What if I told you that there is a liqueur that tastes like Estatè? Or Nutella?
There is a category of spirits, perhaps little considered but much loved, and that is the so-called “gourmet liqueurs”, rich and indulgent, often sweet and flavourful, appealing to the palate and often associated with desserts or after-dinner pleasures. They are generally enjoyed in small quantities for their taste and aroma, but they can also be interesting ingredients for mixology.
If I mention hazelnut liqueur, for example, your mind is unlikely to think of Nutella (which is nothing more than hazelnut cream!), but if I offered you a taste and mentioned it by name, you would be guaranteed to recognise it and be truly surprised to rediscover this much-loved (and delicious) product in a liqueur which, with its alcoholic twist, becomes a treat for children, revisited for adults.
Here is a small selection of spirits that can make you feel like a “greedy child” again.
Terence Hill - Auf Die Voll Nuss (liquore di nocciole)
Yes, dedicated to the actor dear to us, this liqueur produced by the St. Kilian distillery in Germany, reminds us both on the nose and on the palate, in every way, of the exact moment when the famous jar of hazelnut cream is opened. In this case, however, it is 21% alcohol and in liquid form.
Excellent after a meal, but also perfect as a sweet component in a cocktail. I suggest the Nuss Fashioned, made with Scottish single malt, just to stay in Europe, and our hazelnut liqueur.
Here we move on to another Ferrero icon, dear to all of us: Estaté! Yes, because this tea liqueur, handcrafted in Birmingham and served cold, is reminiscent in every way of our favourite childhood drink, but with 20% alcohol content. All that's missing is a shot glass and a straw!
This liqueur is also delicious after a meal, but it can also be used as a base for an English Spritz, made with WS Earl Grey liqueur, a dash of gin, Prosecco and soda.
F. Goti - Hercle (liquore al latte)
Once again, we are talking about a very tasty memory, but rather than being linked to a brand, it refers to a habit of ‘grandmothers’ who, at the first sign of a cold or sore throat, would give their grandchildren a large cup of hot milk with honey to solve the problem.
Here we have a version, to be served cold, almost freezer-cold, where the milk is combined with vanilla and a light but noticeable touch of lemon zest. The result is one of the most delicious liqueurs you have ever tasted. 26 degrees, and you wouldn't know it!
We could say that it is almost like a medicine: to be used with caution and in small doses, and definitely to be kept out of the reach of minors!
Sapling Raspberry Vodka
When you taste it, you will be impressed by how much a distillate can preserve the essence of the raw material. If you love cheesecake, this time with raspberries, the aroma alone will take you back to imagining the last spoonful you ate of this dessert, which has its origins in Ancient Greece.
The raspberries are picked before they go bad from supermarkets that would otherwise throw them away, then a jam is made with the minimum amount of sugar needed, which is infused into Sapling Vodka (the best-selling independent vodka in the UK). The result is a spirit that can be enjoyed neat or used instead of gin for a Raspberry & Tonic that you might just fall in love with.
Santos Dumont - Rum XO Gewürztraminer
This is perhaps the most distant and complex story in this selection. We are talking about rum, in this case Brazilian rum, which is purchased in barrels and then transferred to South Tyrol, into small barrels of Gewürztraminer, late harvest. This final ageing process gives the traditional sweetness of rum a distinct and recognisable tone, which may remind older people of another “grandmother's” flavour: toffee, or what is more commonly known today as caramel.
So, yes, you can be a foodie even if you drink liqueurs and spirits, and sometimes, instead of being a connoisseur, all you need is a simple taste memory and, above all, the courage to try often unpredictable combinations!
