Caballero B. (ed.) Encyclopaedia of Food Science, Food Technology and Nutrition. Ten-Volume Set

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LIQUEURS

Contents

Composition

Cream Liqueurs

Composition

M L Gonza

lez-Sanjose

and S Pe

rez-Magarin

University of Burgos, Burgos, Spain

Background

0001 Back in the fourth century, ancient alchemists

discovered that the medicinal qualities of some of

the remedial herbs, spices, fruits, and barks were

preserved longer when infused with alcohol.

0002 In the twelfth century, an alchemist located in

France wrote of flavored alcohols that had restorative

and life-giving powers. He talked of the distillation of

wine into ‘aqua vitae’ and the subsequent flavoring of

these spirits with various herbs and spices. It was

believed that these beverages were vital and life-

restoring. At first, they were used only as alchemy

potions but later, around the fourteenth century, were

used as a pleasurable drink in the court of ‘Catherine

de Medici’ of France.

0003 Between the fourteenth and seventeenth century,

alchemists and monks did most of the production of

these liqueurs. Benedictine monks are attributed with

the production of Benedictine and Chartreuse, an

‘Elixir de longue Vie’ (elixir of long life). By the end

of the seventeenth century, several distilleries had

been set up, which produced commercial quantities

of liqueurs.

0004 The word ‘liqueur’ is derived from the Latin ‘lique-

facere,’ which means ‘to melt, or dissolve’ and refers

to the methods of flavoring the alcohol, forming the

base of the liqueur.

Definition

0005 The alcoholic beverages, which have levels of alcohol

less than 15–16



Alc, are usually named low alco-

holic beverages, and their alcohol content is produced

by fermentation of their original musts. However,

spirits are alcoholic beverages with levels of alcohol

over 15–20



Alc, from the distillation of a fermenting

medium. Liqueurs are, by definition, sweetened

spirits that can be both colored and colorless. Most

of the older classical liqueurs have their origin in

the monasteries and have been produced for several

hundred years. Until fairly recently, liqueurs were

produced by traditional methods without legal con-

trols. However, nowadays, their classification and

legislation are well defined, especially in Europe and

USA.

0006Under European Council Regulations (EEC 1576/

1989), a liqueur is defined as:

0007a spirit drink having a minimum sugar content of

100 g l

1

(as invert) produced by flavoring ethyl alcohol

of agricultural origin, or a distillate of agricultural origin

or one or more spirit drinks, sweetened, and possibly

with the addition of products of agricultural origin such

as cream, milk, or other milk products, fruit, wine or

flavored wine.

Liqueurs are a subclassification of ‘spirit drinks’,so

they must contain at least 15



Alc. In practice, they

are produced with strengths ranging from 15 to



Alc, although most of the traditional liqueurs

contain 35–45



Alc. Owing to consumer demands,

many of the newer brands are weaker.

0008In the USA, the manufacture of liqueurs is

controlled by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and

Firearms, and liqueurs are defined as:

0009products obtained by mixing or re-distilling distilled

spirits with or over fruits, flowers, plants or pure juices

therefrom, or other natural flavoring materials, or with

extracts derived from infusions, percolation or macer-

ation of such materials and containing sugar, dextrose or

levulose, or a combination thereof in an amount not less

than 2.5% by weight of the finished product.

Therefore, the liqueur definitions in Europe and the

USA are significantly different, especially in terms of

minimum sugar content. In any case, both definitions

are not very specific and allow a wide range of liqueur

types.

0010Although liqueurs and spirits are both alcoholic

distillates, the terms are not usually interchangeable.

The distinction lies in the way in which the various

flavors are obtained. Liqueurs are spirit-based drinks

to which flavors are added, or extracted from vegetal

material by maceration or infusion, and are often

enhanced by sweetening.

LIQUEURS/Composition 3553

0011 Sometimes, generic terms such as aquavits,

schnapps, eau de vies, or vodkas are used in different

countries for both spirits and liqueurs. However, they

are in fact two different products, not only in their

sugar content but also in their elaboration process.

Both are fermented and distilled, but liqueurs are

obtained by steeping vegetal materials in an alcohol

that has already been fermented and distilled. Some

special liqueurs in the British Commonwealth

nations, especially the UK and Australia, are called

cordials, which are prepared by steeping fruit pulps or

juices in sweetened alcohol.

