What is the difference between cordial and liqueur

The general difference is that liqueurs are sweetened spirits with various flavors, oils, and extracts added; rum, whiskey, brandy, and other liquors can serve as a base spirit for liqueurs. So simply said a liqueur is a liquor with added sugar, flavors, and often though not always has a lower proof. Another word that is often used for liqueur is cordials. These are also used as a digestive after dinner or in a dessert.

Asked by: Intisar Piepen asked in category: General Last Updated: 11th June, What is the difference between a cordial and liqueur? Both terms refer to alcoholic beverages that contain at least 2. How do you drink liqueur? Like many spirits, liqueurs can be used in mixed drinks, served neat, over ice, with coffee or mixed with other non-alcoholic beverages such as cream or milk. Many can be used for cooking or in baking and certain liqueurs have even become the major highlight of many desserts.

What defines a liqueur? Definition of liqueur. What does it mean to be cordial with someone? If you like someone but you wouldn't say they're your friend, you might describe your relationship as cordial. Use cordial to describe a greeting or relationship that is friendly and sincere. The noun cordial originally referred to a medicine or drink that stimulates the heart, but its current sense is "a liqueur. Is Kahlua a liqueur? The drink contains rum, sugar, vanilla bean, and arabica coffee.

Can you get drunk off Triple Sec liqueur? Liqueurs and cordials are not only sweet, they carry pronounced flavors. An alcohol -- such as brandy or gin -- is mixed with natural flavors, often from fruits or plants.

Examples include creme de menthe, raspberry cordial and sambuca. Liqueurs and cordials work well before a meal as aperitifs, or after a meal as digestifs.

Try mixing creme de cassis with champagne or serve a cocktail with triple sec, an orange-flavored liqueur. All you need is the base liquor, the flavoring ingredients, sugar, and a little time for an infusion.

Those that use flavoring extracts or syrups can be ready immediately. Homemade amaretto and Irish cream are the most popular, and fruit liqueurs are rather easy to replicate as well. Due to the sugar and other flavoring ingredients, many liqueurs are low-proof spirits. They contain less alcohol than whiskey, gin, and the other base spirits. You'll often find varying strengths within a particular flavor of liqueur, and it can even change under the same brand name.

A brand like Southern Comfort ranges from 42 proof to proof, depending on where it's sold. The variety of liqueurs on the market today is diverse and always expanding. For instance, Baileys may be the most popular Irish cream , but there are other great brands to try, including Carolans, Irish Manor, and St.

Other liqueurs use a proprietary blend of flavors to create a signature taste. The recipes are protected by specific brands and known only under that brand's name. Some of these recipes e. Many of the oldest liqueurs were once medicinal cordials used to cure all sorts of ailments. Chartreuse is a perfect example; its secret recipe originated in and produced by French monks who remain in control of its production today. Due to their sweet nature, many liqueurs can be considered digestif and are great when served straight with dessert.

If you like, chill the bottle or serve it on the rocks. Small cordial glasses are designed for enjoying liqueurs straight. For the most part, liqueurs are used in cocktails where they add their sweet flavor to the drink.

Many recipes use a small pour of the liqueur to accent and soften the drink's main liquor, and you'll find countless recipes that combine two or more liqueurs.

In some drinks, the liqueur becomes the main ingredient, particularly if it's a high-proof liqueur like Grand Marnier with a complex taste that can stand on its own. The sugar and other additives reduce the shelf life of liqueurs when compared to unsweetened and unflavored distilled spirits. The more sugar and less alcohol it contains, the less time you have before a liqueur goes bad. Any open bottle may show signs of flavor loss or sugar crystallization after a few years.

It's best to enjoy open bottles within two years, and liqueurs that contain dairy or eggs within 18 months.