

6. Strain and filter the strawberry and vodka mixture

7. Add 3/4 cup only of the sweet mixture to the strained and filtered strawberry vodka. Stir or shake well to combine.

8. Place the final mixture in an aging container to sit at least a month. Enjoy after aging!

Sipping, smelling and thinking

Strawberry liqueur - almost.. whiskey colored?

This liqueur won't disappoint the eyes. Red, almost amber-red if that is possible. Depending on the lighting you'll get a orange-red to an amber-red. It'll look great in a decorative bottle or gift wrappings.

It's worth noting that at the time of this review the Strawberry liqueur has aged nearly 1 year and 3 months. I got lazy for a long while and haven't been writing much.

Floral is what I think when it hits my nose. Flowers, bouquet, maybe some orange and spice type notes. It's fairly subtle and not too strong, has a hint of acidity to the aroma. This type of aroma I think is polarizing; some may find it sickly and others may be really attracted to it.

The interesting thing about this homemade Strawberry liqueur is that it doesn't taste like strawberries. You may have noticed that about many fruit flavored foods and drinks. Often it is some component of the flavor that is passed through in processing, but never the entire flavor or smell of the food in it's natural state.

In the case of this liqueur I think it does carry a lot of strawberry flavor. The tart and acidity of the strawberries are carried into the liqueur in a very balanced way. The clover honey sweetens it just enough and doesn't overpower the acid tart berry flavor. Alcohol bite is hidden enough that even a new drinker might enjoy this straight or on ice.

Oxygen Exposure

During the aging, I did open this liqueur a few times to taste it. I'll say that within the first few months it wasn't too appealing to me. At first it was much too acidic and the more subtle flavors didn't come through. After mellowing for nearly a year now I think its definitely near a peak. My wife and I both enjoy it right now, which is unusual because she normally gravitates towards really sweet drinks and I enjoy a range of bitter, sour and tart drinks.

Opening this one several times before testing may have changed the flavor drastically compared to having a sealed bottle. I need to start double batching and using many small permanently sealed bottles. That way I can try them at different points without exposing the whole batch.

Concluding

Finally, I think this would be good straight, or as a mixer, though I'm leaning more towards this one being an after-dinner sipping liqueur. If you mix this, it'll be hard to not hide the floral notes and you may end up with a more solely acidic or tart flavor add-in to your cocktail.

I'll definitely be making this one again! Going to enjoy finishing off this bottle over the next few months.

If you try this strawberry liqueur recipe, please let me know how it comes out for you!

Saint Brendan's Irish Cream Liqueur

There are quite a few Irish Cream liqueurs out there and to be honest I've only tried maybe two or three. Really just the most popular ones you see in stores around these parts like Bailey's Irish Cream and O'Reillys Irish Cream are the ones I've given a go.

Saint Brendan's has an subtly attractive bottle and I hadn't noticed it before and at $17 I figured it was worth a shot. Due to the low price I did ask the shopkeep if he had any experience with it and he said it was now his favorite cream liqueur. After his positive review of it, I picked up a bottle to try for myself.

Background:

I don't have much background on this one. It's obviously named after Saint Brendan and Wikipedia tells me that Saint Brendan was an early Irish monastic saint that was renowned for a legendary journey to an Isle of the Blessed. I'm not very schooled on any Saints, but it sounds like some interesting reading.

Saint Brendan's Irish cream is made in Derry, Northern Ireland, using local Irish whiskey and fresh cream.

Kick'n the tires:

Right off, I'll tell you that out of the few Irish Cream Liqueurs that I have tried, this could very well be the best one. You take a sip and immediately you get that sweet creamy texture followed up by a mild Irish whiskey. The whiskey is not too stong; I think even those who are not really into whiskey could enjoy the flavor.

Now this definitely isn't just whiskey and cream. There are some other flavors floating around that are hard to describe. I would say that Mocha is a good approximation, almost like hints of chocolate and coffee except very very slight. I may even detect some spices, but it is hard to tell. I'm no hound dog.