Raw Material and Composition

0012 All liqueurs are produced from a common list of

ingredients such as alcohol, sugar, flavoring, colorant

or pigment, and water, but some liqueurs may contain

other components such as cream, fruit juices, emulsi-

fiers, plant materials, and some additives, which are

subject to legislation. The elaboration of a good

liqueur implies a good selection of the raw materials

and exhaustive control of the substances added to

obtain equilibrate and stable beverages.

Alcohol Base

0013 The alcohol base (ethanol) may be originated from

any fermentable agricultural material. Synthetic alco-

hol from petroleum is not allowed for use in alcoholic

beverages.

0014 Plants contain simple carbohydrates (sugars) or

complex carbohydrates (starch or cellulose), from

which it is possible to obtain alcohol by fermentation.

This general principle is the basis for the production

of the agricultural alcohol for alcoholic beverages.

Sugars present in certain vegetable products, simple

(most fruits) or complex (cereals) must be extracted,

and, if necessary, they must also be hydrolyzed (as

starch). Then, the simple sugars can be used as a

substrate to obtain alcohol (ethanol) by the action

of yeast.

0015 The main steps in this transformation, which may

vary slightly depending on the type of material, are as

follows:

0016 Pretreatment of the biomass. This process implies

the transformation of the raw material to favor

sugar extraction. Raw materials are crushed,

milled, grinned, cut, etc., to reduce the particle

size and increase the surface of extraction, favoring

the extraction of sugars and some other com-

pounds. These processes are needed, especially in

the case of cereals, potatoes and other root crops,

as well as for other plants such as agaves. Extrac-

tion of the juices or dissolution–extraction of the

sugars from the solid parts is usually carried out

by pressing, boiling, mashing, and extraction by

diffusion.

0017The next step is the hydrolysis or transformation of

the complex carbohydrates into simple sugars in

aqueous medium. These sugars are used in fermen-

tation. In the case of alcoholic beverages, this

process always takes place by enzymatic activity,

generally taking advantage of the activity of the

substrates themselves, or resorting to the use of

exogenous permitted enzymes.

0018Alcoholic fermentation is then carried out, trans-

forming sugars into ethanol by the action of

yeasts. Few species of yeast are capable of main-

taining themselves in a state of active fermentation

once high levels of alcohol have been reached.

Several products obtained in this way, with

some further modifications, make up the largest

group of drinks produced by fermentation with a

relatively low alcohol content, such as cider, beer,

and wine.

0019In order to obtain products with a higher alcohol

content, distillation must be carried out. Distilla-

tion involves the separation and concentration of

ethanol from the fermented medium, to obtain

alcoholic distillates of different strengths and

sensorial characteristics, depending not only on

the original substrate but also on the type of dis-

tillation equipment employed. Such products

obtained in this way are sometimes called neutral

spirits, and they are the base for the manufacture of

different spirit beverages such as brandy, whisky,

gin, vodka, and liquors, amongst others.

A direct distillation process produces distillates with

alcohol strength of no more than 86



Alc. To obtain a

product with a higher content of alcohol, redistilla-

tion is necessary.

0020The most common process for obtaining high-

quality distillates uses a copper still, in which succes-

sive distillations are carried out to yield highly

flavored products and with an alcoholic strength of

about 72



Alc. However, the distillation can be also

carried out in distillation towers, in which the distil-

late can achieve higher alcoholic grade, up to 86



Alc.

In general, these distillates are less flavored than those

obtained in stills. Columns can be made of copper or

stainless steel.

0021The distillation process generates several fractions:

0022Heads, which contain the most volatile constitu-

ents, are often detrimental to the quality of the

spirit. Methanol is one such undesirable product.

0023Heart, which contains the ethanol and other im-

portant volatile compounds responsible for the

aroma, which evoke the origin of the distillate.

3554 LIQUEURS/Composition

3.0024 Tails, which are rich in alcohols with a high

number of carbons and with a high potential to

reduce the quality of the spirit. However, this

fraction contains some interesting less volatile

components that can be important; these can be

recirculated to recover these products without

spoiling the quality of the spirit.

0025 In order to guarantee the purity of the alcohol, the

first fraction (heads) must be correctly rejected, pre-

venting methanol from appearing in the final prod-

uct, and only the heart is used later to improve the

final spirit. The different methods of carrying out the

distillation (type of stills, number of successive distil-

lation, recycling of tails, etc.) confer different charac-

teristics to the spirits, and have a direct effect on their

quality.

