CORDIALS & LIQUEURS - Essentials in Cocktails & Bartending

Cordials & Liqueurs are an essential part of every bartender’s repertoire of knowledge. Without these “secondary” flavoring agents many, if not all popular cocktails couldn’t be prepared. Often the terms are used interchangeably, but there is a marked difference.

This course overviews:

Origins

Production Methods

Classifications

Vermouth

Amari

Pastis & Absinthe

How to Serve Pastis & Absinthe

How to Make Tinctures

Cream vs Crème

Popular Brands

Flavor & Aroma Characteristics

Cocktails

The Ouzo Effect

Apéritifs & Digestifs

In the alcohol industry, terms like Liqueurs, Cordials, Schnapps, Anise, and Bitters are commonly heard. A common characteristic of all such spirits is associated with the flavors they have. Fruits, herbs, spices and several other plant materials are mixed with base spirits and the final products are obtained by infusion, maceration or distillation.

In the U.S., cordials and liqueurs are placed in the same category because of similar product specifications, although in many other countries a clear distinction exists. These spirits are flavored, sweetened and colored by different manufacturers in a way to lend distinctiveness to the spirits in branding them. In this section we'll learn about the various types.

One type of beverage is served before a meal and the other is served after. Which is which? Here we'll define the two and also give specific recommendations of various alcohols that are best served before or after a meal.

CRÈMES and CREAMS are not the same thing. It's all about the sugar. In this lecture, we'll review what separates and defines these two types of alcohol.

Lots of people have heard of Absinthe, but probably not as any have heard of Pastis. Though they are very similar and can be confused. In this section, we'll discuss their history, flavors and what defines them both.

Vermouth is what goes in a martini...right? Not many people know what vermouth is or what its used for. Here we'll discuss the 5 different styles, flavors, and what cocktails to create with each style.

Amaro? Amari? What is it? In Italian, Amaro means bitter. The plural form of the word  is Amari. Here we'll review what they are, some popular brands and their flavors.

Bitters can be served by the glass or the drop. In this section we'll explain the difference and how you can make the "by the drop" kind of flavored tincture or bitter of your own!

A good cordial or liqueur will reflect the mastery of its producer. First, the base spirit has to be selected and then depending on the compatibility, the decision is made on the suitable flavoring. The essential feature of any production method is the extraction of flavors from fruits, flowers, herbs, seeds and other botanicals. Here we'll review the different production methods.

Recipes are numerous. So are liqueurs. In this lecture we'll discuss the recipes of some popular liqueurs and the history behind each cocktail.

Alcohol that changes color? Yep! Its called the Ouzo effect. And here you'll learn about it.

Not your typical alcohol, there are various ways to serve it besides alone or with ice. Here we'll review them. And for even more fun, we'll get to use fire!

Similar to Absinthe but not as involved. Here's a quick note on how to serve it.

Here we briefly discuss popular brands of liqueurs. flavors and some cocktails they are found in. There's too many alcohols to list them all, but we'll review over 60 of them here, for general knowledge and brand recognition.

Cordials & liqueurs can be as the king of flavor when it comes to alcohol. As they can be made from anything, there flavors vary more than any other type of alcohol. Here we'll discuss presentation styles and major categories of flavors. Some flavors maybe you didn't even know existed!

The history of cordials can be traced back to ancient Rome as the name is derived from the Latin word "cordialis". And they do have a history of being used medicinally as well. Some current recipes still being used date back to the 1500's! Here we'll review their origins.

If you're interested in what the government defines as a cordial or liqueur; here you can read the exact letter of the law.