I've tried this on the rocks, and straight. I think I prefer it on the rocks as my texture preference is for it to be just a little bit runnier than it is straight. Drinking it straight its quite thick and may be too rich for some.

Overall I think the balance of flavors is wonderful and in my opinion it is not overly sweet when drinking it on the rocks. Of course it is still a cream liqueur so it's going to be best when you ARE wanting something sweet. I'm just saying its not overkill.

I'll definitely be finishing this bottle off after dinner every few nights.

P.S. I know cream liqueurs are popular in coffee-based drinks, but let me know if you've tasted any other interesting cocktails that include a cream liqueur.

Homemade Cinnamon Liqueur

Cinnamon. In ancient times it was a luxurious gift for kings and gods. Today it makes an appearance on our cinnamon rolls, apple cobbler and even french toast. 

Me, I just want to devour anything that tastes like it. Mix it with alcohol? Even BETTER. 

With no exaggeration, I LOVE cinnamon. It seems that the more I eat cinnamon my love for it just grows like a cinnamon tumour inside me. As I began making liqueurs I knew that cinnamon liqueur would be a key step in my quest for excellent homemade liqueur. 

Before I talk about the four cinnamon liqueur variants I made, let me rant a little on the things I learned about Cinnamon. 

You think that is Cinnamon on your Cinnamon roll. WRONG.

Cinnamon or Cinnamomum zeylanicum, also called Ceylon cinnamon is a small evergreen tree native to Sri Lanka. It is popular for it's inner bark which is used as spice called cinnamon. However, the big surprise is that if you are in the USA and various other countries, most of what you think is cinnamon is actually Cinnamomum aromaticum or Cassia. Cassia is in the same family as C. zeylanicum, but if you're talking about "true" cinnamon then C. zeylanicum is what you mean. 

Ceylon Cinnamon(left) and Cassia(right). Photo from wikipedia

Turns out, not only is there flavor differences between Cassia and Cinnamon, but in some countries various health agencies warn against a heavy consumption of Cassia due to the toxic component coumarin. Though it seems the consensus is that it may not be toxic enough to worry about unless you are consuming teaspoons and teaspoons of cassia every day. Ceylon cinnamon has coumarin as well, but a negligible amount. 

As far as the flavor differences go, both Cassia and Ceylon Cinnamon share similar essential oils except the Ceylon has less of the cinnamic aldehyde. From what I read, this ends up giving true cinnamon a lighter, sweeter flavor and cassia a stronger, harsh bittersweet flavor. 

So yes, after all of my excitement about creating a delicious cinnamon liqueur I discover that in fact I have created a Cassia liqueur. The more I thought about this I decided it might be okay since it appears that what I've known and loved as "cinnamon" was most likely cassia anyway. I mean a bakery here and there may use true cinnamon, but from a little googling it appears that cassia is the most popular "cinnamon" here in the states. If you go to the grocery store and buy "cinnamon sticks" it is probably cassia. To get your true cinnamon or Ceylon cinnamon, order it online from a reputable spice dealer. I noticed this one shop at www.druera.com, that appears to be in Sri Lanka, and it prides itself on selling real Ceylon cinnamon. 

Anyway, note to self...make a ceylon cinnamon liqueur ASAP. For now, enjoy the Cassia. 

A taste of Cassia... err Cey.. Cinna.. whatev

Shut up and tell me if it taste good, right? Toxic? We are drinking alcohol here, that is toxic too. Yeah yeah, I'll get on with it. 

The Internet contains myriads upon myriads of recipes for everything under the sun, unless you are looking for Cinnamon Liqueur, then there is only one recipe you will find. 

Cinnamon Liqueur 

Yield:1 pint 

1 Cinnamon stick
2 Cloves
1 ts Ground coriander seed
1 cup Vodka
1/2 cup Brandy
1/2 cup Sugar Syrup 

Steep everything but sugar in alcohol for 2 weeks. Strain and filter and then add sugar syrup or sweetener to taste. Age for 1 week and serve. 

