keeping up with cordials By Laura Holmes

ordials, once banished to the kitchen pantry for cooking or trot- ted out only for a visit from Aunt Edna, are breaking out on their C own, and they’re appealing to a whole new group of consumers. As a category, cordials (also known as ), include a myriad of products, from , Cointreau, Midori, and to crème liqueurs, Pernod, and . By defi- nition, cordials are made from an infusion of a spirit and a flavoring; essentially, alcohol plus sugar (up to 35 percent by weight). The flavorings can range from seeds, fruits, and flowers to herbs, nuts and spices. Once popular only in Europe (Italians have a love affair with , while the French sip the bitter-tasting Absinthe), cordials are taking the U.S. market by storm. In 2002 (the most recent data available), 53 new cordial and products were launched, according to the Distilled Spirits Council (DISCUS) more than any other spirit category. One reason traditionally bitter-tasting cordials never caught on in America as they did in Europe is because Americans love sweets. It’s not surprising that sweet, fruit-based are the drink to order in bars around the U.S. Cordials are the key to creating the wildly popular fruit cocktails, from the Appletini to the signature creations of bartenders around the country. Unlike most spirits, cordials are about instant gratification: they taste good and there is no learning curve, which appeals to the younger consumer. CORDIALCONCOCTIONS

BEAUTIFUL BLUE CARAMEL APPLE NEAPOLITAN THE LIBERTINI Created by the Atlas and Grill, LA Recipe courtesy of Randy Farber of Ingredients: Ingredients: the Rise Bar in the Ritz Carlton, 3 oz. ENVY 2 parts DeKuyper Pucker Ingredients: Battery Park, New York. Splash of Champagne Sour Apple 2 parts Alizé Gold Passion 1 part Absolut Vanilia Ingredients: Preparation: Serve in a 1 part DeKuyper ButterShots Splash of orange juice 2 parts Absolut Citron (or Champagne flute. Grey Goose Orange) Preparation: Chill and Preparation: Shake well 2 parts peach serve as a shot. and pour into Martini glass 1 part Midori and garnish with orange BIG APPLE 1 part Blue Curacao slice. MARGARITA Splash of fresh lemon juice From www.drinkmixer.com DRESSED UP LIKE A DOGS DINNER Preparation: Mix all ingredi- Ingredients: PINK FOREST ents well in a shaker. Serve 2 oz. Ingredients: in a chilled Martini glass. 1 oz. Berentzen’s Apfelkorn 1 oz. McCormicks Irish Ingredients: Liqueur Cream 2 oz. Marie Brizard Creme 1 oz. fresh lemon juice 1 oz. Kahlúa Coffee Liqueur de Fraise des Bois 1 oz. 1 oz. THE PEANUT BUTTER Preparation: Shake well 1 /3 oz. Triple Sec AND JELLY SHOT and serve over ice. 6 oz. Hot Chocolate 1 1/2 oz. 1 oz. double Cream Adapted from Ken Lusar’s recipe, Mamma Gina’s, Newport Beach, 1 oz. Preparation: Shake and CA., by Gary Regan 1 oz. Sweet BIT-O-HONEY strain into a Champagne Preparation: In a mixing glass. Ingredients: 3 Ingredients: glass half-filled with ice /4 oz. 1 1 oz. of butterscotch cubes, combine all of the /4 oz. Baileys 1 schnapps ingredients. Stir well. Strain SILK ROSE /4 oz. Stoli Razberi 1 1 oz. of Brogans Irish into a glass. /4 oz. Chambord Cream Liqueur Ingredients: 1 oz. Tequila Rose Preparation: Shake over Preparation: Pour all 1 /2 oz. milk ice and strain into chilled ingredients, as listed, into EYE CATCHER 1 /2 oz butterscotch martini glass. a shot glass over the back Created by the Gary and Mardee schnapps of a spoon. Regan 1 /2 oz banana schnapps 1 Ingredients: /4 oz. half and half THIN MINT MARTINI 1 1 /2 oz. Appleton Estate Preparation: Mix in ice BLOOMSBURY White Rum Ingredients: 3 shaker and pour into Martini A recipe by Robert “DrinkBoy” Hess, /4 oz. Hypnotic Liqueur 2 parts Thin Mint Chocolate adapted by Gary Regan glass. 