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Wine and Cheese

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By Bob Lipinski

Bob Lipinski

Most people enjoy rum in tropical drinks during warm weather while lounging poolside with a bowl of tortilla chips, salsa, and guacamole.

I enjoy “sipping rums,” those dark (mostly), limited production rums, often aged many years in oak barrels. These rums are often the premium, “top-of-the-line” products a distillery makes. Like a well-aged Scotch or Cognac, they are often served in a brandy glass, lightly chilled after dinner. 

These rums are generally not used in cocktails because of their complex and full flavors, high price, and limited availability. Sipping rums may or may not have an age statement on the label.

Below are some of my favorite sipping rums, which hopefully will become your favorites too!

Appleton Reserve Blend, Jamaica: Amber-colored; bouquet of molasses, nuts, oil of bergamot, and burnt butter; quite dry with some burnt bitterness present; nuts, clove, allspice, and mace.

Bacardi “Reserva Limitada,” Puerto Rico: Aged in used Bourbon barrels. Amber-colored; bouquet of tobacco, citrus, honey, vanilla, and maple. In the mouth there is a certain sweetness, full sugar and medium-bodied, with a lingering aftertaste.

Brugal “Extra Viejo” Dominican Republic: Aged in used Bourbon barrels. Amber colored; muted nose with hints of citrus and molasses. Flavors of lime, grass, cinnamon, and molasses. It has a certain brandy taste: a very complex rum.

Diplomatico 12-Year-Old Exclusiva Reserve, Venezuela: Aged in used PX sherry barrels. Amber-colored; nose of citrus, toast, prunes, toffee, orange zest, and nuts; rich flavors of jasmine, toffee, and orange.

Don Q “Gran Añejo” Puerto Rico: Aged in used Sherry barrels. Amber color; closed nose with suggestions of citrus and grass; flavors of toast, vanilla, burnt sugar, cinnamon, banana, and butterscotch.

El Dorado “8” Demerara, Guyana: Amber-colored; nose of allspice, other spices, black pepper, caramel, and toasted marshmallow; the rum explodes in the mouth with nuts, sugarcane, and oranges; medium-body with additional flavors of dates and prunes.

Pyrat XO Reserve, Anguilla: Amber-colored; considerable orange peel, lemon, and lime peel; smells like an orange liqueur; syrupy in the mouth with hints of nutmeg and burnt orange peel.

Ron Abuelo 12 Year, Panama: Amber-colored; complex nose of caramel, molasses, nuts, and toasted oak; quite fruity in the mouth with hints of tobacco, toasted nuts, orange, honey, molasses, and dark cherries.

Ron Zacapa 23 Centenario, Guatemala: Dark mahogany, vanilla, almond, butterscotch, chocolate, and toasted wood with hints of spice.

Vizcaya VXOP “Cask 21” Dominican Republic: Spicy nose (cinnamon, nutmeg, mace, ginger) with flavors of honey, caramel, nuts, and vanilla.

Bob Lipinski is the author of 10 books, including “101: Everything You Need To Know About Whiskey” and “Italian Wine & Cheese Made Simple” (available on Amazon.com). He consults and conducts training seminars on Wine, Spirits, and Food and is available for speaking engagements. He can be reached at www.boblipinski.com OR [email protected].

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METRO photo

By Bob Lipinski

Bob Lipinski

Marsala is both the name of a city in northwest Sicily and the name of a fortified wine (around 18% alcohol) first made in 1773 by the English Port merchant, John Woodhouse. Marsala is made from a blend of local grapes and is fortified with alcohol either during or after fermentation, depending on the desired level of sweetness.

White grapes include Grillo, Catarratto, Inzolia, and Damaschino. Red grapes include Perricone, Nero d’Avola, and Nerello Mascalese.

All Marsala wines are available in three colors: ambra (amber), oro (golden), and rubino (ruby). Italian law has set production rules for three types of Marsala: Marsala Fine, Marsala Superiore, and Marsala Vergine. A 1984 law banned using the name Marsala for concoctions flavored with almonds, bananas, chocolate, coffee, eggs, mocha, strawberries, tangerine, and so forth.

