by In The Spirit | Dec 14, 2015 | Drinks Guide |
De Kuyper Wild Strawberry is a simply stunning summery cocktail ingredient which captures the colours and essence of fresh ripe strawberries in a delicious liqueur. Superb enjoyed chilled and neat, over ice or drizzled over desserts such as vanilla ice cream or sorbet...
by In The Spirit | Dec 14, 2015 | Drinks Guide |
The difference between Whisky and Whiskey is that the first is made on the UK mainland – generally in Scotland – and the second is imported, mainly from Ireland or America. Although, the general principle of production is the same, the two types are distinctly...
by In The Spirit | Dec 14, 2015 | Drinks Guide |
Vodka is a clear spirit that can be produced from ingredients which contain starch. Starch can be converted to sugar and then alcohol is fermented from sugar. Raw ingredients for vodka production can be anything from grain (barley, maize, rye, wheat etc) to molasses...
by In The Spirit | Dec 14, 2015 | Drinks Guide |
The history of vermouth dates back to medieval times when the goodness of herbs was preserved by steeping them in wine – often prepared by monasteries for medicinal purposes. Vermouth takes its name for the German word “Wermut” which means wormwood – an essential...
by In The Spirit | Dec 14, 2015 | Drinks Guide |
Triple Sec is similar to Blue Curaçao in that it is made from oranges from the Caribbean island of Curaçao (situated just off the coast of Venezuela in South America). Triple Sec – literally meaning Triple Dry – is distilled three times – creating a liqueur which is...
by In The Spirit | Dec 14, 2015 | Drinks Guide |
Tia Maria is still made according to a secret family recipe dating back to mid 17th century Jamaica which has been passed down through the generations. First produced commercially in the 1950s when Dr Kenneth Leigh Evans – a prominent scientist and gourmet...
by In The Spirit | Dec 14, 2015 | Drinks Guide |
Contrary to popular belief, Tequila is not made from alcohol derived from the cactus plant, but from the agave plant (pronounced ‘Uh-Gah-Vee’), which is closely related to the yucca and the amaryllis. The sweet sap from the agave is fermented and then distilled twice...
by In The Spirit | Dec 14, 2015 | Drinks Guide |
De Kuyper’s Sour Apple is a delicious liqueur made with apple flavours blended with fine spirits and is reminiscent of Granny Smith apples. This beautiful bright green liqueur brightens up cocktails and long drinks with its exceptionally fresh sweet and sour apple...
by In The Spirit | Dec 14, 2015 | Drinks Guide |
For our entry on white rum, we are using the most well known brand – Bacardi Carta Blanca. As with many rum brands, molasses are used as the base product are transformed into alcohol through spontaneous (natural) fermentation. In the recipe for Bacardi, purified...
by In The Spirit | Dec 14, 2015 | Drinks Guide |
Produced by the above method, dark rums obtain their colour from the addition of caramel and the extractives of the oak barrel during their ageing. In-the-spirit’s preferred Dark Rum is Woods 100 Rum. Woods 100 is blended with several different rums and has soft...
by In The Spirit | Dec 14, 2015 | Drinks Guide |
Produced using a similar process to dark rum – the golden rather than dark colour depends on the amount of caramel added to colour and flavour the rum. Aged rum usually refers to a longer period of ageing of a particular rum style to achieve a more robust flavour from...
by In The Spirit | Dec 14, 2015 | Drinks Guide |
Rum is distilled from the fermented products of sugar cane – usually molasses. As is the case with all distilled spirits – rum is water white when first distilled. Fermentation is the process by which the sugar in molasses in converted into alcohol by the use of...
by In The Spirit | Dec 14, 2015 | Drinks Guide |
Flavoured vodkas are created by soaking the fruit in the vodka for a period of time so that the natural flavours are drawn out into the alcohol. The liquid is then drained off and filtered to remove impurities.
by In The Spirit | Dec 14, 2015 | Drinks Guide |
De Kuyper Raspberry is a liqueur which captures the essence of ripe raspberries blended with fine spirits. This superb liqueur has the aroma of fresh raspberries with a deep berry red colour which will enhance all kinds of cocktails. Other traditional raspberry...
by In The Spirit | Dec 14, 2015 | Drinks Guide |
Archers is probably the most popular Peach Schnapps on the UK market. It has a syrupy palate with a real peachey freshness. Traditional European Schnapps are grain or potato based spirits, generally quite high in alcohol content, which are designed to be drunk...
