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Liqueurs
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Liqueurs are always sweet and are by definition as they must contain at least 2.5% sugar by weight although most cordials are considerably higher in their sugar content and many contain up to 35% of a sweetening agent. The sugar may be beet, maple, cane, honey, corn or a combination of these. If the sweetening accounts for less than 10% by weight of the finished product, the resultant cordial may be labeled "dry." Most cordials and liqueurs contain between 17% and 30% alcohol by volume although some brands are over 50% alcohol.
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Liqueurs can ... have added dairy, such as milk or cream, for what is called a Cream Liqueur. The most well known in the cream liqueur category being Bailey's Irish Cream. Although if you see Crème in the name of a liqueur, that does not mean it is a cream liqueur. It means a style of liqueur that is very sweet (usually double the amount of sugar as normal liqueurs) with an almost syrupy thickness to it, and the flavor is usually based on a single ingredient. To be called a Crème liqueur the sugar content must be 40%. The crème refers to the smooth and syrupy consistency, and some examples are Crème de cassis (black currant) and Crème de menthe (mint.)
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Liqueurs are characterised as a sweet drink and prescribe a minimum alcohol percentage of 15%. This is the lower limit for distilled drinks. In the Netherlands, distilled drinks may not be sold in supermarkets. However, there are lighter variations called liqueurettes. They can be found in the Dutch supermarkets.
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Liqueurs can be based on many types of spirits such as pure grain neutral spirits, rum, brandy, cognac, whiskey, Scotch, and even gin. Each gives a different base flavor which is then expanded upon to create the final product.
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Liqueurs can be used in numerous different ways. They used to be drunk mostly straight. In addition to straight consumption, they are often used in countless cocktails these days. Liqueurs are ... extremely suitable for use in pudding, on ice-creams in fruit salads, with pancakes, to flambé and as a flavour for sauces for instance.
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Liqueurs are often labeled either "after dinner drinks" or "aperitifs." An after dinner drink, as the term indicates, is consumed after dinner with the purpose of aiding the digestion of a meal and/or savoring the meal. Aperitifs are consumed before the meal and are intended to stimulate the appetite.
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Liqueurs