Know your Herb-Flavored Liqueurs - Tiki Drinks and Food

T TorchGuy Member Renton, WA Joined: Apr 24, 2008 Posts: 242	T TorchGuy Posted posted on Mon, Apr 28, 2008 11:05 PM A few not noted already: Killepitsch - German herbal liqueur, a dark red-brown. Compare this to Jagermeister minus the liquorice/anise overtones. Thick, slightly syrupy, and I think it has a bit of a cola aroma. Bottle says "A taste of old Dusseldorf!" Becherovka - Dark brown, almost bitters, made in the Czech Republic. I don't know much about this, save that it's a Czech 'thing'. Liquore Strega - Italian herbal liqueur, fairly sweet, very complex flavor like Chartreuse or Benedictine. Bright yellow, colored with saffron. "Strega" means witch, and this liqueur had a legend (I have reason to believe this was written by the inventor as window dressing) that, being brewed first by a real Strega, it is bewitched: two lovers who partake of it together will fall madly in love forever. If nothing else, it's a pretty story and I tell it when serving this. And back to Germany for Danziger Goldwasser. Everyone knows Goldschlager, the German cinnamon schnapps containing tiny gold flakes. Goldwasser, produced by Der Lachs since 1598, contains more, larger flakes, and is the original gold liqueur, with a nice herbal kick rather than hot cinnamon. Liqueurs began as eau de viw (water of life) i.e. brandy, at distilleries started by monks. The "water of life" was intended to be a curative agent, and thus was infused with herbs and flowers having supposed curative properties. As for the gold? Gold, too, was believed to be an almost magical curative... so they put gold in it!

A few not noted already:
Killepitsch - German herbal liqueur, a dark red-brown. Compare this to Jagermeister minus the liquorice/anise overtones. Thick, slightly syrupy, and I think it has a bit of a cola aroma. Bottle says "A taste of old Dusseldorf!"

Becherovka - Dark brown, almost bitters, made in the Czech Republic. I don't know much about this, save that it's a Czech 'thing'.

Liquore Strega - Italian herbal liqueur, fairly sweet, very complex flavor like Chartreuse or Benedictine. Bright yellow, colored with saffron. "Strega" means witch, and this liqueur had a legend (I have reason to believe this was written by the inventor as window dressing) that, being brewed first by a real Strega, it is bewitched: two lovers who partake of it together will fall madly in love forever. If nothing else, it's a pretty story and I tell it when serving this.

And back to Germany for Danziger Goldwasser. Everyone knows Goldschlager, the German cinnamon schnapps containing tiny gold flakes. Goldwasser, produced by Der Lachs since 1598, contains more, larger flakes, and is the original gold liqueur, with a nice herbal kick rather than hot cinnamon. Liqueurs began as eau de viw (water of life) i.e. brandy, at distilleries started by monks. The "water of life" was intended to be a curative agent, and thus was infused with herbs and flowers having supposed curative properties. As for the gold? Gold, too, was believed to be an almost magical curative... so they put gold in it!

Post #376890 by TorchGuy on Mon, Apr 28, 2008 11:05 PM