Search
Close this search box.

The Language of Liqueur

Liqueur and liquor may both stem from the same Latin verb liquere meaning “to be fluid” and the Old French noun licour meaning “liquid.” Nevertheless, liqueurs are entirely different liquids from their counterpart spirits.

According to Stuart Walton, the author of The Bartender’s Guide to Cocktails and Mixed Drinks, liqueurs differ from liquors in the way they are produced. While straight liquors are mostly unsweetened distillates, liqueurs obtain their distinct characters from the addition of elements such as sweeteners, herbs, nuts, fruit extracts, or roots to a basic spirit. All liqueurs are flavored in some way.

Liqueurs have varying names and flavor profiles depending on their regions of origin. The following is a sample of liqueurs from every continent excluding Antarctica, where the business of producing these liquids is still a bit frozen.

Amarula

Amarula
A South African cream liqueur, Amarula is made from the sweet yellow fruit of the African marula tree (Sclerocarya birrea). The marula tree’s scientific name comes from the Greek skleros meaning “hard” and karya meaning “walnut.” Alluding to a myth which suggests that elephants become intoxicated after ingesting marula fruit, Amarula’s bottle prominently features an elephant.

Curacao2

Curaçao
Invented by the Dutch shortly after their arrival on the Caribbean island of Curaçao, this liqueur is rum-based and flavored the peels of bitter green oranges. The origins of both the island and the liqueur’s name remain debatable. Some people claim that settlers named the island, due to the healing nature of its plant life, after the Portuguese word curação meaning “medical cure.” Still, others argue that the island and liqueur share a pre-Dutch settlement indigenous name stemming from a regional bird called The Great Curassow (Crax rubra).

goldwasser2

Goldwasser
Liqueurs, in their infancy, mostly functioned as medicinal drinks because of the alleged health benefits of their infused ingredients and their alleged beneficial effects on drinkers. As legend has it, the first manifestation of Goldwasser, which means “gold water” in German, was used to cure the Pope of a deadly illness in the 13th century. Arnaldo de Vilanova, the Catalan physician who invented the liqueur, was supposedly spared from death during the Spanish Inquisition by concocting this gold speckled liqueur.

Kahlua

Kahlúa
This coffee flavored Mexican liqueur remains one of the most popular liqueurs in North America. Kahlúa means “House of the Acolhua people” in the indigenous Nahuatl language spoken in Veracruz, Mexico, at the time of Spanish conquest. To create the liqueur, Spanish settlers used a spirit base of white rum and infused it with coffee beans.

Midori

Midori
Originally created and bottled in Japan, Midori is a muskmelon-flavored liqueur. Midori, which means “green” in Japanese, is a deep and vivid green color. The liqueur’s appearance comes from a dye, however, and not from naturally infused ingredients. Currently, production of the liqueur has moved to Mexico, but the liqueur’s Japanese name and original recipe remain.

quandong

Quandong
Although difficult to find outside of Australia, Quandong liqueur is made from quandong fruit. Known as Australian bushfood, the fruit from the quandong plant (Santalum acuminatum) is both sweet and tangy, and Australians refer to it as the “desert peach.” The Wiradjuri people of New South Wales first used the name “guwandhang” for the plant, from which it is believed the word “quandong” originates.

Related Articles

The Language of Wine
The Language of Beer
The Etymology of Cocktail
Pomegranates and Hand Grenades


Photo by Blue Lotus

Other Resources

November is Native American Heritage Month

Native American Heritage Month has officially been celebrated in the United States each November since 1990. This is recognized on the federal, state, and local levels with special programming and events to highlight and honor the traditions, culture, history, and...

Learn More

5 Fascinating Facts About the Hawaiian Language: A Look into its History and Significance

Hawaiian language, also known as ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi, is one of the two official languages of Hawaii. While the language was banned in schools after the overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom in 1896, there have been revitalization efforts since 1978. Today...

Learn More

What is Heritage Language?

Individuals who speak multiple languages or live in multilingual households may have a “heritage language.” This term describes the language the individual speaks or hears at home, but it is not the dominant language spoken in the community. In the...

Learn More

Contact Us

Get Started Today

Interested in our language services? Complete the form or call us during business hours (9 AM to 6:00 PM ET) at 800.895.8210.

Preparing for your test?

View our test prep materials or FAQ’s for common questions about taking a test.