ARTICLE FROM "BARTENDER" MAGAZINE

TODAY'S LIQUEURS by George Delgado

Over the past few years, there has been a proliferation of new liqueurs, which for the sake of this article, I will call "Today's Liqueurs." These liqueurs have not yet received the recognition that I believe they deserve. These liqueurs are predominantly cognac based, some are blended with premium vodka. Most of these are from France and have the flavors of tropical fruits and citrus fruits. Grand Marnier not withstanding, Alizé spearheaded this cognac-based category nearly 20 years ago before it could even be considered a category. Today it certainly seems like it has become a category by committee -- Red Passion, Remy Red, Camus 4U, Tao, Artic, Tropico and, of course, Hypnotiq, to name a few. Perhaps a better descriptive would be to refer to them as today's "proprietary liqueurs." These liqueurs are made by one producer and, in most cases, it's the only liqueur they make. In other words, these are not "generic" liqueurs (sloe gin, triple sec, creme de menthe, etc.) which can all be made by dozens of producers, which in turn, each producer can make dozens of liqueurs. With the generic liqueurs of yesterday, the alcohol was barely a second thought, it was all about a certain color and a certain flavor, and, oh yeah, a "neutral grain spirit." In some cases it is a "neutral grape spirit." With today's proprietary liqueurs, the base alcohol matters...really matters. The neutral grape spirit has become "fine cognac" in these liqueurs. The neutral grain spirit has now become "premium French vodka." (I think they picked up on the importance of French vodka from Grey Goose.) Many new products cross my desk (and bar) quite often. Many times I get enlisted to create cocktails with these brands, and when I do, I also receive enough information to completely cover the bar, or completely clutter my desk. I get point-of-sales info; I get portfolios, ingredients, recipes, tasting notes, brand history, photos, everything from who carries it, to who created it, to the height and weight of the master distiller... I recently received a bottle of INTRIGUE, and nothing else. After seeing it, smelling it and tasting it, I knew I came across the future "top shelf" brand of this category. Now, I needed to know more, so I called them. Not only did they refuse to reveal anything about the flavors I was getting, they didn't want me to know anything about it at all. I found this to be, well, intriguing. After twisting a few arms I did pull out of them that Maurice Kanbar (Chairman and founder of Skyy Vodka) is involved and the producer is Louis Royer (Cognac, France). These are no beginners in our industry, so my initial sense of quality was confirmed. This group of liqueurs has been demanding respect in the industry for years, now they are earning it. If you, or your establishment, want to be the first to carry/offer a simple yet tasty cutting-edge cocktail, (both ingredients were released within the past 4 months), I give you the Mango Mystique. Enjoy. MANGO MYSTIQUE Equal parts: Finlandia Mango Fusion Vodka INTRIGUE Liqueur Garnish Mango Slice Can be served straight up or on the rocks. Use equal proportions to fill your rocks glass. If you want to serve straight up, shake until the tin freezes and strain into a martini glass. Garnish with a mango slice (An orange wedge also will work).