Favorite Liqueurs?

Cointreau
Kahlua
Bailey's
Maraschino
Benedictine

For Bitters:
Angostura
Fee Bro's Orange
Peychaud's

These, plus some lemons and limes. Also, when Huntsman weighs in, pay close attention.

Grappa
Vieille Prune de Souillac
Marc de Bourgogne

I like Chambord.

Chartreuse. Good lord.

Starbucks.

The cognac at Cain is off the hook.

Razzmatazz!!

Hmmmm.....liqueurs are such fun. Well first of all, are you looking for liqueurs to drink or to mix, or both? Second of all, the distinction should be made that liqueurs are (generally) an infusion of some sort of flavoring into a distillate of some sort, and that they are sweetened. That is why Kirsch, which is distillate of cherries and cherry stones is a spirit, but Maraschino, which is cherry distillate with a secondary infusion of cherries and other flavorings, is. Maraschino is also sweetened while Kirsch is not. If it isn't sweetened, then it is just a flavored liquor -- perhaps Southern Comfort would here qualify. Some make a distinction that liqueurs are herb-flavored and not fruit-flavored, but I think that has largely gone by the wayside. In other words, liqueurs are flavored and sweet. This leaves out cognacs, brandies, grappas and the like (which might more properly be considered digistifs, especially the grappas). They can be subdivided many ways -- typically by flavoring type (herb, fruit, berry, nut, other) and whether they have a single flavor note (this would mainly be the creme liqueurs, you know, the Creme de Menthes and whatnot), or a complex mix. Anyway, here goes my list, stars for priority/quality, D and M for Drinking and Mixing (order indicates my preference) respectively. I may give lower marks for drinkability on some of these simply because I find them waaaaay too sweet to sip straight, Chartreuse is a notable example. For mixing, my choices are skewed towards those most used in classic cocktails such as the Sidecar. Herbal Liqueurs: Benedictine ***** D, M Chartreuse (green) **** M, D St. Germain **** M Strega **** D Drambuie **** M, D Pernod **** D, M Galliano *** D Sambvuca *** D Miele (Poli) **** D Myrto (Poli) **** D Fruit/Berry Liqueurs: Grand Marnier cuvee de Centenaire *****+ D Grand Marnier ***** D, M Cointreau ***** M Limoncello **** D Chambord **** M,D Cherry Heering **** M, D Mandarin Napoleon *** D,M Maraschino (Luxardo) ***** M Pineau des Charentes ***** D Creme Liqueurs: Creme de Violette **** M Creme de Cassis **** M, ***D Creme de Menthe ** M Creme de Cacao ** M I haven't had enough of the nut liqueurs to recommend much, but I do love amaretto, and I do prefer Di Sarrono or Luxardo and give it **** M, D. Same with the chocolate/coffee or cream spectrum, except that Kahlua ****, MD and Bailey's *** D, M. The most important one for mixing is Cointreau. The best for drinking either Benedictine or Grand Marnier, though that GM cuvee de Centenaire trumps either. If I was starting a bar and had to pick ten, assuming I'd be making cocktails for a wide variety of tastes: Cointreau Grand Marnier Benedictine (not B&B, get cognac and make yourself as you need it) Maraschino Pernod Amaretto Kahlua Creme de Cacao Creme de Menthe (please not the green one) Chambord ~ H ps -- hope to have not disappointed, IU.

No Razzmatazz, H?

Well, I've never actually had it, so no. But while DeKuyper still makes some good stuff, that sounds like one the fluff things they make these days -- sour apple pucker and whatnot. I really dislike artificial flavorings in my spirits/liqueurs/life, and I start to think that is the case when the name is not an actual thing -- just like that KFC urban legend "they can't call it chicken because it's not chicken anymore." So it's very low down (like not even on) my list at present. I can't seem to find it on De Kuyper's website to see if they say if it is naturally-flavored or not, but since the literature says it is "evocative of" raspberries I tend to think it is chemically flavored. I used to live near a firm called IFF (International Flavors and Fragrances) and they pretty much just engineered tastes and smells. Driving by, you could sniff what they were working on, and I find that pretty disturbing. Even today, if you conduct a taste test, of say, vanilla cakes, most people will prefer the artificially flavored one, because synthetic vanillin is so powerful and not subtle that it overwhelms, while the cake flavored with the world of nuance that is natural vanilla will be the distant second choice. That's a case (cake?) in point for one of the things I really hate about the world today, that it's so easy to create something brash and so blindingly overwhelming that it, in time, inures the senses to the less bold but ultimately more complex experiences that I find to ultimately be more satisfying. When I was younger I went for those things too, but its like drugs, you keep looking for more and it's really a downward spiral. The subversive side not is that it's not only easier to create these fake experiences but it's cheaper. MUCH cheaper. Therefore companies merely interested in profit are happy to make more money while giving you less and less and less. A friend of mine likes Sour Apple Martinis. How do you ween someone off those things? Even though you can feel the layers of flavor in time from an Alabazam as it rolls across your palate, there's no way it can out do the hammer blow to the senses that is a Sour Apple Martini. But I can't believe that's ok. I guess if you are fulfilled by a sour apple martini it is ok. But I don't think it should be and I really don't know why. Sorry for all of that -- probably not what you wanted or expected. Anyway, I'm not really wanting to be critical of your taste -- this stuff could be all natural and whatever else for all I know -- I am just thinking a lot about this stuff lately.\\ ~ H Ps. And oh, I'm a hypocrite in that my Campari and Creme de Violette are both artificially colored. In Europe, Campari is naturally colored with cochineal bugs, but not here. Similar story with the Violette. I'd like to think that they couldn't get away with it in Europe, but people just don't care here, which could be true.

I've actually never had it either. It was one of the drink specials at a bar that I frequent with school buddies. It is raspberry from what I gather. At least, it was in a drink served with a raspberry. I agree on the rest of your points about synthetic vs natural smells.
Although I do disagree about the KFC thing. I worked there for 2 years in high school. While it may not be appetizing or very high quality chicken, it is 100% chicken. I realize that wasn't your point, or even a point you were making, but still.
P.S. I don't know what to say about the sour apple martini friend. Good luck, I guess!

Wha? So why do you recommend it, Chef? Oh, and I hope I didn't seem to (in any way) support the KFC thing. I don't. It's ridiculous. Just that the Razz thing reminded me of it. Yeah, I don't know what to do either. When people are no longer resucable, even you will be out of a job! ~ H

I cannot read or hear anything about liqueurs without being reminded of a friend's description years ago of certain passages in THE 120 DAYS OF SODOM.

Should have explained myself better. I wasn't recommending it--- far from it! I was looking at your (and others) list of nice liqueurs and purposely putting some cheap, fake, and more than likely gross substitute out there.