by In The Spirit | Dec 14, 2015 | Drinks Guide |
Passoã is a delicious Passion Fruit flavoured liqueur made from Passion Fruits sourced exclusively from Brazil. Passion Fruit was first discovered by Spanish missionaries in South America in the 1500’s. Its light and fruity flavour makes it extremely versatile...
by In The Spirit | Dec 14, 2015 | Drinks Guide |
Made with the same painstaking method as the original Noilly Prat Dry vermouth, the Noilly Prat Red (or sweet) style has a total of 30 different herbs and spices added to it which produce its deep red hues. Although the full list of herbs and spices are a closely...
by In The Spirit | Dec 14, 2015 | Drinks Guide |
This original French dry vermouth was first created by herbalist Joseph Noilly in 1813. From indigenous grape varieties of the Languedoc region in the South of France called Picpoul de Pinet and Clairette, he created wines which are then aged separately for up to a...
by In The Spirit | Dec 14, 2015 | Drinks Guide |
Kirsch is a clear liqueur distilled from cherry kernels within the fruit pip.
by In The Spirit | Dec 14, 2015 | Drinks Guide |
Kahlua is a coffee liqueur, which originated in Mexico. It is produced by blending roasted Arabica coffee beans with other ingredients and a white cane sugar spirit base.
by In The Spirit | Dec 14, 2015 | Drinks Guide |
Grenadine is made using pomegranate juice and sugar to create a sweet, fruit flavoured syrup. In-the-spirit recommends De Kuyper Grenadine which is used as a flavour and colour enhancer in cocktails such as the Tequila Sunrise. De Kuyper Grenadine is non-alcoholic and...
by In The Spirit | Dec 14, 2015 | Drinks Guide |
Essentially gin is distilled grain alcohol flavoured with different herbs and spices known as botanicals. The main flavour ingredient in gin is juniper berries, which gives it a distinctive dry taste. Other botanicals can include coriander, angelica root, citrus peels...
by In The Spirit | Dec 14, 2015 | Drinks Guide |
Galliano is a vibrant yellow liqueur from Italy, made from infusing over 30 herbs and spices (including star anise, lavender, ginger and vanilla) in pure alcohol. The flavour is of spices liquorice and honey.
by In The Spirit | Dec 14, 2015 | Drinks Guide |
Also known as Orange Curaçao – this liqueur belongs to the family of Curaçao liqueurs but is quite distinctive from the blue style made by De Kuyper. Made from distilled extracts of lemons, oranges and curaçao fruit blended with orange bitters, De Kuyper have created...
by In The Spirit | Dec 14, 2015 | Drinks Guide |
Disaronno is an amaretto liqueur. Contrary to popular opinion Disaronno is not made from almonds, but from pure distilled alcohol, burnt sugar, herbs and fruits soaked in apricot kernel oil (the fruit found within the seed). The flavour of Disaronno is reminiscent of...
by In The Spirit | Dec 14, 2015 | Drinks Guide |
As with other “crème de” liqueurs, this term comes from the French phrase “crème de la crème” meaning the “best of the best” and does not mean the liqueur contains any cream. “Menthe” is the French for mint. To make their Crème de Menthe liqueur, De Kuyper use the oil...
by In The Spirit | Dec 14, 2015 | Drinks Guide |
Like other “crème de” liqueurs, this term comes from the French phrase “crème de la crème” which means “best of the best” and does not mean that the liqueur contains any cream. Crème de Cassis is a blackcurrant liqueur believed to have originated in the Dijon region...
by In The Spirit | Dec 14, 2015 | Drinks Guide |
Crème de Cacao White produced from the distillate (a purified liquid produced from vapour during distilling) of cacao beans and has a slightly sweeter flavour than the Crème de Cacao Brown. Crème de Cacao White is used to give a more refined cacao flavour to...
by In The Spirit | Dec 14, 2015 | Drinks Guide |
Carefully distilled spirits are combined with the extract of cacao beans from Africa and vanilla from Madagascar to produce this traditional sweet chocolate flavour liqueur. The adding of caramel enhances the chocolate flavour and dark colour. De Kuyper Crème de Cacao...
by In The Spirit | Dec 14, 2015 | Drinks Guide |
The French term ‘Crème de …’ refers to one particular flavour which predominates in the liqueur, not that it contains cream. Crème De Bananes is made using fresh bananas, macerated in pure alcohol, and then flavoured with natural herb essences, brandy and...