Hundreds of websites have this recipe with no attribution. I figured it was a good place to start even though I don't know the origin. 

I decided to make four separate batches and vary them to some extremes (why not?) I obtained my so called cinnamon from a local Indian spice store. This of course was Cassia as I found out after I made the liqueurs. 

Here is a list of the variations. For number 1 the only change I made was substituting clover honey for the sugar syrup. I did this for all of the variants. In my liqueur making experience so far, white sugar syrup just yields too simple of a taste. With honey, the taste becomes much more complex and better for sipping or drinking straight. 

Cinnamon(cassia) Liqueur #1 

Stuck with the recipe but substituted clover honey for the sugar syrup. (and in all below variants) 

Cinnamon(cassia) Liqueur #2 

Added 7 Key limes, just the meat quartered and some pith. Added 1tsp zest of a key lime. 

Cinnamon(cassia) Liqueur #3 

Added meat of one very large navel orange. Meat was cut approximately into eighths. Added zest from orange, about 1/4 of the orange peel. (went wild) 

Cinnamon(cassia) Liqueur #4 

Increased cinnamon by about %50. (1/2 cinnamon stick). Decreased sweetener (honey) by about %25. 

I tried all of these right after the 1 week of aging time and at least 1 - 2 months after that. 

In regards to visual aspect, the color is an orangish brownish on all of these. It tends to be a bit darker on #4 due to the extra cinnamon and have slightly green and more orangey with #2 and #3 respectively. The viscosity is not too syrupy and typical to most liqueur. If you saw the picture up at the top of the article, that is the ol' #4.

If you love cinnamon with all your heart, then #1 and #4 will love you back. #4 has a very strong cinnamon taste and obviously less on the sweet side. Less honey decreased the sweetness and allowed more of the cinnamon profile to come through. #1 is fairly balanced yet is a touch too sweet for my taste. 

#2 and #3 I nearly threw out before deciding to let them sit another month or two. I'm glad I did so, because after aging a bit the overly intense lime and orange tastes have become less focused and have broken down into a broader spectrum of flavor. 

The key-lime in #2 comes through and maybe overpowers the cinnamon. It's ends up being an interesting key-lime liqueur with the cinnamon accompanying. I felt it more lime-sweet than lime-tart. 

#3 ended up with maybe too much juice from the orange as the alcohol bite is just not there. However the orange and cinnamon marry nicely after a few months. The orange is more bitter than I expected, yet it is quite delicious the way it is. If I do this again I'll likely use less orange or up the alcohol to get the bite back. 

I'm not used to the flavor of coriander, so it is hard to tell where it shows up in the liqueur. Coriander supposedly has a smokey, nutty and citrus notes

Summing it up

Overall I like each one in different ways. I would say the most drinkable as is, would be the #4 if you like strong cinnamon taste or #1 if you don't want the cinnamon to take over. I'm a big enough cinnamon fan that I can sip #4 straight and really enjoy it. I think after some tweaking, the recipe for #2 and #3 could work. Perhaps less of the fruits.

If there are any cocktails you love that include cinnamon liqueur please comment. I don't know of any popular ones off hand, but I imagine some coffee based cocktails would find cinnamon liqueur attractive.

Frangelico Liqueur

Today we look at another classic liqueur, Frangelico. Similar to my last review on Southern Comfort, this is one of those liqueurs you see all the time but maybe have not tried. Sad though, since Frangelico has been around 300 years you should have had plenty of time to try it!

Like Chartreuse, Benedictine and others, Frangelico's origin also involves monks which usually ends up with deliciousness.

Background:

Frangelico is a Noisette and herb flavored liqueur. You might be unfamiliar with Noisette and that is because it is french for "Hazelnut" or "made from Hazelnut".