3 oz. pineapple juice Cookie Liqueur 1 Ingredients: 1 /2 oz. coconut cream 1 part Vodka 2 oz. Tanqueray No. 10 Gin Preparation: Blend with ice 1 SWEET TEMPTATION /2 oz. Licor 43 and garnish with a pineapple Preparation: Shaken and 1 /2 oz. Lillet Blanc wedge and cherry. Ingredients: served straight up. 2 dashes Peychaud’s bitters 2 oz. Black Mozart Preparation: Stir with ice, 2 oz. Galliano strain into cocktail glass, KEY LIME MARTINI 1 oz. Grand Marnier XO STINGER garnish with lemon . Ingredients: 1 oz. Kahlua Coffee Liqueur 1 /2 oz. Kéké Beach Key Lime 2 oz. whipped cream Ingredients: Cream Liqueur Equal parts: Preparation: 1 Mix ingredi- BUBBLY IRISH NUT /2 oz. Vanilla Stoli Vodka XO Café Coffee 1 ents together in a shaker or /2 oz. Dr. McGillicuddy’s Tequila Ingredients: blender and pour into a 1 oz. Brady’s Irish Cream Vanilla Liqueur Patrón Silver Tequila 1 cocktail glass. Gently beat /2 oz. sweet & sour mix Citrónge Orange Liqueur 1 oz. Amaretto some cream and pour on. 4 oz. soda water Preparation: Dip rim of Preparation: Shake with Preparation: Mix all ingre- Martini glass in crushed ice and serve in a shot dients and serve over ice. graham crackers. Shake glass. with ice and strain into Martini glass. Women are a significant part of the “sweet” consumer. his Chocolatinis, or he serves Godiva white chocolate on the According to the DISCUS, 58 percent of cordial consumers rocks. “Cream-based liqueurs are really hot,” Warner says. are women. Shayla Simoes, bartender at 727 Pine, a bar and Customers know what they want. “The Grand Marnier restaurant in Seattle, notes that her female customers are drinkers want it straight up and have been drinking it for most likely to ask for sweet, fruit-based cocktails, while the years,” according to Sloan. Simoes finds the same is true at men stick to cordials on the rocks or straight up. her bar. “Most customers ask for [a cordial] by name.” Farber Changing the image of cordials has come from several concurs, saying, “People familiar with cordials go with the innovative producers. Four -based cordials - Alizé (a name brands. Most customers are brand-oriented.” But that blend of passion fruit juice and Cognac), Hypnotiq, Envy doesn’t translate to a bar listing drinks by brand name on (sky-blue cordials made from a blend of Cognac, vodka, and their drink menu. tropical fruit juices) and Remy Red - have recently raised the On the retail side, “it’s a much harder sell,” says David profile of cordials. Featured in rap videos and in a song by rap- Soto, manager of Sam’s & Spirits in Chicago. per R. Kelly and with gaining popularity in cities with night- “Americans are less familiar with cordials than Europeans. club scenes like New York, Las Vegas, and Los Angeles, they Europeans have products that are only available in Europe, so have created brand recognition. when customers come back from a trip and ask for something, In the tradition of Grand Marnier, new orange liqueurs the challenge for us is to see what they had and find some- are another trend in cordials. Patron's Citrónge, a blend of thing similar.” There is one exception: the holidays. “Cordial organically grown oranges from Jamaica, bittersweet oranges sales are warped around the holidays because people who from Haiti and neutral spirit, is made by one of Mexico's pre- never buy cordials come in and stock up,” says Chris mier distillers. It is promoted as an ideal way to enhance a Langston, fine sales manager at Coit in San Margarita, as well as a blending ingredient in many cocktails. Francisco. But in general, Langston does see changes in cor- dial sales in the past few years. “The flavor profiles have exploded the past two years,” he says. “There is a younger audience coming into play and they are more adventurous,” “The flavor profiles have says Langston. “We never thought we would be selling pump- exploded the past two years. kin liqueur, but this fall we’re selling out of it.” The trendiness of a brand directly