Liqueurs: where flavor and finesse meet in every sip
March 21, 2025 9:14 AM Subscribe
These 7 Liqueurs Are Distinctly Canadian and Just a Little Strange Liqueurs are as distinctive as the places they come from and Canadian liqueurs are just as unusual.
Or perhaps you would like to make your own? I have a black walnut tree in my backyard so nocino is something I might want to give a go. That recipe takes 6 months and possibly some tree climbing so perhaps a nocino with a shorter resting time and regular walnuts is a better idea.
Plans for tomorrow? If you start right now your basilcello will be ready.
If you have plans for next weekend, you’ve got time to make fennelcello.
When it gets down to basics, liqueurs are easy to make: choose your flavour (one of or a combination of fruit, spice, herb, vegetable), alcohol (vodka or grain alcohol),sugar (simple syrup) and time. Go nuts with it.
Or perhaps you would like to make your own? I have a black walnut tree in my backyard so nocino is something I might want to give a go. That recipe takes 6 months and possibly some tree climbing so perhaps a nocino with a shorter resting time and regular walnuts is a better idea.
Plans for tomorrow? If you start right now your basilcello will be ready.
If you have plans for next weekend, you’ve got time to make fennelcello.
When it gets down to basics, liqueurs are easy to make: choose your flavour (one of or a combination of fruit, spice, herb, vegetable), alcohol (vodka or grain alcohol),sugar (simple syrup) and time. Go nuts with it.
A traditional implement at the Carnaval de Québec is a hollowed out cane in which to carry Caribou for a quick pick me up on the go. Unfortunately, it looks like these are not sold anymore as official carnaval merchandise.
posted by bluefrog at 9:33 AM on March 21 [1 favorite]
posted by bluefrog at 9:33 AM on March 21 [1 favorite]
Now I want to try the Night Owl moonshine but of course none of my local places will not have it. Probably best to get local anyway, climate wise, so I have some coffee based rum drink on its way from a local company. Well done ashbury.
posted by biffa at 9:36 AM on March 21
posted by biffa at 9:36 AM on March 21
I'm going to add another to this list: Montreal Plaza's Calendula liqueur.
It's styled after green Chartreuse--which is nearly impossible to get these days. In a cocktail (like a Last Word), it's a rather faithful dupe.
I've been making a riff on the Last Word (a Penultimate Word of sorts) with the Calendula in place of Chartreuse, and acid-corrected pineapple juice in place of lime juice. It's lovely.
posted by yellowcandy at 9:41 AM on March 21 [2 favorites]
It's styled after green Chartreuse--which is nearly impossible to get these days. In a cocktail (like a Last Word), it's a rather faithful dupe.
I've been making a riff on the Last Word (a Penultimate Word of sorts) with the Calendula in place of Chartreuse, and acid-corrected pineapple juice in place of lime juice. It's lovely.
posted by yellowcandy at 9:41 AM on March 21 [2 favorites]
I will have to try that. Last Words are very popular in our house and we have one 375mL bottle fo Chartreuse slowly diminishing in the cabinet right now.
A great thing about the Last Word is how flexible a template it is for substitutions.
posted by bonehead at 9:48 AM on March 21 [1 favorite]
A great thing about the Last Word is how flexible a template it is for substitutions.
posted by bonehead at 9:48 AM on March 21 [1 favorite]
Haskaps, ugh. Bitter fruits bearing evil and malice.
The haskaps I'm familiar with (they are growing in my yard) are quite tart, but not at all bitter.
posted by ssg at 9:49 AM on March 21 [2 favorites]
The haskaps I'm familiar with (they are growing in my yard) are quite tart, but not at all bitter.
posted by ssg at 9:49 AM on March 21 [2 favorites]
I don't like them fresh either, but the alcohol over-extracts the bitter botanicals and turns something unpleasant (IMO) to something really unpalatable (IMO).
posted by bonehead at 9:51 AM on March 21
posted by bonehead at 9:51 AM on March 21
I grew up in Quebec and have been to many a Carnaval but I don’t remember the Caribou and cane - I must have been too young to notice and then became an oblivious teenager.
posted by ashbury at 9:53 AM on March 21
posted by ashbury at 9:53 AM on March 21
Dillon's golden plum schnapps is delicious and that is all I gotta say about that
posted by mightygodking at 9:56 AM on March 21
posted by mightygodking at 9:56 AM on March 21
A traditional implement at the Carnaval de Québec is a hollowed out cane in which to carry Caribou for a quick pick me up on the go. Unfortunately, it looks like these are not sold anymore as official carnaval merchandise.
The canes!!!!! I had completely forgotten about them!
Caribou is linked with the Quebec winter carnival, but since it's more traditional than good, my drinking at the parade was mostly king cans you had to drink quickly before they froze.
Definitely go for the ice cider instead, ice cider is GOOOOOD.
posted by WaterAndPixels at 10:01 AM on March 21 [1 favorite]
The canes!!!!! I had completely forgotten about them!