0026 The alcohol base used for liqueurs is usually ‘neu-

tral,’ i.e., clear and tasteless, so flavor compounds of

distillates do not contribute to the final flavor char-

acteristics of liqueurs, which are obtained by adding

specific products. However, for special liqueurs,

flavored alcohols, rich in odor compounds isolated

together with ethanol during distillation, are pre-

ferred. For example, in ‘juice liqueurs’ or ‘fruit

liqueurs’ flavored alcohols obtained from fermenta-

tion and distillation of the same juice fruit are used to

intensify the flavor of the final product.

Water

0027 Water with a high level of purity is required to avoid

any stability problems caused by inorganic ions. The

salt content needs to be controlled, especially in cal-

cium, which can produce precipitates. These precipi-

tates produce cloudiness in the liqueurs and, when

precipitated, can sweep along with them other com-

ponents of the liqueurs such as pigment or flavoring.

0028 However, chlorine levels should be controlled,

since chlorine imparts undesirable flavors. Thus soft

water with a hardness below 8 must be used, and for

this purpose, demineralized water can be used.

Sugars

0029 Sugars in liqueurs are a very important material and

can be obtained from many sources, depending on the

availability, price, legality, and final characteristics

required.

0030 The most commonly used sugar is sucrose from

sugar cane or beet, although other sweet substances

such as liquid glucose syrups, high-fructose corn

syrup, honey, or rectified concentrated grape must

can also be used. In addition, several other sweet

compounds may be used, such as polyalcohols and

synthetic sweeteners, which are added in order to

increase the sweetness and reduce the levels of sugars

added, thus reducing the calorific value of some

liqueurs.

0031The best form in which to add sugars, irrespective

of their source, is as a liquid solution. In this way,

sugars are already dissolved and can mix better with

the hydroalcoholic medium. These solutions are free

of impurities (having been eliminated previously

during their manufacture), thus reducing the risk of

cloudiness or haze. In addition, liquid solutions pro-

duce a better taste and mouthfeel probably owing to

the inversion of sucrose to glucose and fructose.

0032Sugars can also be added to liqueurs as a thickening

or coloring agent. Starch syrup produces thicker

liqueurs, with a higher density, without overly in-

creasing the sweetness. Other carbohydrates may be

used as thickening agents also. However, when

hydrocolloids are applied, their solubility and stabil-

ity in hydroalcoholic solutions must be tested before-

hand.

0033Liquid caramels and some syrups obtained by heat

treatment of crystalline sucrose or other sugar sources

can act as colorants. In such cases, temperature must

be carefully controlled during the heat treatment in

order to avoid the formation of high quantities of

furfural and derivatives, the levels of which are legally

limited in liqueurs.

Flavoring and color

0034Flavoring components can be extracted from natural

plants such as herbs (barks, roots, seeds, flowers),

fruits, spices, and beans such as coffee and cocoa.

These vegetal materials add color, taste, and aroma

(flavor) to liqueurs owing to the extraction of differ-

ent compounds present within them. Also, flavoring

compounds can be obtained from essential oils,

natural-flavoring extracts, or any combination of

these sources with different permitted flavoring and

coloring food additives. Usually, synthetic flavors are

added in cheaper brands of liqueurs.

0035The color of liqueurs may result directly from the

use of plants such as fruits, seeds, leaves, etc. Plain

caramel is often used, as it is the most stable color for

spirits and liqueurs. For other colors, synthetic colors

can be used, where legislation allows.

0036Fruits can be used whole or peeled, and they should

be employed in the optimum grade of maturation in

order to achieve their maximum flavor, color, and

sugar contribution.

0037Generally, a large number of brands use synthetic

flavors and colorants to adjust or intensify the ‘nat-

ural’ characteristics of their products. It is important

to note that natural extracted pigments are more

susceptible to degradation than some synthetic color-

ant additives, which are very useful to maintain the

attractive color of liqueurs.

LIQUEURS/Composition 3555

0038 Different methods to obtain the flavor and color

from fruits, herbs, spices, and beans can be used. The

methods used most often are as follows:

0039 Maceration: This procedure involves steeping the

aromatic/flavoring agent, which has usually been

bruised in a hydroalcoholic solution for a period

of time in order to extract an essence from it. This

essence is then added to the base as the flavoring

agent. This is the traditional method used in

higher-quality liqueurs. The herbs used can be

fresh or dry. Their extraction is be carried out

using alcohol of different strengths. The fresh

herbs can be extracted quickly and with a high

yield in high alcoholic solutions between 70 and

96%. However, dry herbs should be extracted

with an alcoholic solution of lower ethanol

concentration (40–60%), because they must be

rehydrated to facilitate the extraction of internal

pigments and flavored compounds.