Marsala Fine is made in a dry, semidry, and sweet version. This type must be aged for a minimum of one year in a barrel. It is the most consumed Marsala in the United States.

Marsala Superiore is made in a dry, semidry, and sweet version. This Marsala must be aged a minimum of two years in a barrel.

Marsala Vergine is made only in a dry version and is considered the finest Marsala. It is made from the best wines of the vintage and must be aged a minimum of five years in a barrel.

Dry Marsala is light amber with aromas and flavors of roasted nuts, cocoa, hints of tobacco, raisins, hazelnuts, and vanilla. Sweet Marsala is dark amber with aromas and flavors of nuts and honey, with cream, cocoa, tobacco, dates, hazelnuts, apricots, licorice, and vanilla and is an excellent apéritif served chilled from the refrigerator while sweet Marsala is excellent after dinner, served at room temperature.

Cheeses to pair with dry Marsala include Asiago, Camembert, Cheddar, Parmigiano-Reggiano, and Provolone. Pair sweet Marsala with Blue Cheeses, Cantal, Gruyère, Havarti, and Monterey Jack.

Marsala usually comes in screw top bottles so they can be stored upright. There is no reason to age Marsala because it has been aged before bottling. Once opened it should be refrigerated, which will extend its shelf life to about six weeks.

When making recipes that call for Marsala, use imported brands for they are superior in quality. Dry Marsala is best to use for cooking, for it imparts a nutty-tangy flavor without a heavy sweetness. Cooking with equal parts of dry and sweet Marsala adds an extra dimension in taste. If using as an ingredient in desserts, then use the sweet style.

Bob Lipinski is the author of 10 books, including “101: Everything You Need To Know About Whiskey” and “Italian Wine & Cheese Made Simple” (available on Amazon.com). He consults and conducts training seminars on Wine, Spirits, and Food and is available for speaking engagements. He can be reached at www.boblipinski.com OR [email protected].

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Alentejo. Pixabay photo
Alentejo. Pixabay photo
Alentejo. Pixabay photo

By Bob Lipinski

Bob Lipinski

Alentejo is a grape-growing region south of the River Tagus and southeast of Lisbon in southern Portugal. This extensive region is not only famous for its wines but also plantations of cork oak trees. The most productive cork tree in the world is the Whistler Tree in Alentejo, producing corks since 1820. It is named for the countless songbirds that occupy its dense branches. This tree can supply material for 100,000 wine corks in a single harvest. As a comparison, the average cork oak tree produces material for 4,000 corks.

Alentejo has around 51,000-acres of vineyards producing red, white, rosé, sparkling and licoroso (sweet fortified) wines. Red grapes include Alfrocheiro, Alicante Bouchet, Aragonez (Tempranillo), Cabernet Sauvignon, Castelão, Syrah, Touriga Nacional, and Trincadeira. Red wine production exceeds that of white, and Trincadeira is the region’s most prominent grape. White grapes include Antão Vaz, Arinto (Pedernã), Fernão Pires (Maria Gomes), Manteúdo, Perrum, Rabo de Ovelha, Síria (Roupeiro), and Tamarez.

Portugal produces many cheeses, some from sheep’s, cow’s or even goat’s milk depending on where they are produced. Three popular cheeses (made from sheep’s milk) from Alentejo are Évora, Nisa, and Serpa.

Some recommended wines from Alentejo to enjoy with bites of these cheeses are:

2020 Casa Relvas Herdade de São Miguel Rosé: A blend of Touriga Nacional, Aragonez, and Syrah grapes. Salmon-colored with an aroma of fresh flowers, tropical fruit, and banana. Flavor of berries, honey, and citrus with a lingering aftertaste. Serve with Caesar salad and grilled chicken.

2019 Herdade do Rocim “Amphora” Tinto: A blend of Moreto, Tinta Grossa, Trincadeira, and Aragonez grapes. Black cherry-colored with a bouquet of berries- blackberry and raspberry. Medium-bodied with flavors of caramel, coffee, licorice, and plums. Pair with chicken cooked in a sweet fruit sauce.

