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 liqueurs), include a myriad of products, from Absinthe, Cointreau, Midori, and Triple Sec to crème liqueurs, Pernod, and Sambuca. 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 Limoncello, 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 liqueur 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 cocktails 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 Bar 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 schnapps 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. Tequila 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. Amaretto 1 oz. Gin 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. Brandy 1 oz. double Cream Adapted from Ken Lusar’s recipe, Mamma Gina’s, Newport Beach, 1 oz. Applejack Preparation: Shake and CA., by Gary Regan 1 oz. Sweet Vermouth BIT-O-HONEY strain into a Champagne Preparation: In a mixing glass. Ingredients: 3 Ingredients: glass half-filled with ice /4 oz. Frangelico 1 1 oz. of butterscotch cubes, combine all of the /4 oz. Baileys Irish Cream 1 schnapps ingredients. Stir well. Strain SILK ROSE /4 oz. Stoli Razberi Vodka 1 1 oz. of Brogans Irish into a cocktail 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 Chocolate Liqueur Preparation: Stir with ice, 2 oz. Galliano strain into cocktail glass, KEY LIME MARTINI 1 oz. Grand Marnier XO STINGER garnish with lemon twist. 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 Patrón 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 Cognac-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, liquor manager of Sam’s Wines & 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 wine sales manager at Coit Liquors 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.