0040 Infusion: This is similar to the maceration process

in which the flavoring agent is steeped in a base

alcohol, but in this case, the alcohol is heated.

The heat can be maintained for several days, and

the result is a more flavorful and less expensive

product.

0041 Percolation: This method can be done with either

a hot or a cold solution. The alcoholic base is

allowed to drip though the raw material (or

flavoring agent). The alcoholic base can also be

heated, and then the formed steam passed through

the agent prior to being collected and recondensed

to form the base product (extract).

0042 Distillation: Usually, this is steam distillation of

the desired flavoring agent, which has previously

been extracted by maceration. This is often

repeated many times with large amounts of the

flavoring agent and reducing the volume to a rela-

tively small amount of liquid. This method pro-

duces a very strong essence that can be added to

the bulk of the alcohol base.

0043 During the 1990s, liquid CO

extraction was

largely improved, and nowadays, this technique

has many applications in the food industry. One

such application is the manufacture of essential oil

extracts, especially from herbs and species, which

are applied in the elaboration of liqueurs. The

extracts are usually better than extracts

obtained by steam distillation in terms of quality,

yield, and energy savings.

The choice of method depends on the source from

which the flavor is to be extracted and on the particu-

lar flavor required from the flavoring agent. Some

flavoring will yield different flavors, depending on

the type of extraction used.

0044The final products used to be alcoholic bases,

which contain the flavor of the vegetal material.

Owing to the fact that potentially toxic substances,

present in vegetal material, can be extracted together

with pigment and flavoring compounds, these ex-

tracts must be analyzed and controlled adequately

before they are used in liqueur manufacture. Some

of these undesirable compounds include thujones

mainly extracted from herbs, cianhydric acid and

its derivatives, mainly extracted from almonds and

drupes, and methanol, mainly present in extracts

from fruits with a high pectin content or when pecti-

nases have been applied in fruit treatment, and so on.

0045Innovations in liqueur manufacture, mainly in

response to consumer demands, have become import-

ant in fruit-flavored liqueurs, the development of

products with flavors that combine well with mixers,

increased sophistication and diversity of flavorings,

and greater use of natural flavorings.

Elaboration Processes

0046There are two main types of processes for producing

liqueurs, maceration systems and blending systems,

which are usually automated with feedback controls.

Both systems yield products with similar characteris-

tics, although the final quality in each case is different.

Maceration Systems

0047The maceration system is the most traditional pro-

cedure, which involves a process very similar to the

maceration/infusion processes previously described

to extract pigments and flavoring compounds from

fruits and plants (Figure 1). After the extraction pro-

cess, liqueurs acquire their flavor and color character-

istics, which evoke the raw material or their origin.

0048Different studies have been carried out in order to

improve the extraction of pigments and flavor com-

pounds during maceration. These include optimiza-

tion of the strength of hydroalcoholic extracting

solutions according to the different vegetal raw ma-

terial, optimization of the relation between the weight

of the raw material and the extracting solution

volume, and the contact time or duration of the ma-

ceration process. In addition, the use of diverse com-

mercial enzymes, especially clarifying pectolytic and

color-extracting preparations, have been described.

These types of enzyme preparations can improve the

final color of extracts and liqueurs and can prevent

haze formation, because they hydrolyze, and reduce

the levels of pectins in the final products.

0049Vegetal materials are usually separated from the

liquid extract by decantation or filtration, depending

on the type and size of the raw material used (whole

fruits, whole or powder herbs, etc.). Different types

3556 LIQUEURS/Composition

of equipment can be used, such as plate and frame

filters, leaf filters, or sieve systems. The liquid extract

is racked off to a blending tank, where sugars or syrup

are added; caramel and other ingredients can also be

added. The tanks usually have agitation systems to

improve the mixture. If necessary, the alcoholic grade

can also be adjusted. In addition, several flavor and

colorant substances can be added to adjust the final

color and flavor.

0050 The final step is bottling. Prior to bottling, liqueurs

are maintained in repose. During this period, differ-

ent settling processes are developed, which can be

improved by cooling. Then, liqueurs are filtered to

eliminate any precipitates and to yield a product with

a high purity and brightness.

