People long have wanted to preserve the essence of botanicals in alcohol — for “medicinal” purposes, perfumes or just for the delightful taste.
There are famous herbal liqueurs, such as Chartreuse or Benedictine, which are wonderful, but they are intensely flavored and have a viscous mouthfeel.
As summer gardens bloom, it got us thinking about newer kinds of herbal liqueurs that have a single focus and are lighter and more refreshing.
We often say that angostura or orange bitters act as “salt” for a cocktail, not only seasoning it, but also intensifying the flavors, in the same way that adding actual salt heightens the taste of whatever you are cooking.
In that sense, you can think of the following liqueurs as your “herb collection” for adding extra nuance when making cocktails this summer.
St. George Aqua Perfecta basil eau de vie. St. George distiller Lance Winter reportedly was inspired by tomato season to make this basil-infused spirit. With Genovese basil for a rich base and Thai basil for bright aromas, this liqueur is great for summer cocktails that use tomato water or watermelon but also could provide an alluring herbal boost if stirred into a gin martini. At 40% alcohol by volume, it will stand up to both stirred and shaken cocktails.
Il Gusto di Amalfi alloro. The Amalfi coast of Italy is famous for its citrus, and Valentine Esposito and Mario Anastasio of Il Gusto di Amalfi make a wonderful limoncello, as well as a mandarino (Mandarin orange liqueur). But most enchanting to us is their liqueur made with bay laurel leaves, foraged from the surrounding coastline. Only fresh leaves are used, and they are infused into a neutral grain spirit for at least a month. This liqueur is 30% alcohol by volume and usually is enjoyed neat, as a digestif. We also enjoy its woodsy botanical flavor in a sparkling wine spritz with a bianco-style vermouth.
Chareau. Hailing from Santa Barbara, California, Chareau is a plant-based spirit made with California aloe. Chareau is a social purpose corporation, meaning a for-profit company that also looks out for its customers and the community at large. In addition to aloe, the spirit is infused with cucumber, lemon, muskmelon and spearmint obtained from local, mostly organic farmers. At 25% alcohol by volume, Chareau is the lightest liqueur on our list and makes a nice low-alcohol spritz by simply adding sparkling water. Conversely, the bright flavors of the liqueur add a freshness to shaken cocktails, such as daiquiris.
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