oro or gold liqueurs are liqueurs that contain small amounts of gold flakes floating in the liquid. The nontoxic gold does not affect the flavor of the spirit; it is merely a way to make it seem more luxurious. The oldest of these still in existence is Danziger Goldwasser, an herbal liqueur made in what is now Poland since 1598. The best-known today is Goldschlager, a cinnamon liqueur from Switzerland that was introduced in 1993.
A popular myth states that the gold flakes in these products make small cuts in the mouth and throat to speed up the absorption of alcohol into the drinker’s bloodstream. This is untrue; gold flakes are too soft to cause such cuts.
See also liqueurs.
Goldwasser, the Original Danziger. Niche Wine & Spirits. http://www.ourniche.com/spirit/Goldwasser,-The-Original-Danziger/ (accessed November 9, 2015).
Warner, Fara. “Swiss Liqueur Shoots for Gold.” Brandweek, March 7, 1994, 8.
By: Jason Horn