2018 EA Red Blend “Cartuxa”: A blend of Aragonez, Trincadeira, Alicante Bouschet, and Syrah grapes. Deep-colored with a bouquet brimming with spicy blueberries and chocolate. Flavors of red fruits, raisins, and dried black plums. Pleasant, slightly bitter aftertaste. Try with grilled vegetables and portobello mushrooms.

2018 Monsaraz Reserva: A blend of Alicante Bouschet, Trincadeira, and Touriga Nacional grapes. Garnet-colored with an aromatic bouquet of black cherry and raspberries. Full-bodied and dry with flavors of plums, blackberries, and black tea. A must for veal scaloppine sautéed in a mushroom sauce.

Bob Lipinski is the author of 10 books, including “101: Everything You Need To Know About Whiskey” and “Italian Wine & Cheese Made Simple” (available on Amazon.com). He consults and conducts training seminars on Wine, Spirits, and Food and is available for speaking engagements. He can be reached at www.boblipinski.com OR [email protected].

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Photo from Unsplash

By Bob Lipinski

Bob Lipinski

Summer is upon us in full force. The surf and sun beckon while lazy days lounging poolside or swinging in a hammock entice us away from daily chores. Seeking relief from those hot summer days can indeed be a tedious, tiresome task. Chilled wines not only add enjoyment and lift to your step but are refreshing as well.

Now, while grilling steaks or rings of sausage, I’m looking for plenty of water or beer to quench my thirst. Although there’s nothing like a chilled glass of wine, it’s best when it’s dry with little or no oak. The rule of “drinking red wine at room temperature” may work inside a cave, but not when it’s 90-plus degrees outside and around 500 degrees next to my grill. That sure isn’t room temperature to me! At those times I sometimes quench my thirst with red wine served over ice with chilled seltzer. Sacrilegious, heresy you say!

Now, forget Bordeaux, California Cabernet Sauvignon, and Italian Barolo… they’re best for cooler outdoor weather. Young, fresh, light-bodied red wines (see below) taste better when chilled, no matter whether it’s summer or winter. So, take a large glass and fill with ice, then fill three-quarters with one of those fruity reds, add seltzer, and an optional twist of lemon or lime.

Here are some of my hot weather favorites:

2018 Château de la Maltroye “Chassagne-Montrachet,” Burgundy, France. Straw yellow with a fruity bouquet and flavor of citrus, apples, pineapple, and smoky oak. Dry and clean tasting with a minerally finish. Pair with crab cakes dusted with some Old Bay.

2020 Ron Rubin “Pam’s Unoaked” Chardonnay, California. It’s a screwcap with a handwritten label. Aroma and flavor of coconut, pears, and apples. Easy to drink with just a hint of sweetness. Served well chilled with roasted chicken stuffed with plenty of fresh herbs.

2018 Ron Rubin Pinot Noir “Russian River Valley,” Sonoma, California. Cherry colored with flavors of cranberries, spices, vanilla, and plums. Good finish and long aftertaste. A dish of lasagna with sun-dried tomatoes would pair well.

2019 Melini “Chianti” Borghi d’Elsa, Tuscany, Italy. Dry and full-flavored with an elegant taste of blackberries, hazelnuts, plums, and licorice. Grilled spicy sausage with bitter greens works for me.

Other recommended wines are (white) Albariño, Arneis, Chenin Blanc, Gewürztraminer, Moschofilero, Pinot Grigio, Riesling, Torrontés, Vermentino, and Viognier. (Reds) Bardolino, Beaujolais, Côtes du Rhône, Shiraz, and Montepulciano d’Abruzzo.

Just remember … don’t overchill the wine or it will become “numb” in taste. Keep an ice-bucket filled with ice and water for a quick chill.

Bob Lipinski is the author of 10 books, including “101: Everything You Need To Know About Whiskey” and “Italian Wine & Cheese Made Simple” (available on Amazon.com). He consults and conducts training seminars on Wine, Spirits, and Food and is available for speaking engagements. He can be reached at www.boblipinski.com OR [email protected].