0051 Haze formation after bottling is one of the most

undesirable effects, as cloudiness greatly reduces the

quality of the final product. This haze formation

depends on many factors such as the presence of

proteins, polyphenols (mainly ellagic tannins), and

pectins, which are present in vegetal materials and

extracts. Thus, in recent years, different studies on

the use of different clarificants such as polyvinylpyr-

rolidone and adsorbed resins have been carried out.

These products are injected directly into alcoholic

extracts or liqueurs, and then, the centrifugation or

filtration processes are carried out. However, the

effect of the clarification agent on the retention of

pigments and flavor compounds must be tested

beforehand, in order to prevent any decoloration

or undesirable losses of flavor.

Continuous Blending Systems

0052Continuous blending systems are carried out in steel

blending tanks connected to other secondary tanks

containing the different components of the liqueur,

such as water, alcohol, syrup, liquid starch, solution

of colorant, and flavor compounds, etc. (Figure 2).

Automated valve systems control the volume of every

component of the liqueur pumped to the blending

tank. Usually, the blending tank has agitation systems

to improve the mixture of the ingredients. Sometimes,

the blending is stabilized by the homogenization pro-

cess. This step is necessary, especially when the final

product has a high level of essential oils or other

compounds with a low water solubility. In addition,

juice liqueurs and other cloudy liqueurs can be

homogenized, in order to stabilize their turbidity.

0053After blending, with the exception of cloudy

liqueurs, the final steps are similar to those previously

described for traditional methods. Because the initial

constituents are liquid solutions that have been

Filtration

Bottling

Homogenization

Control (feed back)

Blending

Alcohol

Caramel

Flavoring

Colorant

Fruits/herbs/

beans extracts

Water

Sugar sources

fig0002Figure 2 Diagram of continuous blending systems.

Water

Alcohol

Solids

Caramel,

colorant,

flavor

compounds,

etc.

(optional)

Repose and settling

Sugar sources

Maceration/Infusion

Decanting/Filtration

Fruits, herbs,

beans,

Liquid

extract

Blending

Homogenization

Bottling

Filtration

fig0001 Figure 1 Diagram of traditional (maceration) liqueur-making

process.

LIQUEURS/Composition 3557

adequately treated and filtrated, usually, a few new

precipitates are formed during blending. Then, a

repose period is optional, and membrane filters

are usually employed to increase the brightness of

liqueurs.

0054 Modern systems are feedback control systems.

From the outlet of the blending tank, an aliquot of

the product is sent to the analyzer system, which can

be connected directly to the interior of the blending

tank (in line control systems). The analysis center

confirms whether the product complies with fixed

quality parameters such as color, pH,



Brix or sugar

content, density, etc. If the product shows any devi-

ation from the allowed limits of any parameter,

control systems send a signal to the respective valve

to add the component necessary to correct the

detected deviation. Only when the liqueur complies

with the specifications is the valve of discharge (outlet)

of the blending tank opened, and the product is then

conveyed to the stabilization process and bottled.

0055 Different software packages, for a wide range of

technical calculations in liqueur manufacture, have

been developed in the last 5–6 years, and some are

used in the aforementioned automatic modern

systems.

Types of Liqueurs

0056 The range of liqueurs is enormous; many companies

produce a wide range of brands, and different coun-

tries produce different national products, probably

because of the different raw materials found in differ-

ent countries. Thus, there are different possibilities to

classify liqueurs, such as by strength, sugar content,

origin (fruit, beans, or herbs, and type), color (color

and colorless), appearance (clear or cloudy), manu-

facturing process (maceration or blending), etc. It is

useful at this point to note the differences between

similar products such as ‘Cream’ and ‘Cre

me’ liqueur.

0057 ‘Cream liqueurs’ are thick liqueurs made with

cream, milk, or some other dairy product, and their

strength is usually lower than that of other liqueurs.

Owing to their ‘special’ composition, their shelf-life is

shorter than that of other liqueurs, and after they

have been opened, they should be kept refrigerated.

‘Cre

me’ (pronounced ‘Krem’) is a term that is

followed by the name of a specific fruit or other

vegetal material and is reserved only for liqueurs

with a minimum sugar content of 250 g l

1

. These

liqueurs contain enough sugar to become thick and

creamy in texture, but there is no actual cream in

them.