This ancient liqueur is produced in the Piedmont region of Italy, with origins dating as far back as 300 years. It is believed to have originated with Christian monks living in the area of that time. The name itself coming from one of those same monks, "Fra. Angelico" who resided in the hills of the Piedmont area.

The Frangelico web site has great information on the history and production process. Flavors imparted in this liqueur are set in throughout the production process during distillation and infusion. According to the site, they use local hazelnuts and concentrate the flavor by making a hazelnut distillate and blending this with further hazelnut infusion. All along the way they use various floral and herbal ingredients to add spice and round out the flavor.

Visual:

After being impressed by the unique bottle I expected more of the liquid itself. It's not that its bad looking, it is just a very light color. It has a very light amber-caramel color and when put up to the light it becomes almost a golden liquid.

The bottle on the other hand is awesome. It is designed to have the appearance of a monk wearing his habit, even down to the rope belt. An interesting bit of trivia on the net is that the monk resemblance would seem to represent a Franciscan friar, but Fra Angelico was likely a Dominican friar whom wore different robes. However after reading a description of the Dominican friar's habits, I think that the Franciscan look brings more to mind a "monk". Probably due to many movies having christian monks portrayed in a Franciscan style. Though I also think of the bright-orange wearing Shaolin monks from watching too many kung-fu movies.

Nose:

Ah, do I even need to mention sweet? It is a liqueur after all. When you take a whiff you will first get intense hazelnut then cinnamon and vanilla roll along. All of it is accompanied by not too sweet overtones. A hint of peanut butter is hiding in there somewhere. This could be one of my favorite smelling liqueurs so far.

Taste:

The taste and mouth feel are strange with this one. The taste is buttery in flavor, but not in feel. The feel is almost like water, very light and not very syrupy. It has hints of chocolate, spice, almonds, hazelnuts.

A good thing about the non-syrupy consistency is that the flavor does not stay too long. It is rich up front, but finishes maybe a bit too quick. The flavor does not hang around, but then this is great because it makes easier to drink more!

You definitely want to inhale while drinking this one. The aroma is a big part of the taste. Many liqueurs smell sweet and have a syrupy feel. I'm glad to find this one is different.

Final:

Overall I am very pleased with the Frangelico liqueur. I had no idea what to expect going in and then I was blown away by the taste. Especially the strange non-syrupy finish that I am so used too with other liqueurs.

This would be great for sipping on any time of the day or adding into your coffee and hot chocolate. I'm interested to try it in many cocktails including a recommendation I saw on a forum which was to halve it with fresh squeezed lime juice on ice.

Let me know if you find any cocktails with Frangelico you particularly like and I'll try them out.

Southern Comfort Liqueur

Any traveler in the states has heard of southern hospitality, but have you heard of Southern Comfort? Chances are you probably have. It is just one of those liqueurs you always see, but maybe you have not given it a go. If you have not had the chance to try it, now is good a time. Everyone needs a little comfort and I'll take a look at it with you.

Background:

Southern Comfort has been around a good long while, since 1874 to be exact. However the formula has changed over time and even now as far as I can tell the exact formula is not known. What I do know is that it is pretty tasty and since it's inception back in 1874 has remained a popular liqueur for mixing and drinking straight.

The liqueur was created by Martin Wilkes Heron an Irish bartender in New Orleans Louisiana. It became popular very quick and by 1889 he moved to Memphis Tennessee where he patented his creation and later even won a Gold Medal for the liqueur at the 1904 World's Fair in St.louis Missouri.

Only the producers know the recipe now and it is kept secret like most, but some say the original recipe could have been as follows:

"An inch of vanilla bean, about a quarter of a lemon, half of a cinnamon stick, four cloves, a few cherries and an orange bit or two. He would let this soak for days. And right when he was ready to finish he would add his sweetener, he liked to use honey."^[

Sounds delicious, but how does it taste now? Let's get to the review, I'm getting thirsty over here.

