ABOUT MAKING CORDIALS WITH FRUITS, HERBS OR SPICES

Cordials are strong alcoholic beverages made of almost neutral spirits, flavored with herb mixtures, fruits, or other materials, and usually sweetened. The word cordial was formerly used for liqueurs that were thought to have a tonic or stimulating quality due to the medicinal components of their flavorings (according to Encyclopedia Britannica). The terms cordial and liqueur are now used interchangeably.

Fruit and berry flavored cordials are usually made by infusing alcohol with fruit, the alcohol then takes on the intense flavor and sparkling color of the fruit. After adding sugar you will obtain a delicious drink. These drinks are fairly simple to make, but require some accuracy in measurements and procedures to obtain the most flavorful and clearest finished cordial. They can be served for both formal and informal occasions, at room temperature, chilled or with ice. You can find a lot of information on our LiqueurWeb's fruit cordial page, and links to a number of recipes on our fruit cordial recipe link page.

You can make herb and spice flavored cordials by macerating the flavoring elements in alcohol, then removing the herbs and spices by filtration and sweeten the extract with sugar, syrup, or honey. You may also add coloring, if desired. You will find more information on our herbal cordial page, and links to a lot of recipes on the herb cordial recipe link page.

Both fruit and herbal liqueurs must be aged to obtain an optimal flavor. Usually 3-5 months are sufficient, but in most cases 12 months is perfect. Those made with eggs, cream or lemon peel should not be stored more than a few weeks.

BOOKS
Amazon.com has a large selection of books on making cordials and liqueurs. We are presenting some of their best books on this page. For an updated list of relevant books at Amazon.com click here.

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