0058 According to European legislation, liqueurs that

specify fruits or plant materials (including pictorial

representation) must contain at least 90% of the cited

materials, and only 100% natural products can be

used in their elaboration. If the term ‘natural’ source

of flavor is not specified in the label, artificial (syn-

thetic) flavorings may be used. However, USA legisla-

tion allows the use of the term ‘boosted natural’

flavors, which may contain up to 0.1% of artificial

flavor components. Some regulations of other coun-

tries may also specify different specifications, e.g.,

Spanish legislation determines that ‘juice liqueurs’

must contain at least 20% natural juice from the

cited fruit.

0059Recently, ‘gelled liqueurs’ and ‘alcopops’ have

appeared on the market. ‘Gelled liqueurs’ are charac-

terized by their gel texture, and an alcohol-free bever-

age base is mixed with hydrocolloids (e.g., gellan and

gelatin) at high temperature, followed by turbulent

mixing with an alcohol/water mixture and homogen-

ization to produce a solid gel. This gel is stable at

ambient temperature and may be used for direct con-

sumption or as a filling in wafers, chocolates, and

other foods. The mouthfeel of the gelled product

depends on the composition of the alcoholic bever-

ages and the gelling agents used.

0060‘Alcopops’ are liqueurs, usually fruit liqueurs, of

low alcoholic content, and have recently appeared on

the UK market, being marketed primarily at young

people.

0061Owing to the specific characteristics of certain

liqueurs or their manufacturing processes, some li-

queurs are protected under specific quality denomin-

ations, similar to spirits such as whiskies, brandies,

and gins. The most common indication, especially for

products elaborated in European countries, is PDO

(Protected Designation of Origin).

0062However, because liqueurs are not a static medium,

their composition and characteristics do not remain

constant. Their minor constituents, especially pig-

ments and flavoring, undergo a large number of

changes, not only during manufacture but also during

storage. These are mainly degradation reactions cata-

lyzed by aqueous acidic medium, high temperature,

and light (UV irradiation).

0063Such changes make it difficult to determine the

authenticity of these products, and so, in the last

decade, many papers on the determination of authen-

tication parameters of different liqueurs have been

published. In general, aroma compounds have

been studied and described as useful parameters to

determine the authentication of liqueurs. Isomers and

isotopes studies are very useful, because their pres-

ence and relative amounts in natural flavor extracts

and synthetic preparations are usually different.

0064Phenolic compounds and other pigments such as

carotenoids have also been evaluated as characteristic

parameters of natural liqueurs.

3558 LIQUEURS/Composition

See also: Alcohol: Properties and Determination; Flavor

(Flavour) Compounds: Structures and Characteristics;

Liqueurs: Cream Liqueurs

Further Reading

Adam L, Bartels W, Christoph N and Stempfl W (1995)

Brennereianalytik. Qualitaetskontrolle und Analytik in

Fachlabor, vols. I and II. Hamburg: B. Behr’s Verlag.

Bryne RM (1993) How to Make Liqueurs. Kenthurst, Aus-

tralia: Kangaroo Press.

Clutton DW (1995) Speciality products. In: Lea AGH and

Piggott JR (eds), Fermented Beverage Production.

Glasgow: Blackie, pp. 301–324.

Durkan A (1998) Spirits and Liqueurs. Lincolnwood: NTC

Contemporary Publishing.

Hunt J (2000) Alcoholic fruit drinks grow up. Food Review

27: 21–22.

Jeffers HP (2000) High Spirits: a Celebration of Scotch,

Bourbon, Cognac and More. Collingdale: DIANE Pub-

lishing.

Long C and Kibbey H (1996) Classic Liqueurs: The Art of

Making and Cooking with Liqueurs. Lake Oswego, OR:

Culinary Arts.

Meilach DZ (1996) The Best 50 Homemade Liqueurs. San

Leandro, CA: Bristol Publishing Enterprises.

United States Code (1994) Intoxication Liquors and Title

28; Judiciary and Judicial Procedure. Washington, DC:

United States Government Printing Office.

Walton S (1999) Complete Guide to Spirits and Liqueurs.

New York: Anness Publishing.

Walton S and Miller N (1997) Spirits and Liqueurs Cook-

book. New York: Lorenz Books.

Walton S and Miller N (2000) Encyclopedia of Spirits and

Liqueurs and How to Cook With Them. London: South-

water Books.

Wustenfeld H and Haeseler G (1996) Trinkbranntweine

und Likoere. Berlin: Blackwell Wissenschafts Verlag.