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METRO photo

By Bob Lipinski

Bob Lipinski

When I’m out enjoying a meal, whether it’s breakfast, lunch, dinner, or just a few cocktails, I expect to be pampered; after all, I am spending my money, right? The flip side of this expectation is when service falls short, a meal can become memorable for the wrong reasons. Here are some restaurant situations that pushed my patience to its limit. Some of them may sound familiar…

I was recently in a restaurant when the server said, “Would you like to see a menu?” “No,” I replied, “I’ll just start naming foods and you let me know if the chef can prepare them.”

Don’t hand me a menu containing five pages, then come back two minutes later and inquire if I’ve decided. And can someone please tell whoever writes food menus that not every one of us can read some fancy calligraphy or script type in a dark restaurant (even with glasses)!

How about the “auctioneer” meal delivery system: “Who gets the pork chop at this table?” Or when, after putting down the main course, the server immediately pulls out a giant pepper mill and asks, “Do you want pepper on it?” “I don’t know,” I like to reply, “I haven’t tasted it.” One time I even said, “Are you telling me the chef didn’t properly season the food in the kitchen?”

METRO photo

You would think managers would notice that a particular table or chair “rocks.” Don’t sneak under the table with a package of sugar or matchbook to balance my table. Practice your mechanics on your own time. Do restaurateurs buy the tables that way? Are they cheaper?

Will someone please instruct servers how to pour water into glasses without ice cubes tumbling all over my glass, shirtsleeve, or tablecloth?

Don’t ask if everything was okay after I’ve finished my dinner; come while I’m eating. And definitely do not present the check while I’m still eating.

Why are sugar and NutraSweet left on the table from appetizer through dessert; do restaurateurs believe I might like some in my soup?

I constantly hear about the “food specials” of the day or even of the week. But about the wine specials … don’t restaurants want to sell more wine?

Why can’t servers present the wine list at the same time they present the food menu; doesn’t the restaurant want to sell wine? I’m often asked, “Would you like something to drink?” I probably do, so what do you have?

So, there you have it … I like to complain, don’t you?

Bob Lipinski is the author of 10 books, including “101: Everything You Need To Know About Whiskey” and “Italian Wine & Cheese Made Simple” (available on Amazon.com). He consults and conducts training seminars on Wine, Spirits, and Food and is available for speaking engagements. He can be reached at www.boblipinski.com OR [email protected].

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Pixabay photo

By Bob Lipinski

Bob Lipinski

Rosé wines are made in every grape-growing region of the world from a multitude of different red grapes. There is no “true” rosé wine color … there are thousands of red grapes, and each yields a slightly or dramatically different color when fermented. Rosé wines range in color from pale orange or pink to light or even deep garnet. Tastes vary from crisp and dry, flowery, floral, and fruity, and even sweet. 

Most rosé wines are light-bodied, but some are medium-bodied with considerable flavor, tannin, and texture. Because of their lightness and mildness of taste, they can be served chilled and drunk young.

Rosé wines are usually made by allowing the skins of red grapes to come in contact with the juice for a brief time until the desired color is attained. Lesser used methods blend red and white grapes, or by blending red and white wines.

Rosé wines are great in warm or hot weather, indispensable in wine spritzers, can be served over ice, are an excellent alternative to White Zinfandel and are perfect with fresh fruits and cheese.

In today’s market, some of the best rosé wines are made in the sun-drenched region of Provence, in southern France, but other countries, especially Spain, Portugal, and Italy are making excellent rosé wines. There are many styles of rosé made in the US, especially in California, Oregon, Washington State, and New York.

Recently I tasted a few rosé wines made from different grapes and in various countries. My comments follow:

2020 Domaine Bousquet “Pinot Noir Rosé,” from Mendoza, Argentina. Made with organic grapes; it is salmon colored with a fresh, yet subtle bouquet of red berries… cranberry, raspberry, and strawberry. Flavor of peaches and a refreshingly crisp, tart-berry aftertaste.