affects the retail sales: There is a younger audience Soto sold Hypnotiq by the case when the beverage got press coverage. “The bar community is having a huge influence coming into play and they are [on retail sales of cordials.] The bartenders are making these more adventurous.” drinks with off-the-wall flavors, and the people come in to the store to get the cordials so they can go home and make — Chris Langston, Coit Liquors in San Francisco the drinks themselves,” says Langston. Soto does shelf his cordials by category, which he finds is easier for his cus- tomers. He finds placing aperitifs and digestifs together and A similar product has hit the U.S. market from Venezuela; Cointreau and Grand Marnier together, for example, the Santa Teresa’s Rhum Orange Liqueur, a dark rum that is aged most effective way to reach his customers. In New York City, with macerated Valencia oranges. on the other hand, cordials are steady sellers, regardless of Because of the cocktail craze, a noticeable development the shelf placement. According to Sammy Agusto, wine in the category is the use of real fruit flavors in the cordials consultant at Astor Wines and Spirits in New York City, cus- themselves. Jason Sloan, assistant bar manager at V Bar, a tomers come in asking for specific cordials, just as they would nightclub in the Venetian Hotel in Las Vegas, says, “We start in a bar. “It’s not about how we shelve it; people know what with fruits and then accentuate their flavors with top shelf they want. They don’t ask for recommendations.” Agosto cordials.” Sloan sells a lot of Hypnotiq, while Randy Farber, finds that Hypnotiq is “still big with the younger crowd,’” director of restaurants at the Ritz Carlton Battery Park in but most of the cordials he sells are used to make fruit mar- New York City, notes that “Grand Marnier is still a top seller tinis, such as apple schnapps. “The big sellers now are cream for us because of the name, as well as Cointreau, Amaretto, liqueurs, to make cream Martinis.” Packaging is another key and Sambuca.” element on the retail side. Agosto also finds that people are When it comes to serving cordials, tradition is again tak- attracted to the bottle. “The shape of the bottle matters to ing a back seat. Forget the image of a gentleman sipping a glass people. People want to buy bottles of things and they don’t of Grand Marnier. Besides using cordials in fruit-based drinks, even know what it is; they just like the bottle.” Retail sales bartenders are also seeing opportunities to serve cordials of cordials also rely on steady sales to home cooks who use beyond the cocktail hour. Stacey Robbins, bartender at the products such as Framboise and Grand Marnier. Cobalt Hotel Monaco in New Orleans, recommends some The cordials category shows no signs of slowing down and cordials to her customers as dessert. She is a big fan of with increased product launches, bar promotions, product Godiva’s chocolate liqueurs, and uses it in her chocolate or placement and signature cocktail one-upmanship by bar- white chocolate martinis (Chocolatinis), for customers who tenders, it is a category to watch closely. want a sweet ending to the meal without actually ordering a dessert. Matt Warner, bar manager of Sauce in Boston, also Laura Holmes is an Assistant Editor at Simon & Schuster,focusing on food and wine books, as well as a contributing editor to Wine X Magazine. A culinary sees a big move in Godiva liqueur this year, which is used in school graduate and former caterer, Laura lives in Manhattan. CREAM LIQUEUR QUICKPICKS The cordial and liqueur category is the third largest spirit category in this country, and number one for new product introductions (an astonishing 53 were introduced in 2002!) The category’s largest segment is cream liqueurs, which also accounts for most of those new product introductions.