Visual:

Nothing fancy here. This is a liquor you can definitely describe easily as caramel colored. It is a light toasty brown, and fairly syrupy as you swirl it around. In fact it does look a little like maple syrup.

Nose:

Southern comfort is comforting right from the first smell. It has a sharp mint and spice aroma. The mint is not overly strong but comes through the spice well. Even those that don't like peppermint or spearmint could still enjoy this. The spice leans toward cinnamon, but is not distinct. Some may not describe the nose as having "mint" in it, but I can't think of anything closer. Perhaps it is a muddled mint.

Taste:

As a note, this Liqueur comes in several proofs. I tried the 70 proof.

The mouth feel reminds me of whiskey with a little burn up front, then a buttery finish. Cinnamon, Honey, Vanilla, it is all here. I can't pick out any cherry but maybe it will be different for you. The sort of mint spark in the nose does not come through in the taste, and I am glad because myself, I'm not fond of too much mint.

In the tasting process I also tried the now classic "Soco and Lime" cocktail. I can see why this is popular, a little fresh or sweetened lime juice goes amazing with this. The acidic lime really brings a new character to the liqueur. It's a must try.

Final:

Delicious. I can drink it straight, I can mix it. It goes great in coke, ginger ale, many different mixers.

Many people say liquor gives you a warm feeling. I know some of that is due to the effects of alcohol itself, but I like to say that this stuff warms you with the nose and the taste. The spices and honey butter feel are great on a cold day. Now that I think about it, you could even put this in a hot drink like tea or coffee.

Homemade Pineapple Liqueur

Almost everyone who drinks has enjoyed a Pina Colada. You can't deny the deliciousness of a good Pina Colada or that pineapple is a key part of the flavor. Though shame on you if you have never tried a Pineapple liqueur! What better way is there to enjoy pure pineapple flavor with a nice alcohol bite and plenty of sweet?

I found a simple pineapple liqueur recipe on Gunther Anderson's liqueur site and tried my hand.

Homemade Pinapple Liqueur Recipe

• 2 cups pineapple
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 2 1/2 cups vodka
• 1/2 cup sugar syrup

"Steep 1 week, strain/squeeze and filter, add syrup, age 1 month.

Notes: Sharp - more sugar? Another recipe calls for rum, which might be smoother."

As you can see; quite simple. I didn't deviate from this recipe at all and the produce that resulted is mighty fine.

You might wonder if you can use canned pineapple or do you need fresh? I can only tell you that I used fresh cut pineapple from the Publix grocery store. I would think canned pineapple might have a more intense flavor especially if you add the juice in. However I was worried the juice would throw the mix off and the recipe did not specify.

It turned out really well, but I am not going to do a deep review because it simply taste like Pineapple and alcohol  with a touch of sweet. This is exactly as I would expect, though as it has aged the pineapple aroma is still really strong, and the tastes are less distinct, the alcohol bite blending with the fruit. I can't forget to mention that the color is just the perfect pineapple yellow tint you would imagine. This will be an amazing mixer especially in Pina Colada-like fruity drinks. Goes down great when chilled too!

Homemade Pineapple Liqueur

I'll probably make this recipe again, but try variants with spices and maybe honey instead of sugar. I would like a more rounded, complex Pineapple liqueur for sipping on.

Home-made Raspberry Liqueur

This would be the first attempt in my journey of Liqueur making. I obtained a recipe from Gunther Anderson's site that sounded easy. For which I pretty much followed the recipe except for one deviation which I'll explain in a minute. First the original recipe.

Homemade Raspberry Liqueur (Hughes) Recipe

From: Eric Hughes

• 2 cups whole fresh raspberries
• 3 cups vodka
• 1 1/2 cup sugar syrup
• 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract

"Steep for 2 weeks. Strain and Filter. Add sugar syrup and vanilla extract. Age as long as possible (at least one week).

I found that the vanilla extract smoothed out the vodka's taste without overpowering the raspberries."