2019 Marqués de Cáceres Rosé, Rioja, Spain. Blend of Tempranillo and Grenache grapes. Pale coral color with a bouquet of berries, peach, and licorice. Flavors of apple, citrus, and watermelon with a long aftertaste.

2020 Santi Infinito Bardolino Rosé, Veneto, Italy. Blend of Corvina, Rondinella, and Molinara grapes. A floral bouquet of watermelon, citrus, and candy apple. Flavors of red currants, strawberries, and wild spicy cherries.

2018 Château Mont-Redon “Côtes du Rhône” Rosé, Rhône Valley, France. Blend of Grenache and Syrah grapes. Perfumed aroma of a fruit salad, wild berries, and melon. Light-bodied with raspberry and strawberry flavors and a zesty aftertaste.

Bob Lipinski is the author of 10 books, including “101: Everything You Need To Know About Whiskey” and “Italian Wine & Cheese Made Simple” (available on Amazon.com). He consults and conducts training seminars on Wine, Spirits, and Food and is available for speaking engagements. He can be reached at www.boblipinski.com OR [email protected].

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Pixabay photo

By Bob Lipinski

Bob Lipinski

There are few greater aromas in the world than the smell of bacon sizzling in a frying pan. In fact, bacon’s mystical “sizzling sound” is reminiscent of the pattering of rain striking the ground.

Bacon in one form or another is made throughout the world in a multitude of forms, styles, flavors, and names. Bacon refers to cured pork from the belly, back or side of a hog. American bacon is mostly cured pork belly that’s salted, cold smoked, and cooked before eating.

Besides pork, you can find chicken, duck, and turkey bacon. We are all familiar with the salty, thin pink strips of streaky fat bacon we buy in supermarkets. But there is also Canadian bacon (back bacon), Irish bacon, rashers (British bacon), Asian bacon, and even vegan bacon. Let’s add to the list guanciale and pancetta from Italy.

Flavors of bacon include apple smoked, pepper-coated, maple syrup, honey, jalapeño, barbecued, Cajun, apple cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, dill pickle, and even chocolate!

To help guide your wine choice, the bacon being paired is American-made, smoked, regular thin cut, cooked medium to slightly crispy, leaving some fat behind for added texture and flavor.

Now, if you like to wrap your foods with bacon; scallops, filet of beef, chicken drumsticks, corn on the cob, asparagus, dates, or even hot dogs, other wines can be served with it.

Bacon, although a white meat (pork), has immense rich, chewy, and hearty flavors that are reminiscent of red meat. Bacon is the best of both worlds; it can pair with red and white wine, and even chilled rosés.

Words such as “bacon,” “bacon fat” or “smoked meats” are descriptors for certain red wines (Mourvèdre and Syrah) especially from the Rhône Valley of France. Other red wines that often display the bacon smell are Pinotage (South Africa), Schiava Grossa (Italy), and Shiraz (Australia and South Africa).

Bacon’s salt and fat components pair well with dry sparkling wines and those fruity wines (red and white) with fairly high acidity. Two often overlooked wines that pair well are chilled rosé and white Zinfandel.

Other wines that pair with bacon are (whites) Chenin Blanc, Gewürztraminer, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, Riesling, Scheurebe, and Sylvaner. Red wines are Barbera, Beaujolais (Gamay), Lambrusco, and Pinot Noir.

For vodka lovers, there is a bacon-flavored vodka and an interesting beer from Franken, Germany known as Rauchbier, which has a smoky, bacon-like aroma and flavor.

In closing, there is no such thing as too much bacon and everything does tastes better with bacon.

Bob Lipinski is the author of 10 books, including “101: Everything You Need To Know About Whiskey” and “Italian Wine & Cheese Made Simple” (available on Amazon.com). He consults and conducts training seminars on Wine, Spirits, and Food and is available for speaking engagements. He can be reached at www.boblipinski.com OR [email protected].