Cream Liqueurs

BTO’Kennedy and W J Donnelly, National Dairy

Products Research Centre, County Cork, Ireland,

Definition of Product

0001 Cream liqueur is an alcoholic beverage containing

emulsified milk fat. The first of the new generation

of cream liqueurs which now dominate that market is

manufactured in Ireland and marketed under the

name Bailey’s Irish Cream. Similar products are

now manufactured in several countries. A standard

definition of cream liqueur does not exist internation-

ally and since there can be wide variations in the

composition of liqueurs from different manufacturers

only the broadest technical definition is possible. For

marketing and regulatory purposes more precise def-

initions exist or are contemplated in several countries.

An example is the proposed standard for Irish cream

liqueur currently under discussion among manufac-

turers in Ireland, which specifies among other things

that the product must contain 12% (w/v) minimum

butterfat, 15% v/v minimum alcohol, 100 g l

1

minimum sugar, and have an 18 months’ shelf-life.

0002A typical cream liqueur composition is shown in

Table 1. Most of the major liqueurs approximate the

typical composition.

Basis of Formulation

0003High-quality cream is a prerequisite for the produc-

tion of consistent quality and stability. For the most

part, the fat in the cream acts as an inert diluent,

imparting a creamy texture, the absence of which

can be quite noticeable when the fat is reduced.

Homogenization reduces fat globule size such that

creaming is prevented on storage. Most commercial

cream liqueurs incorporate sodium caseinate with the

purpose of stabilizing the newly formed fat emulsion.

The use of small amounts of low-molecular-weight

surfactants such as glycerol monostearate (GMS) is

also widespread in commercial practice. While

sodium caseinate would be recognized as the prime

emulsifier, the effect of GMS can be significant in the

subsequent behavior of the product. The presence of

14% by weight of ethanol has a marked effect on

sensory properties and is an effective control on mi-

crobial spoilage. The presence of large quantities of

sucrose in the formulation is central to the taste and

organoleptic properties of the product. Besides its

obvious importance to the sensory characteristics of

the product, sucrose can also have direct effects on

the behavior of the other components and on such

physical properties as refractive index or viscosity of

the aqueous phase. (See Casein and Caseinates: Uses

tbl0001Table 1 Composition of a typical cream liqueur

Ingredient Percent

Milk fat 16%

Sugar 20%

Sodium caseinate 3%

Nonfat milk solids 1%

Total solids 40%

Ethanol 14%

Trisodium citrate 10 mmol l

1

Water 46%

Percentage values are on a w/w basis.

LIQUEURS/Cream Liqueurs 3559

in the Food Industry; Emulsifiers: Uses in Processed

Foods; Sucrose: Properties and Determination.)

0004 During the production of cream liqueurs, the con-

centration of some of the components in the system

may exist at a much higher level than is apparent in

the final product. This is due to the order of addition

and the water or alcohol content at various stages

during formulation. Because multicomponent inter-

actions are seen as the basis for consistency of prod-

uct, regulation of the water activity at any given step

in the production process, within the constraints of

practicality, can be a means of altering final product

characteristics.

Manufacturing Protocol

0005 A typical manufacturing process for cream liqueur is

shown in Figure 1. This involves the blending of

sodium caseinate solution with a cream/sugar solu-

tion, followed by homogenization and alcohol add-

ition. Considerable variation is likely in the sequence

of different steps and additions and in the precise

composition of the final mixture. Some of these vari-

ations may influence the characteristics of the final

product. Use of citrate as stabilizer has a dramatic

effect on shelf-life and is to be recommended. Use of

an emulsifier is optional since adequate emulsion sta-

bility can be provided by caseinate alone, provided

sufficiently high pressures are used in the emulsi-

fication step. In practice, moderate pressures are

preferred and hence emulsifiers are desirable. The

homogenization step may be carried out before or

after alcohol addition. Homogenization with alcohol

present gives more efficient emulsification, but also

imparts a different mouth feel. Depending on the

homogenization conditions, the stage of emulsifier

addition may also be critical. (See Stabilizers: Types

and Function.)

Characteristics Expected in End Products

0006Following the manufacturing processes outlined, it is

expected that the cream liqueur will be stable to

excess creaming, gelation, or deposit formation for a

period in excess of 18 months. However, most export-

ers will take precautions to insure that the product is

not subjected to extremes in temperature. Exposure

to temperatures in excess of 40



C for any period of

time may result in a dramatic thickening of the prod-

uct. The viscosity of the product following manufac-

ture is one of the main textural characteristics of the

product, typically being in the region of 30 mPa at

moderate shear rates and 20



C. Cream liqueur is very

subject to shear thinning, having a high viscosity at

very low shear rates but becoming instantly pourable

on disturbance. It may therefore be regarded as

having the structure of a weak particle gel.