AMARULA CREAM LIQUEUR CAFÉ BOHÊME SYLK CREAM Brown-Forman introduced this South This vodka coffee blend is slight- Leveraging the name, African cream to the U.S. market ly lighter in taste and texture than Sylk is positioned as a super-pre- over a year ago, and since then it the competition. “Our target con- mium product that targets a has really taken off. Made from sumer base skews female age female consumer. “The idea was the fruit of the mystical Amarula 26-45 but we created the Cafe to position a premium liqueur tree, Amarula Cream was first intro- Bohêmé Thin Mint Martini north of Baileys,” explains duced in 1989 and quickly became (4oz of Café Bohême, 1oz Monica Garaitonandia, senior one of the best-selling cream White Crème de Menthe) that marketing manager for Drambuie liqueurs internationally. has been a tremendous suc- and Sylk. “Sylk has more of a cess with men as well as malt flavor than other creams, BAILEYS IRISH CREAM women,” says Elizabeth because of the premium Scotch The U.S. market is the largest for Guenther, brand manager, we are using.” Baileys, the number one selling Kobrand Corporation. liqueur in the world. The domi- TALEA CREAM LIQUEUR nating brand even grew an ILLY CAFÉ LIQUEUR This recently launched cream astonishing 10 percent in The renowned espresso produc- from Disaronno is made with 2003, likely through winning er has created an incredibly tasty Amaretto and cream from over a younger audience liqueur, with a richer, more Holland, and targets women in with creative cocktail robust flavor than most coffee their twenties. “Given that promotions. liqueurs on the market. “With Disaronno is the number one this product we are targeting Amaretto brand in the world BRADY’S IRISH CREAM four and five-star restaurants, and the number one liqueur in LIQUEUR and consumers who are true Italy, it was a natural step to Another cream from Ireland, but coffee connoisseurs,” says launch a line extension this one is naturally flavored with Sara Brunner, project manag- using a cream base to chocolate, vanilla, toffee, fresh er, Niche Imports. capitalize on the cordial cream cream and . Brady’s growth here in the U.S.,” says Joy shines in coffee drinks and many JUST DESSERTS Suchlicki, marketing manager for vodka-based cocktails as well. This new line of liqueurs from Disaranno and Talea. William Grant & Sons, Inc. fea- BROGANS IRISH CREAM tures flavors inspired by popular TEQUILA ROSE Produced by cream expert Pat desserts, such as Chocolate Imported from the Netherlands, Brogan, Brogans is made with Chip Cookie, Thin Mint and and the number one selling single malt Irish whiskey and Crème Brûlée. Promoted as strawberry cream liqueur in the fresh cream from the Brogans pure indulgence, they work in world; A unique blend of fruit fla- family farm in Ireland. “This cocktails but are best on their vors and tequila. brand has a live father, akin to own as dessert. a great winemaker,” says VERMEER DUTCH Peter Morales, president, 57 KÉKÉ BEACH CHOCOLATE CREAM Main Street Imports/Wine A truly unique cream that tastes SKYY Vodka founder Maurice Company, who imports it. like Key Lime Pie, with a hint of Kanbar began working on creat- graham cracker crust. “We ing the ultimate chocolate BUSHMILLS IRISH CREAM promote this as the only cream cream liqueur over four years “Pernod Ricard USA developed this that will mix with anything and ago and settled on premium brand because our distributors and not adversely effect the cream; Dutch chocolate. Cream their accounts asked for it,” explains other creams curdle when from the Netherlands and Suzanne Freedman, senior brand mixed with citric acid, but KéKé vodka complete the blend manager, Irish Whiskeys, Pernod mixes with lime juice and which bears the name of Ricard, USA. “We’ve learned that orange juice beautifully,” one of the most famous consumers are ready to trade up explains Vic Morrison, VP Dutch painters. and we’re giving them the opportu- marketing, McCormick Distillers. nity to do so.”