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Malbec grapes. Stock photo

By Bob Lipinski

Bob Lipinski

Originally a Bordeaux grape variety, Malbec has not only found a second home in Argentina but has become its most sought-after red wine. Malbec was brought to Argentina in 1868 by French agronomist Michel Pouget, while phylloxera, a grapevine root-eating parasite, was devastating vineyards throughout Europe. Today, Argentina has over 110,000-acres planted to Malbec grapes, much more than any country in the world.

Malbec is a thick-skinned, low acid red grape variety introduced into the Gironde district of Bordeaux, France from Cahors in the southwest, at the end of the eighteenth century by M. Malbeck, supposedly a doctor. It has been determined through DNA analysis that the Malbec grape is a cross between Prunelard and Magdeleine Noire des Charentes. Malbec is also known in France as Cot (in Cahors and the Loire Valley) and Pressac (in Saint-Émilion), along with over 15 other synonyms.

Throughout France, Malbec is often blended with Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, or Merlot, whereas in Argentina, the U.S. and other countries, Malbec is generally made into a “varietal wine.” Its medium-size berries and thick skins provide considerable body and tannin to wine. The wines are deeply colored with flavors of blackberries, mulberry, plums, chocolate, coffee, cinnamon, black licorice, and leather. The best come from high elevations in Uco Valley in the region of Mendoza (central western), the Salta province in the north, and Patagonia in the south.

Most Malbec are aged in oak barrels for varying amounts of time, depending on the vintage and decision of winemaker.

Malbec is great by the glass and especially during dinner. Argentinians are famous steak eaters and according to a 2018 survey, ranks third in per capita consumption behind the United States and Uruguay. Malbec is their “go-to” wine for steaks, which also pairs well with veal chops, roast duck, tomato-sauce pasta and spicy foods from India and Thailand.

Malbec has so many flavors and aromas that it’s easy to pair with various foods and cheeses. Malbec is wonderful with Asiago, Cantal, Edam, and Gouda cheese. However, it excels with its native cheese, Reggianito, which was invented by Italian immigrants who arrived in the country after World War I. They wanted to make something that would remind them of their native Parmigiano Reggiano. Reggianito is a hard and salty cow’s milk cheese suitable for grating, like Parmigiano-Reggiano.

Some brands of Malbec to look for are Achával Ferrer, Astica, Bodega Norton, Catena, Colomé, Domaine Bousquet, Doña Paula, El Esteco, Finca Flichman, Kaiken, Luigi Bosca, Michel Torino, Rutini, Salentein, Trapiche, Viñalba, Zapata, Zolo, and Zuccardi.

Bob Lipinski is the author of 10 books, including “101: Everything You Need To Know About Whiskey” and “Italian Wine & Cheese Made Simple” (available on Amazon.com). He conducts training seminars on Wine, Spirits, and Food and is available for speaking engagements. He can be reached at www.boblipinski.com OR [email protected].

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Photo from Pixabay

By Bob Lipinski

Bob Lipinski

Over the years there have been many myths and misconceptions about alcoholic beverages that have been carried from one generation to the next. Some are based on fiction, or false or mistaken beliefs that have never been debunked. 

Some popular myths are:

Myth: Prohibition (1920-1933) “prohibited” drinking alcoholic beverages.

Fact: Prohibition forbid the manufacture, sale, transportation, importation, and exportation of alcoholic beverages. It did not prohibit drinking alcoholic beverages.

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Myth: “London Dry Gin” is a dry gin made in London, England.

Fact: It is a generic name for gin lacking sweetness first made in the early 1830s. London dry gins, originally produced only in or near London, are now produced all over the world with the term having little meaning.

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Myth: Tequila is made from cactus.

Fact: Tequila is made from agave, a plant having stiff, often-spiny leaves, and prickly, needle-like thorns, resembling cactus.

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Myth: Tequila has a worm in the bottle.

Fact: The worm is not found in bottles of tequila, only in some bottles of mezcal; a marketing gimmick dating to the 1940s.

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Myth: All the whiskey in a bottle of 12-year-old Scotch whisky is 12 years old.

