Cordials and Liqueurs of the World

These sweet spirits know it's always best to be cordial.

Lower in alcohol than straight spirits, these tasty tipples are sweetened spirits infused with fruits, flowers, herbs, nuts, and/or spices--sometimes even bark, roots, and leaves.

The word "liqueur" comes from the Latin Liquefacere, which means the process of dissolving something in liquid. Cordial, on the other hand, comes from the Latin word for heart, cor. Whether you call it cordial or liqueur, both words describe the same thing: an alcoholic beverage in which spirits have been steeped, percolated, brewed, or macerated with some kind of flavor-giving substance like fruits, herbs, and flowers, and then sweetened. Some people more narrowly define a cordial as a liqueur made specifically from fruit or fruit juice.

Here are some classic liqueurs and their main flavor-infusing ingredients. Some are centuries old and made from top-secret formulas.

Amaretto: Almond

Bailey's Irish Cream: Whiskey/cream

Benedictine: Honey/citrus/herbs

Chambord: Black raspberry

Crème de Cacao: Chocolate

Crème de Cassis: Currant

Crème de Menthe: Mint

Curacao: Bitter orange

Cointreau: Sour and sweet oranges

Frangelico: Hazelnut

Jagermeister: Herbs/spices

Limoncello: Lemon

Maraschino: Cherry

Midori: Melon

Kahlua: Coffee

Ouzo: Anise

Pastis: Anise

SambuccaRomano: Elder bush

Schnapps: Peach

SouthernComfort: Peach/bourbon

Triple Sec: Bitter and sweet oranges

Liqueurs make delicious and beautiful cocktails. Here are some of our favorites.

Amaretto

• Dirty Bedtime Story
• Italian Amaretto Margarita
• Godfather

Bailey's Irish Cream

• Bailey's Banana Colada
• Irish Cream and Coffee

Blue Curacao

• The Perfect Mai Tai
• Blue Angel
• Electric Lemonade

Cointreau

• A Perfect Margarita
• Cosmopolitan
• Sidecar

Crème de Cacao

• Nikki's Special Chocolate Martini
• Coffee Nudge
• Butter Cup

Crème de Cassis

• Cassis Martini
• Motion by the Ocean

Crème de Menthe

• Blurry-Eyed Kicker
• Chocolate Mint Shot

Chambord

• Scarlet Kiss
• The BEST Raspberry Margarita!
• Abby's Cosmo

Frangelico

• Church Lady Martini
• Fried Wild Turkey
• Italian Stallion

Grand Marnier

• Margaritas to Die For
• Hawaii Five-O
• Uncommonly Clyde

Jagermeister

• Jager Bomb
• Whynatte
• California Surfer

Kahlua

• Espresso Martini
• Jamaica Coffee

Midori

• Watermelon Vodka Slush
• Dad's Melon Sour
• Buzzy J

Peach Schnapps

• Georgia Sunset
• Fuzzy Navel Slush
• White Sangria

Southern Comfort

• The Tiger Paw
• Alabama Slammer I

Triple Sec

• Banana Margaritas
• Margaritas on the Rocks

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