Liqueur

The sweet life: mildly aromatic liqueurs at Heinemann

Liqueur – the word itself conjures up thoughts of colorful bottles with overly sweet concoctions you remember collecting dust on you grandmother's display case. High quality liqueur is a real taste experience, best enjoyed as an aperitif, digestif or mixed in a cocktail. The most well-known liqueurs are often not even recognized as such - just think of Averna, Cointreau, Aperol or Jägermeister. Heinemann offers a complete selection of fine liqueurs that even connoisseurs can get excited about – from classic to fruity liqueurs and even decadent cream liqueurs such as Baileys and Amarula. Discover international liqueur specialties in the Heinemann shop and order conveniently online.

From healing qualities to luxury beverages: Liqueur has a long history

Liqueur was presumably originally created for medicinal purposes. Back in the 13th century, monasteries began distilling healing herbal and plant-based remedies with alcohol in order to concentrate their active ingredients. To make the strong and extremely bitter distillates more palatable, they were sweetened with honey. It was not until many years later that "herbal bitters" became a luxury beverage – and not until sugar transitioned from its luxury product status to a mass product did distilleries began producing liqueurs in the variety of flavors available today.

The demand for high quality and innovation in liqueur production has long been just as high as for any other classic spirit. Distilleries such as Jack Daniel's or Wild Turkey have also long been making spirits that are sweetened and aromatic just like liqueur products. You will find many of these high quality spirits at Heinemann; get inspired by our select range of products!

What liqueurs are available? The variety of flavors in liqueurs includes fruit, herbs and spices. 

The classic liqueur production process is based on what is referred to as maceration, during which herbs, fruits or spices are steeped in an alcohol-water mixture for some time, allowing the natural aromas to be transferred to the mash. The subsequent distillation concentrates the aromas, and adding sugar creates a rounder, more aromatic flavor. Today, we enjoy a wide assortment of liqueurs which are not all produced in the traditional manner: 

• Cream liqueurs such as Dooleys  or Verpoorten Eierlikör (egg liqueur) are sweet and creamy, making them perfect for desserts or decadent cocktails.
• Fruit liqueurs such as Cointreau or Limoncello are served as a light digestif, and are also used for cooking or as a cocktail ingredient.
• Liqueurs as an aperitif are often a combination of fruit and herbal notes such as Aperol , Campari or Ramazzotti.
• Herbal liqueurs like Jägermeister are classic liqueurs and are usually produced in the traditional manner – they are a popular digestif.

A spirit’s alcohol volume and sugar content are the deciding factors for categorizing it as a liqueur. Both values vary depending on the product and the manufacturer, but generally liqueur has a volume of between 11% and 40% alcohol and a sugar content of at least 100g per liter.

Enjoy classic and modern liqueurs from the Heinemann shop

A huge variety of liqueurs are available in the Heinemann shop – and you have so many different ways to enjoy them: A shot of Bols Advocaat on your dessert, an ice-cold sip of Berliner Luft to set the tone for a fun evening or a Spanish Licor 43 to round off a good meal. You can order fine liqueurs and other high quality spirits online at Heinemann and benefit from our Home Delivery Service.