What's your favorite liqueur, and why is it Cointreau?

Funny I'm not him but in NC it's a staple for parties and shit

I don't really like liqueurs.

I really only like Cointreau as a digestif almost all others are either too sweet or just disgusting

>Cointreau
>Not super sweet by itself
It's great in margaritas and sidecars but drinking it neat is sort of gross.

It's pretty expensive for a mixer but on occasion if I'm feeling spendy I'll mix it with sprite or fanta, and it's the bomb

because it's whisky

campari

...

I like me some homemade liqueur, especially raspberry. It adds a nice edge to a mug of hot chocolate.

if you're talkin' about 'shine, "apple pie" is delicious

Nah, I just mean berries or whatever that have basically just stewed in vodka for awhile. Moonshine is just plain liquor, not liqueur.

>liquor, not liqueur.
i always get them mixed up

Canadian Club Whiskey

Mmmmm raspberry

That's a funny way to spell Van Der Hum

After trying a solid limoncello made by my cousin I've taken to making my own liqueurs.

> lemon
> blood orange
> lychee/rose
> blueberry
> raspberry/blackberry

It's pretty fun to fool around with making them.

>Implying there's any other correct answer

Fucking disgusting

>Liqueur where the only indicator of the contents are a brand name
How the fuck do you people put up with this? Do you just have money to blow on trying everything until you find the ones that aren't shit?
Interesting, how does that work?

fireball whisky and limoncello

> the only indicator of the contents are a brand name
I don't understand what you mean by this, could you elaborate?

Not him but he probably means that because most liqueurs and their specific taste are brand exclusive, but are also expensive, how do people go through/put the effort and money to find their favorite

is a good example of what I mean, probably. It's hard to be certain when I can't physically examine a bottle
>KWV VAN DER HUM
That's not a flavor
>Cape Dutch
I'm going to guess that's a place, so also not a flavor
So I have no way of having any sense of what it'll taste like unless I buy it. Maybe that one has a flavor on the back or something but I've definitely encountered liqueurs that don't
says orange, that's a clue, most limoncellos say lemon, or stick a lemon on the label
says Herb, which is still too vague for my liking but better than nothing, at least
Pretty much. I know they can't just give everyone a free taste but I don't think a hint regarding the flavor is too much to ask for

It's probably why I stick to one brand and don't deviate, because I have no other knowledge of a better brand and don't feel like wasting $40+ on something I might hate knowing I like one thing already

>I know they can't just give everyone a free taste but I don't think a hint regarding the flavor is too much to ask for
>overtones of paint thinner and charcoal, finishing on a light note of Vick's Vapo-Rub
>pairs well with orange juice and symptoms of depression

Van Der Hum has a tasting description on the back, so does Jägermeister (on some bottles, anyway). It helps if you know that 'herbal liqueur' has a general meaning in European countries, or that 'Triple Sec' is two distinct things, but you don't have to try the liqueur to find that out. Most liqueurs aren't going to have a precise assay on the back, but there are certainly indicators of their contents.

I mean even 'cherry brandy' still doesn't tell you how the liqueur actually tastes, does it?

That's fair, I try to be a bit more adventurous but it's hard
I don't think that's a liqueur
Yeah, not knowing what certain things mean is a bitch and mostly my fault, but some of them really don't have any clue but the brand name. Next time I go booze shopping I'll find a specific example to bitch about
> even 'cherry brandy' still doesn't tell you how the liqueur actually tastes, does it?
Well not completely, but it should taste a little like cherry, a little like brandy, and possibly some other stuff.
I'll take that level of detail over just brand name and alcohol content any day

So, out of interest, would you consider Orgeat or Chambord to be in the category of mystery drinks? They are well-established, but the name doesn't indicate contents (and, indeed, Orgeat is misleading since it doesn't have barley in it). Is the issue specifically with impulse-buying new liqueurs rather than choosing to go out and buy something different?

Assuming your descriptions are accurate I would
I guess what I do counts as impulse buying, I never really intend on getting booze before I head out.
Okay, new plan
>Look up liqueurs in general
>Compile a list of things that sound good
>Bring list to store and cross reference with their stock
>Buy something
Still seems kind of shitty but I guess I won't get blindsided
Of note, Orgeat isn't on wiki's list of liqueurs, so I guess I still might be stuck from time to time

I love the smell of this shit

Orgeat is a flavourant syrup, its alcohol content is either zero, or very low, so it's probably not on Wikipedia's list of liqueurs, in the same way Peychaud's woudn't be on there, even though it's a key mixer.