Fact: The age stated on the label of a bottle of Scotch whisky identifies the age of the youngest Scotch in the blend.

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Myth: The longer a whiskey ages in a bottle, the better or smoother it becomes.

Fact: Aging only takes place in wooden barrels; when removed, the product ceases to age or improve. A bottle of 15-year-old Scotch whisky purchased 10 years ago, is still 15 years old.

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Myth: The quality of whiskey can be determined by its color. The darker the color, the richer tasting the spirit.

Fact: Some whiskies are light amber or brown colored, while others have a rich mahogany color because of aging or by adding caramel coloring.

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Myth: Sour mash is a type of whiskey from Tennessee.

Fact: It is a distillers’ term for a fermentation process used to make Bourbon and Tennessee Whiskey and not a type of whiskey. Whiskies made by this process are not sour.

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Myth: Bourbon whiskey can only be made in Kentucky.

Fact: Bourbon can be made anywhere in the United States and its territories.

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Myth: Martinis should be stirred, not shaken, which will bruise the vodka.

Fact: Vodka is a very stable distilled spirit and shaking it will not “bruise” it.

Bob Lipinski is the author of 10 books, including “101: Everything You Need To Know About Whiskey” and “Italian Wine & Cheese Made Simple” (available on Amazon.com). He conducts training seminars on Wine, Spirits, and Food and is available for speaking engagements. He can be reached at www.boblipinski.com OR [email protected].

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Photo from Pixabay

By Bob Lipinski

Bob Lipinski

Historically, liqueur is derived from the Latin word liquefacere and means to dissolve or melt, a fitting term since the process of making liqueurs involves dissolving selected ingredients in a distilled spirit. The term cordial is derived from the Latin word cor or cordis, meaning heart, and was formerly used only for those liqueurs that were thought to have a tonic or stimulating quality because of the medicinal components of their flavorings.

Liqueur and cordial are recognized globally as interchangeable terms for the same product. In the U.S. they are always mentioned together in federal and state laws and regulations. Although liqueur is generally accepted as the European name and cordial as the American, there are many exceptions. For brevity, liqueur will be used in place of the redundant term cordial.

A liqueur is an alcoholic beverage made by mixing or redistilling any type of spirits with herbs, seeds, barks, roots, plants, fruit, flowers, fruit stones, peels, juices, or other natural flavoring materials, and containing not less than 2.5 percent sugar. Most liqueurs contain large percentages (up to 35 percent) of a sweetening agent. There is no minimum or maximum alcohol level mandated by federal regulations; most liqueurs are between 34 to 60-proof, while others are as high as 100 or more proof.

All liqueurs are initially colorless; harmless artificial (and natural) colorants are added, along with sugar, before bottling.

Crème is a French term applied to liqueurs, which refers to sweetness and not to dairy creams. Supposedly, the word crème comes from crème de la crème or “the best.” Crème describes most liqueurs made from one primary flavor. Some examples are Crème de Cacao and Crème de Menthe.

Cream liqueurs are mixtures of dairy cream and whiskey, rum, brandy, or neutral spirits (mostly from Ireland and Scotland, among many countries), usually beige-colored with an alcohol content between 17 and 20 percent. These are best enjoyed chilled from the refrigerator or over ice. After opening, they should be refrigerated and consumed within six months.

Frappe
Photo from Pixabay

Liqueurs can be served at room temperature, chilled from the refrigerator or over ice. A liqueur poured over crushed or shaved ice is called a frappé. Liqueurs are also suitable as “long drinks” (with seltzer) and in cocktails and can be used in cooking. Glasses used for liqueurs should contain 4 to 6 ounces.

Most liqueurs are served after dinner because of their high sugar levels. Liqueurs are also natural digestives because they contain many bitter botanicals.

Bob Lipinski is the author of 10 books, including “101: Everything You Need To Know About Whiskey” and “Italian Wine & Cheese Made Simple” (available on Amazon.com). He conducts training seminars on Wine, Spirits, and Food and is available for speaking engagements. He can be reached at www.boblipinski.com OR [email protected].

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