Liqueur

In all its myriad forms, tea can add exotic yet comforting character to liqueurs and bitters.

There are spirits in the trees, but pines are a source that modern distillers often overlook. Whether using fresh buds or gooey cones for brandies or liqueurs, here’s how a couple of small distilleries in the Northwest are sourcing and distilling them for a distinctive local product.

The Golden Moon Distillery in Golden, Colorado, recently closed its doors after 16 years of producing creative, award-winning craft spirits—such as its Amer Antik, closely based on a mid-19th century recipe. Here, Stephen Gould explains what went into the old-fashioned bitters, and he shares advice for up-and-coming distillers.

The classic espresso martini is only one example of a happy marriage between coffee and alcohol. Here are some different ways that craft distilleries are incorporating coffee into their spirits and liqueurs.

Once you get into making your own liqueurs, it can be hard to stop, whether at the bar or at home—there are many ways to get creative, they make great gifts, and they can help you use up those leftover spirits.

In the second of a two-part series, we move beyond liqueur production to its context, looking for where these drinks might fit best (and more often) into North American drinking culture.

In this first of a two-part series, Devon Trevathan lays out the basics of what it takes to make a successful liqueur—from choosing a spirit base to flavoring and filtration. The most important ingredient, however, may be trial and error.