New question, how do you drink liqueurs and what do you like?

Ah! That makes sense. I don't know shit about mixing, nor am I inclined to suspect I have the money to spend on anything that costs itself appropriately for the local liquor stores and doesn't actually contain alcohol (there's a government monopoly here so prices are shit)
>how do you drink liqueurs?
Straight, chased with whatever's handy. Mango nectar is really good for chasing, I find, if a bit more expensive than most juices
>What do you like
So far I've mostly been trying the higher % stuff since it's usually cheaper per alcohol volume. Of that, Limoncello is tolerable, Fireball would be nice if it wasn't so damn spicy but I'm sure that's what's masking the alcohol, and Krupnik inexplicably tastes like overripe bananas, so Limoncello's my favorite so far

>Cheaper per alcohol volume

There's problem. Liqueurs are not a way to get buzzed, they are super-expensive per unit alcohol, regardless. If you are looking to enjoy the alcohol content I suggest you look at fortified wines, rather than liqueurs.

Broadly, liqueurs are one of three things:
Aperitifs/Digestifs - Drunk neat or mixed, before/after a meal. Most herbal liqueurs are digestifs, and include herbs thought to stimulate digestion, most citrus liqueurs are aperitifs.
Creme liqueurs - Super-sweet liqueur almost exclusively used as a flavourant. Sometimes used as a substitute for dessert wines. Not to be confused with 'crean liqueurs' which contain cream and tend to be quite strong, they are usually sipping liqueurs, though the sweeter ones might be used like a creme.
Sipping Liqueurs - Does what it says; they are intended to be drunk sip by sip over a period of time, outside of a meal.

Most liqueurs are used in some cocktail or other, and may be used in more than one capacity in different cocktails. They're really not intended to just be necked.

>they are super-expensive per unit alcohol
Around here Limoncello is 10% more expensive than cheap 40% vodka on a per-alcohol basis, and most of the liqueurs around the same % are about the same price per, unless there's some fancy brand involved
Still neat to hear about how other parts of the world handle things
Never heard of fortified wine until now, sounds interesting
It's crazy that all this though is put into liquor and the only place I've heard any of it is on a singaporean mural forum
This is definitely another thing I'd appreciate seeing on the labels but I must be in the minority else it'd already be on there
Yeah, still haven't branched into cocktails yet. I should at some point
That might explain why I'm having so much trouble finding one to drink straight, but I think I'll still take the Limoncello over vodka

Is bloody delicious after a meal or 1:1 in ristretto but also makes a great ice cream.
I make a couple myself, favourites are lychee, pomelo, and plum

Oh and a good fernet is always welcome

So I picked up some brennivin without knowing what it was. A friend vacationing in Norway told me to try Aquavit, and I fucked up from there.

Any input? Supposedly it's like rat poison you drink to avoid the taste of rotten shark.

It looks as if it is a vodka like spirit that is a little spicy

>brennivin
yeah that shit is fucking disgusting gl homie. Only time I had it was while on vacation in Reykjavik after the "Fishermans' dinner" which included shark, smoked whale and smoked puffin.

>for me
For me it's the McChicken

Yeah it's absolutely awful.

Tastes like some fucked up unsweetened mixture of rye bread, dill, and licorice.

Probably great at masking the taste of rotten shark though.

FERNET BRANCA
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I'm not sure if this is the correct way to do it, but for the blood orange and lemon ones I'm making I'll infuse the zest with everclear and freeze the juice and leftover flesh/rind separately.

After 45 days I sieve the everclear and combine with juice while I make a syrup simmering water and sugar with the flesh/rind. I combine the syrup with the liquid and let it sit for another 45 days, and if I'm feeling froggy, infuse it with another round of zest.

Sieve again and the 2nd zest can be used for a new batch.

>people posting amaros

the real answer is creme de mure, bramble is the goat cocktail

Not a liqueur. It's basically oak+caraway flavored vodka. Good stuff if you like caraway.

>amaros
The plural is amari. Now take your fruity training wheels off and take a ride on the bitter side.

I've only blacked out once in my life and it was drinking Fernet.