What is Liqueur?
Take what you read here with a grain of salt. This information is pulled from my own knowledge and various sources. Everyone has a different opinion on the specifics of the various topics I discuss. I'll post a few sources that corroborate my ideas at the bottom of this page.
In reading about, talking about or researching Liqueur you may encounter the following terms:
- Liqueur
- Schnapps
- Cordial
Everyone seems to have a different idea about the specifics of each word's meaning. Though many people use them all for the same "type" product. I'll try to draw a consensus from all these terms and briefly explain my findings about what each represents based on the different sources I have researched.
I won't try to be an encyclopedia here, but rather give you enough information to decide how you want to use the terms and communicate better with other people about the drinks.
Liqueur
Liqueur is not Liquor, but it does contain Liquor.
There is many differing opinions, but in America when we say Liqueur, what we seem to mean is any Liquor based beverage with a high sugar content. Usually a fruity or herbal beverage.
Part of defining a Liqueur seems to be in the way it's made:
- infusion (with or without heating)
- re-distillation
- percolation
Various ingredients are used in each method to add flavor or texture to the base liquor. The base liquor can be nearly any of the typical gamut, vodka, rum, whiskey, gin, tequila, pure grain alcohol etc.
You will see that herbs, spices, nuts, barks, berries, fruits, candy, meat and more can all be infused into a liquor. At that point what you really have is an "extract" and\or a "infused liquor". By general consensus (there is no standard for these things) it becomes a liqueur when you add ingredients that create a high sugar content or sweet taste.
Another distinct feature for Liqueurs is an ABV (Alcohol By Volume) typically between 15-30% but as high as approximately 55%. Where as your usual Liquor would be around 40% or higher.
I've seen two claims to the word origin for "liqueur" in my reading so far.
- French, from Old French "licour", a liquid.
- Latin, liquifacere ("to liquefy").
You can sum it all up and say that liqueur is a flavored or infused liquor with a high sugar content or sweet taste, but it's not typically flavored in the original distillation or fermentation process. Unless your talking about the flavors in the base Liquor.
Beware though, you will see the other words like Cordial, Schnapps, Liqueur and even Liquor used interchangeably. It's not really wrong either. Liqueur always contains a liquor and could at times be a cordial or a Schnapps. Depending on what country your in, who made it and who is talking about it.
Schnapps
It gets a bit more confusing here. By my research, in America, many liqueurs are marketed as Schnapps, but Schnapps are also marketed as Schnapps. You'll see what I mean.
In German speaking lands where the word originated, Schnapps can be more specific. Schnapps in these regions is typically a clear beverage, around 32% or 40% ABV with a light fruit flavor being distilled from fruit (as opposed to flavored or infused with fruit). A fruit brandy in many cases.
However even over there they can use the term to describe almost any distilled beverage.
The key idea here is that in the German speaking regions and other parts of the world schnapps are not high sugar content liquor. So keep in mind, here in America if someone says schnapps they are probably talking about something sugary and sweet, pretty much a Liqueur. If your traveling abroad and ask for schnapps you may get a neutral grain spirit or a choice of other distilled Liquor.
Cordial
When I hear Cordial the first product I think of is "Cherry Cordial". This is not far away from the common use in America which is to mean a fruit liqueur or fruit flavored liquor.
In other countries and lands you will find many different uses. Even a very specific drink called a Cordial in the Czech republic or a "non-alcoholic" drink called Squash or Cordial in UK, New Zealand, etc.
However the majority of uses seems to revolve around a sweet liquor or liqueur, typically fruity. I think you are alright here when you are using Cordial to refer to a fruit based Liqueur. I won't get mad at you at least. 
Further Reading:
http://www.answers.com/liqueur
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liqueur
http://www.classicliquors.com/making.htm
http://www.thedrinkshop.com/pages/pagetext.php?pg_name=liqueurhistory
http://www.answers.com/topic/schnapps
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schnapps
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Squash_(drink)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cordial_(alcohol)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cordial_(medicine)
http://www.tastings.com/spirits/liqueurs.html
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