Cordials and liqueurs may not always be the first image that springs to mind when thinking about the beverage alcohol business , but they ’ re a vital part of any bartender ’ s arsenal as a frequent ingredient of many popular cocktails . “ Cordial ” and “ liqueur ” are two different words for essentially the same thing — a sweetened , flavored liquor — except in the U . K ., where “ cordial ” can also refer to a sweetened , nonalcoholic drink .
Many cocktails call for cordial or liqueurs , and “ a lot of people are drinking out again , coming back out of the pandemic ,” says Johnny Swet , master mixologist and founding partner of Jimmy rooftop bar in New York .
“ Cordials and liqueurs definitely seem to be a necessity ,” says Robb Knarr , beverage director of Sorry Charlie ’ s Oyster Bar in Savannah , GA . “ I like to think of cocktails as categories , and there are whole categories that use cordials for their foundation .
Cocktail people are like chefs , Knarr adds : They ’ re always looking for new flavors . “ If you wanted a Margarita , one of the key ingredients is orange liqueur . You could use orange juice but it ’ s just not the same . They ’ re just of vital importance to capture that huge range of flavors .”
THE LOWDOWN According to Drizly , the online alcohol ordering and delivery service , “ Liqueurs start as a base spirit and then , the cream , spices , herbs or nuts are brought in with some more sugar or sweeteners to create the liqueur ’ s flavor profile . A few examples of a ‘ base spirit ’ are brandy , gin , rum , tequila , vodka and whiskey . The desired flavor profile of the liqueur will decide which base spirit to use and how to add flavoring .”
Cocktail people are like chefs ; they ’ re always looking for new flavors . If you wanted a Margarita , one of the key ingredients is orange liqueur . You could use orange juice but it ’ s just not the same . They ’ re just of vital importance to capture that huge range of flavors .
Robb Knarr , beverage director of Sorry Charlie ’ s bar in Savannah .
Flavorman , a beverage development company focusing on R & D in flavoring , workworks with companies that range from household names to start-ups . They are often asked to consult on creating new cordial flavors to bring to market .
“ Cordial and liqueurs are typically sweeter by legal definition ( must contain at least a 2.5 % combination of sugars by weight ); it is common that they require a heavy dose of flavor ,” explains Katie Clark , director of R & D at Flavorman . “ Further , these beverages normally will maximize the amount of flavoring at 2.5 % to take advantage of tax savings allowed by regulation .”
Because many of the ready-to-drink cocktails are classified as cordials , there is a balancing act to flavor these drinks in accordance with their sweetener levels , she says , “ as some contain lower levels of sugar and are carbonated . These attributes add to the taste perception , requiring much less flavor than their higher-sugar cousins .”
In general , Clark continues , “ consumers demand more complex and layered flavors in both lower-proof , less-sweet cordials , as well as the higher-proof , very sweet liqueurs . This combination to be flavor forward and multidimensional generates a fun and challenging opportunity in the beverage lab .”
This process begets an innovative category that is as prone to experimentation and innovation as bourbon or craft beer — perhaps even more so .
www . cheersonline . com Winter 2022 • 33