Blue Curaçao

Curaçao liqueurs are traditionally made from the dried peel of the small bitter Curaçao orange, named after the island of Curaçao in the Caribbean. As the island of Curaçao was formerly a Dutch colony, it supplied oranges to the liqueur makers of Holland but Curaçao liqueurs are now also produced from bitter oranges of other origins. Curaçao liqueurs can be clear, blue or orange. The colours are purely decorative, but the bitter orange flavours are very similar. De Kuyper Blue Curaçao is a vibrant electric blue with pronounced citrus aromas of orange marmalade and lime and has a fragrant bitter orange flavour with balanced sweetness. Although rarely consumed neat or over ice – it is the essential ingredient for many eye catching cocktail recipes.

De Kuyper Blue Curaçao is 20% ABV in the UK market.

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Bourbon

Bourbon is an American type of whiskey. As specified by US trade law, it must be made from at least 51% corn or maize with the remainder consisting of wheat, malted barley or rye. Once distilled it is aged in new charred white oak barrels for a minimum of 2 years. In this sense the production of Bourbon is very similar to Scotch or Irish whisk(e)y which are also aged in charred barrels. Traditionally Bourbon is made only in the state of Kentucky. Curiously when thinking about bourbon, many people think of Jack Daniels – however this is a Tennessee whiskey. The difference being that the newly made Tennessee whiskey is dripped through giant containers packed with sugar maple charcoal. This painstaking process takes 10 days and during this time the whiskey absorbs the essence of charcoal giving it a unique aroma and flavour.

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Three Barrels Brandy

Brandy is usually produced by distilling fermented grape juice - although it can be made from other fruits such as apples (known as Calvados) and plums (Slivovitz). However only if the fruit is distilled during production can a brandy made from fruit be officially classified as brandy (rather than a liqueur).

The name brandy is thought to originate from Northern Europe where "brand" means to burn. This is a reference to the heat used in the distillation process. To produce traditional brandy, the grapes are fermented. The wine which results from this fermentation is then distilled. As it leaves the still, the brandy liquid is still colourless - ageing in wooden casks allows the brandy to mature and achieve its golden colour.

In-the-spirit recommends Three Barrels Brandy. Three Barrels is the result of distilling mainly white wines from the most well known French wine regions: Bordeaux, Burgundy and Champagne. After years of careful ageing in French Limousin oak, the Three Barrels' cellar master selects the best brandies to blend together for the distinctive superior taste unique to Three Barrels.

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Butterscotch Caramel

De Kuyper’s Butterscotch Caramel liqueur captures the smooth rich taste and aroma of mouth watering butterscotch. A sweet tasting caramel liqueur which can be enjoyed neat and chilled, on the rocks or drizzled over desserts like vanilla ice cream or as a great cocktail ingredient.

De Kuyper Butterscotch Caramel is 15% ABV

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Campari

Campari is a bright red drink, traditionally drunk as an aperitif. It is made using 68 different herbs and spices, and the bitter peel of citrus fruits. It has an intensely bitter-sweet flavour.

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Champagne

Only sparkling wine made in the region of Champagne in France can be called Champagne. The grapes are harvested and yeast is added to the grape juice to induce fermentation. Sugar and yeast are then added to the wine a second time before bottling, which allows a second fermentation to occur in the bottle. It is this second fermentation which produces the characteristic bubbles, and the remaining yeast gives Champagne its unique bready flavour.

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Cointreau

First invented in 1849 in Angers, France by confectioner Adolphe Cointreau and his brother Edouard-Jean. The liqueur we know today was created by Edouard Cointreau (son of Edouard-Jean) and first marketed around the world from the 1870’s onwards. Made to a unique secret recipe passed on from generation to generation in the Cointreau family – this liqueur is produced using bitter and sweet orange peels shipped to France from around the world which are then macerated in alcohol for several weeks to bring out the citrus flavours and aromas.

Cointreau is 40% ABV and is similar in style to Triple Sec. For cocktail on in-the-spirit where Cointreau can be used, please use references for Triple Sec.

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