Source for recipe

First, the recipe calls for vodka but does not mention the proof. The majority of recipes I have seen call for 100 proof or 80 proof, but unfortunately I did not have 80 proof, only 100 at the time. I figured I could dilute it a bit with some filtered water, so I used 2 and 1/2 cups of 100 proof vodka with 1/2 cup water. I really was not being scientific about this, being my first Liqueur. No idea what proof the final product will end up as.

After steeping for two weeks, filtering and adding in the called amount of sugar syrup I felt it was a little too tart and maybe too much of the alcohol bite. I then proceeded to add in about 3/4 cup *more* sugar syrup than originally called for.

Adding the additional syrup turned out to be a mistake in the end. After aging for a few more weeks the tartness and bite mellowed out far more than expected and I ended up with an overly sweet concoction. Next time I make this one I'll be sticking to the original recipe to see how it comes out after aging.

Now heres a bit of a review for the home-made Raspberry Liqueur.

Visual:

The picture above makes it look more bright than it actually is. Photography is difficult to say the least. However in real life it is a deep ruby red, very beautiful. This liqueur is very appealing to the eye. With the right bottle you could have a masterpiece on the visual side of things.

Closeup of Home-made Raspberry Liqueur

Nose:

At first you get a wash of the bitter raspberry but it is soon overpowered with intense sweet. I don't catch the vanilla much, and overall its a bit sickly sweet smelling.

Taste:

Over the weeks I've been aging this, it has become better and better. However it is still too sweet. At first the raspberry was very distinct and tended towards a cough syrup type flavor, but now its mingled with the sugar and vanilla to become an intense sort of raspberry candy flavor.

Final:

It's not so sweet as to be disgusting, there is still enough tart and bitter of the raspberry to be inviting. Due to that over abundance of sweetness, this is not a sipping liqueur. I feel like this will be useful as a mixer perhaps in some stronger sodas. I will definitely let me next batch age before sweetening it any further and I'm betting it will come out much much better, less candy-like. It would probably be practical for me to be a bit more scientific with my measurements as well.

Steak 954 Rio Mar

1 1 / 4 ounce black cherry bourbon
1 ounce blackberry-infused St. Germain
1 ounce lemon juice
Dash Angostura bitters
Ice
1 1 /2 to 2 ounces prosecco
3 St. Germain-infused blackberries

"How to make the drink: Put the bourbon, black-berry infused St. Germain, lemon juice and Angostura bitters into a shaker filled with ice. Shake well. Strain into a chilled champagne flute. Add enough prosecco to fill the glass to about an inch from the top. Garnish by floating 3 infused blackberries on top of the drink. Makes 1 serving. — Tracey Broussard"

Found this recipe at the Sun Sentinel You can read about infusing the St-Germain and more in the source article.

Amaretto di Amore - Amaretto Liqueur

Amaretto di Amore has been around a while and Amaretto itself has history going way back. You have definitely either seen it in a bar or drank it in a cocktail. A 750ml bottle of Amaretto di Amore typically goes for around $12 - $15.

Let's take a sip.

Background:

Amaretto is defined by most sources as an Almond-flavored Liqueur made from either Almond or Apricot pits. Turns out they have a similar flavor.

The origin of Amaretto is in Italy, however there are several brands produced in America and other lands around the world. Amaretto di Amore's label (from my older bottle) says it is produced by the Barton Distilling Company which appears to have been acquired by the Sazerac Company in early 2009.

Visual:

A first glance at the liquid in this bottle and you really get the idea of Almonds. It is a light golden brown with almost a hint of orange to it.

The bottle itself has sort of antique but royal feel to it. The gold cap reminds me of a crown and the bottle of a short paunch king. Scroll work on the label and the old world lettering adds to the whole look.