0007The mouth feel and textural parameters of the

product are modified by fat globule distribution. Dif-

ferent products generally show a difference in size

Sodium caseinate

35 kg

Water at 80 C

225 kg

Stir to dissolve

Cool

Cream

500 kg

Heat to dissolve

Cool

Sugar

240 kg

Heat to 70 C

Two-stage homogenization

BASE MIX

Mix

Add alcohol

Add mono/diglyceride (0.3%)

Add stabilizer (sodium citrate 10 mmol

−1

)

fig0001 Figure 1 A flow diagram for a typical cream liqueur manufacturing process. Reproduced from Liqueurs: Cream Liqueurs, Encyclo-

paedia of Food Science, Food Technology and Nutrition, Macrae R, Robinson RK and Sadler MJ (eds), 1993, Academic Press.

3560 LIQUEURS/Cream Liqueurs

distribution, most probably due to differences in pro-

cessing and homogenization regimes. The opacity and

glass-holding ability are also directly related to fat

globule size distribution; the smaller the fat globules,

the more translucent or less opaque the product can

become.

0008 A characteristic of cream liqueurs to a greater or

lesser extent, which is very noticeable to the con-

sumer, is the dramatic whitening effect that occurs

on dilution with neutral mixers, or on addition of

ice. This is due to a change in the refractive index of

the aqueous phase, emphasizing the light-scattering

properties of the fat globules. The choice of sodium

caseinate as the proteinaceous emulsifier makes the

liqueur unstable to acid. This characteristic is of some

importance as the addition of acid mixers to the

system may lead to coagulation and consumer rejec-

tion. This can be overcome by omitting the caseinate

and relying on low-molecular-weight surfactants as a

means of stabilizing the emulsion. However, a loss in

product quality is probable.

Storage/Stability Problems

0009 There are two main problems of instability associated

with cream liqueurs. These are creaming and age

thickening. Creaming arises because of inadequate

fat dispersion and is controlled by varying homo-

genization conditions during manufacture. The

important variables are homogenization pressure,

temperature, and number of homogenization stages.

Normally, manufacturers employ a two-stage pro-

cess, the first stage being at intermediate pressure

(about 20 MPa) and the second stage at low pressure

(about 40 MPa). Alternatively, multiple-stage high-

pressure (about 30 MPa) homogenization may be

employed. When homogenization is carried out after

alcohol addition, fat dispersion is improved. Since

there is a relationship between homogenization con-

ditions and liqueur characteristics such as mouth feel,

opacity, and glass adhesion, the precise conditions

used will represent a balance between stability and

sensory requirements.

0010 A much more complex instability problem is age

thickening. This is generally accompanied by phase

separation and emulsion breakdown. Age thickening

is best viewed as protein aggregation, involving com-

plex interactions between casein in the continuous

phase and at the fat/water interphase (recombined

fat globule membrane). Aggregation is promoted by

ionic calcium and by alcohol. An important add-

itional destabilizing factor is the process of homogen-

ization itself, which, in some manner not yet

understood, enhances the susceptibility of casein to

aggregation. The severity of the homogenization

effect increases with fat content, and liqueurs with

lower than normal fat are less likely to show instabil-

ity problems. The simplest remedy for problems

of protein instability is addition of a calcium com-

plexing agent such as sodium citrate. Liqueur pH

may also be a determining factor and small pH

adjustments may prove beneficial for individual

manufacturers.

0011Recently, it has been shown that the apparent vis-

cosity of cream liqueurs on storage at 45



C was

dependent on the sodium caseinate source and sug-

gested that electrostatic and sulfhydryl interactions

were involved. This was further substantiated by in-

formation indicating that certain fractions of the

sodium caseinate ingredient were far more susceptible

to alcohol-induced aggregation reactions. The alco-

hol-susceptible fraction contained sulfhydryl groups.

0012Other stability problems encountered from time

to time are deposit formation, lactose crystalliza-

tion, or citrate precipitation. These are formulation-

dependent and in most instances the remedy is slight

adjustment of the concentrations of individual

components.

See also: Casein and Caseinates: Uses in the Food

Industry; Emulsifiers: Uses in Processed Foods;

Stabilizers: Types and Function; Sucrose: Properties

and Determination