A liqueur is a sweetened, flavoured alcoholic beverage. It is obtained from an alcoholic base, i.e. a distillate (or spirit), to which water, sugar, flavouring and colouring substances are added. By law, liqueurs have an alcohol content of between 15% and 55% vol., but in fact the alcohol content often varies between 20% and 45%. Liqueurs originate from an ancient monastic and pharmaceutical tradition. They were initially developed with local raw materials, mainly herbs, fruit and honey. Then as maritime trade across continents developed, spices were added to enrich them. Today, there is a vast variety of different liqueurs, many of which are used by bartenders to make cocktails.

Flavouring is achieved by treating the herbs and aromatic substances in various ways: cold maceration, hot infusion, percolation, etc. It is an art in the true sense of the term and each manufacturer has its own technique and its own recipe. Liqueurs are usually sweetened with a sugar syrup. Colouring is important and artificial dyes are often used to ensure that the colour does not fade over time. Some liqueurs are made from a neutral spirit, which is then characterised by flavouring and sweetening; others, in contrast, are based on a spirit with its own personality, e.g. Grand Marnier is made from Cognac and Drambuie from Whisky. Among our proposals try Nonino Amaro from a famous distillery based in Friuli Venezia Giulia.