Nose:

Take a whiff and first you get ... Dr. Pepper? Yes that's right, the first thing I think of is "the Doctor". I swear one of the main ingredients in Dr. Pepper must be Apricot or Almond pits! If you add this stuff to any cola it will taste fairly close to Dr. Pepper. Though I digress. Additionally your nose will pickup a sweet, but faint fruit with a nutty touch. Brown sugar and caramel, hints of vanilla. Whatever you smell, you won't be able to stop thinking about Dr. Pepper.

Taste:

A heavy sweet with a bit of saltiness. It has a smooth syrupy feel with a bite reminiscent of cola. Further adding of course to the crazy Dr.Pepper obsession above. The nut flavor is almost barely oak or wood in a way, its rounded and not distinct. It still kicks around with the faint fruit you pick up in the nose.

Final:

Great as an after dinner drink. I would drink it in a wide glass with narrow mouth or even a wine glass. You really want to take in the great aroma.

If you like Dr.Pepper or cola you will enjoy Amaretto di Amore. Like most Liqueurs it is a little sweet to drink much more than single serving by itself. It is a classic mixer in many cocktails and for good reason. It goes great with everything from scotch and vodka to sodas.

I think it is great to have around, but the flavor is pretty intense and I only have it every once in a while.

Usually I will drink this Amaretto in a cocktail called a "Godfather". Scotch and Amaretto, quite delicious. I usually just add a splash of Amaretto and don't worry about the measurement.

You can also use Amaretto in a WIDE variety of recipes which is cool. I have not delved into cooking with Amaretto but you guys let me know if you discover something delicious.

Read up on Amaretto and check out a good list of recipes from the producer.

St-Germain Liqueur

I think the amazing bottle is really what got my interest, but never the less I had to give this one a try. It was $35 so not too pricey.

Background:

Doing a little reading a about St-Germain is interesting. Turns out it is a flower or floral liqueur made from Elderflowers and various other ingredients. St-Germain contains 100% natural ingredients and no preservatives which is points in my book. Worthy of note as well is the mention that St-Germain has roughly half the sugar of most Liqueurs. Though I have not seen the actual amounts in grams yet.

It imported from France by Maison 6ème Arr., Philadelphia, PA.

On the St-Germain website you can learn that every load of elderflowers they use to make this stuff is hand-picked and then bi-cycled.. yes bi-cycled from the foot hills of the Alps down to a market where they purchase them to make the liqueur.

Visual:

As I said previously, the fancy French bottle is probably what drew my eyes to it. The bottle is really sweet; the label and metal cap all create a really artistic old world look.

The liqueur inside is a pale but golden yellow. It is actually quite inviting. I think the bottle really adds to the color, if it was a simple plain bottle then the pale yellow liquid may have looked less appealing. You don't see many pale yellow colored Liqueurs, or if you do they are in a darker bottle.

Overall a very pleasing and impressive bottle. Lots of French words and it includes a miniature tag-like book with a story about the liqueur.

Nose:

Needless to say, I would go out on a limb and say a floral liqueur should have a good nose. They ARE made with flowers.

St-Germain does not disappoint! It smells like sweet nectar. Honey-dew, sugar, vanilla, pear and melon are all words that came to mind when I take a whiff.

I have to say with this being my first floral liqueur that the smell is good, but it does not smell like it would *taste* good. The flowery smell is strange if you are new to floral liqueurs. That all changes though once you take a sip.

Taste:

Sweet, like any liqueur very sweet. It is hard to separate smell from taste with something as aromatic as this, but some of the nose remains in the taste. You get citrus, orange, lemon along with a nectar type flavor. It's fairly thick and The finish is a bit syrupy for my taste but overall satisfying.

Final:

I like this liqueur. I didn't think I could get into floral liqueurs, but my goal here is to try every liqueur possible. This is really good stuff, I especially like the citrus taste combined with the sweet floral smell. It is very well balanced.

Due to syrupy finish I don't think I could drink much more than a single serving by itself, but it will make a great after dinner drink and an even better mixer. I'm imagining it right now with ginger ale...

For more reading check out

St-Germains Website and the wikipedia page on Elderflower