The culture of drinking any alcoholic drink has evolved over decades. Traditions were not born from scratch, most of them are dictated by the properties of a particular alcohol and are designed to give the opportunity to get maximum pleasure from exploring it. Liqueurs are no exception. This category of alcohol is the most diverse to taste drinks, and the subtleties of their use may be different. However, there are general rules, like drinking liquor, which should be known to everyone who does not lead an absolutely sober lifestyle.
Varieties of liquors
Liqueurs differ in strength, preparation technology and ingredients taken as a basis. Typically, liqueurs are divided into the following groups:
- herbal, which include balsams and tinctures, such as “Becherovka”, “Jägermeister”, “Riga Balsam”. These tinctures have a bittersweet taste, they are often called bitter liqueurs;
- fruit and berries, which are also called “ladies' men”, as women often give them preference;
- sweet (coffee, chocolate, creamy, egg), which include “Beyliz”, “Sheridan”, “Mozart”, “Lawyer”.
Cream and egg liqueurs are also called emulsion liqueurs.
Liqueurs can be made on the basis of alcohol, whiskey, brandy and other strong alcoholic beverages, which also affects the characteristics of their use.
General rules
Whatever the category of liquor, it is subject to the general rules of drinking and serving drinks to the table in this category.
- They drink liquors from special glasses, which resemble miniature ice-cream bowls with low legs. The volume of liqueur glasses varies from 25 to 60 ml.
- They serve liqueurs as an aperitif or digestif. The exception is sweet liqueurs, which are not served before meals, so as not to interrupt the appetite, but are offered only after dinner. Strong liqueurs are sometimes allowed to be served during dinner itself.
- Most liquors are recommended to be served chilled to 12-20 degrees, that is, the temperature is slightly cooler than room temperature. However, there are exceptions. For example, “Limoncello” and “Jägermeister” are served icy, “Becherovka” - cooled to 5-7 degrees, and sambuca is set on fire.
- Liqueurs are most often drunk in one gulp, but some of them are allowed to drink in small sips, savoring the drink.
Many liqueurs can be served without a snack, but this does not mean that you cannot offer it to guests.
How to bite liquor
The choice of snacks most often depends on the type of liquor:
- Citrus fruits are well suited to herbal balsams.
- It is advisable to offer fruits and berries to fruit liqueurs.
- Sweet pastries (cakes, pastries, cookies) are suitable for cream liqueurs.
Any of the liqueurs can be eaten:
- ice cream;
- nuts;
- candied fruit;
- dried fruit.
Some varieties of liqueurs provide special types of snacks to them. “Jägermeister” is served with grilled sausages, sambuca - with coffee beans, and “Beyliz” with chocolate.
Methods of use
4 ways of the use of liqueurs are generally recognized:
- In pure form. The exceptions are Cointreau, which is never drunk in its pure form, and Advocate, which is rarely served in its pure form. In the latter case, be sure to put a coffee spoon next, because it is impossible to drink such a thick cocktail - just eat it.
- Diluted with water, ice or soft drinks (milk, juice, soda). Any liquor can be diluted with water, but the choice of ingredients such as milk or juice should be handled with care. If you dilute the emulsion liqueur with sour juice, the consequences may not be the most pleasant.
- Diluted alcoholic drink. The liqueur will not become less strong from alcohol cultivation, but its taste will be less pronounced. This way of drinking liquor is often chosen by those who do not like too sweet drinks. For dilution choose the drink that was used to make liquor. “Beyliz” and “Sheridan” diluted whiskey, “Lawyer” - brandy.
- As part of cocktails. This way to drink liquor is the most common. Every third alcoholic cocktail is prepared using one or another liqueur, and sometimes several of its varieties.
Knowing the compatibility of the ingredients, you can try to create a cocktail recipe based on your favorite liquor yourself, but it’s safer to use one of the already well-known and well-established options.
Cocktail “The Godfather”
Composition:
- Scotch whiskey - 35 ml;
- Liquor “Amaretto” - 35 ml;
- ice cubes - to taste.
Method of preparation:
- Put ice cubes on the bottom of the cocktail glass.
- In a shaker, shake up alcoholic beverages, pour into a glass with ice.
A cocktail is served after the walls of the glass are steaming.
Long Island Cocktail
Composition:
- vodka - 20 ml;
- golden rum - 20 ml;
- gin - 20 ml;
- silver tequila - 20 ml;
- orange liqueur (“Cointreau” or “Triple-sec”) - 20 ml;
- lemon juice - 20 ml;
- Coca-Cola - 100 ml;
- ice cubes - 150 g.
Method of preparation:
- Fill a tall glass with ice cubes.
- Pour into a glass of drinks, observing the following sequence: gin, vodka, rum, tequila, lemon juice, cola.
- Stir with a straw.
Drink served with a straw. The glass is decorated with a round slice of lemon.
Garibaldi Cocktail
Composition:
- Campari liqueur - 50 ml;
- orange juice - 150 ml;
- orange peel (spiral) - for decoration;
- ice cubes - 0, 2 kg.
Method of preparation:
- Fill the highball to the top with cubes of flax.
- Pour in liquor.
- Add orange juice.
- Stir with a bar spoon.
It remains to insert a straw, decorate a glass of orange peel - and you can serve.
Black Widow Cocktail
Composition:
- strawberry liqueur - 15 ml;
- black sambuca - 15 ml;
- cream - 15 ml.
Method of preparation:
- Pour strawberry liqueur into a clear glass or a liqueur glass.
- Be careful not to mix the layers, pour the sambuca on top.
- Lay the cream in the third layer. Before that, they are not forbidden to beat.
The name of the drink received by the name of one of the most dangerous species in the world of spiders.
Cocktail “Love Elixir”
Composition:
- lemon carbonated drink (Sprite or equivalent) - 15 ml;
- cherry liqueur - 20 ml;
- peppermint liquor - 20 ml;
- cranberry juice - 30 ml;
- crushed ice - to taste.
Method of preparation:
- Place the drinks in a shaker along with an ice crumb.
- Shake for a minute.
- Strain, pour into a cocktail glass.
Cocktail cherries are used to decorate the drink.
Voodoo Cocktail
Composition:
- ice cream - 100 g;
- sambuca - 15 ml;
- melon liqueur - 15 ml;
- strawberry liqueur - 15 ml.
Method of preparation:
- Sundae give a little to melt, put it in the bowl of the blender.
- Pour all three types of alcoholic beverages on ice cream.
- Beat the ingredients until smooth.
- Pour into a cylindrical glass.
Drink a cocktail prepared according to this recipe through a straw.
In the world there is a huge amount of liqueurs, and they all have different organoleptic qualities. With all the differences, these alcoholic beverages have common rules of consumption. You can drink them in pure form or diluted. Often liqueurs are used to make alcoholic cocktails.