Caribou is linked with the Quebec winter carnival, but since it's more traditional than good, my drinking at the parade was mostly king cans you had to drink quickly before they froze.
Definitely go for the ice cider instead, ice cider is GOOOOOD.
posted by WaterAndPixels at 10:01 AM on March 21 [1 favorite]
No mention of ice wines? That's just wrong. There are some incredible ice wines coming from the Niagara region that we've tried, and I'm sure there are other Canadian regions getting into it as well.
posted by Artful Codger at 10:16 AM on March 21 [4 favorites]
posted by Artful Codger at 10:16 AM on March 21 [4 favorites]
Ungava Gin, a gin made with Arctic botanicals.
I tried Ungava Gin. It is delicious, but the nightmares were spectacular.
posted by Multicellular Exothermic at 10:25 AM on March 21 [3 favorites]
I tried Ungava Gin. It is delicious, but the nightmares were spectacular.
posted by Multicellular Exothermic at 10:25 AM on March 21 [3 favorites]
Haskaps, ugh. Bitter fruits bearing evil and malice.
Same with ssg, pleasant taste even.. you know what makes them bitter? Deer piss. It's all that coffee they drink
posted by ginger.beef at 10:31 AM on March 21
Same with ssg, pleasant taste even.. you know what makes them bitter? Deer piss. It's all that coffee they drink
posted by ginger.beef at 10:31 AM on March 21
Ashbury, there were still a thing in the mid 90s. I remember since it was back when Taquinons la planète was airing and Bonhomme Carnaval was getting pummeled mercilessly on TV.... which translated in all the drunk teenagers/young adults raining a constant hail of snow balls on him during the parade. Not our proudest moment.
posted by WaterAndPixels at 10:58 AM on March 21
posted by WaterAndPixels at 10:58 AM on March 21
The 'Mosaic'
1 oz Lucky Bastard Saskatoon Liqueurposted by mazola at 11:06 AM on March 21 [1 favorite]
1 oz Dillon’s Distillers Golden Plum Schnapps
1 oz Last Mountain Distillery Cherry Sipper
1 oz Still Fired Distilleries Night Owl Coffee Moonshine
1 oz Okanagan Spirits Haskap Liqueur
1 oz Stumbletown Caesar Gin
1 oz Caribou
Top with Clamato.
Enjoy responsibly.
I was given a bottle of the haskap liqueur as a thank you present for pet sitting, and it was delicious! Sweet and tasty.
I agree the fresh fruits are tart, but I didn’t find them bitter.
posted by hurdy gurdy girl at 11:58 AM on March 21
I agree the fresh fruits are tart, but I didn’t find them bitter.
posted by hurdy gurdy girl at 11:58 AM on March 21
nthing - Haskaps are great. But I always prefer bitter over sweet.
I grew up in Quebec and have been to many a Carnaval but I don’t remember the Caribou and cane
If you're French Canadian it is possible that you might made Caribou at home (we did - I've never been to Carnaval in Quebec). My great grandfather would make it specifically with Bols Gin, sherry or port and cheap homemade wine (made of random of fruit). He also might add a bit of his homemade alcohol made from young spruce shoots (which was "medicine").
posted by Ashwagandha at 12:13 PM on March 21 [1 favorite]
I grew up in Quebec and have been to many a Carnaval but I don’t remember the Caribou and cane
If you're French Canadian it is possible that you might made Caribou at home (we did - I've never been to Carnaval in Quebec). My great grandfather would make it specifically with Bols Gin, sherry or port and cheap homemade wine (made of random of fruit). He also might add a bit of his homemade alcohol made from young spruce shoots (which was "medicine").
posted by Ashwagandha at 12:13 PM on March 21 [1 favorite]
It's styled after green Chartreuse--which is nearly impossible to get these days.
These guys in the Ottawa area did a version of Chartreuse which is fairly close in mixed drinks but not close enough when drinking straight.
posted by Ashwagandha at 12:20 PM on March 21 [1 favorite]
These guys in the Ottawa area did a version of Chartreuse which is fairly close in mixed drinks but not close enough when drinking straight.
posted by Ashwagandha at 12:20 PM on March 21 [1 favorite]
It's not a liqueur but I like Screech.
posted by seanmpuckett at 12:49 PM on March 21 [1 favorite]
posted by seanmpuckett at 12:49 PM on March 21 [1 favorite]
Alas, the venerable old Yukon Jack isn't strange enough to count. My old college years are aghast.
posted by Thorzdad at 12:57 PM on March 21
posted by Thorzdad at 12:57 PM on March 21
so what I hear us all saying is, bonehead ate haskaps that were peed on
posted by ginger.beef at 1:03 PM on March 21 [1 favorite]
posted by ginger.beef at 1:03 PM on March 21 [1 favorite]
The nocino recipe I use is close to Andy Leibovitz. It’s spiced between the two recipes above, to whom I say “Maple syrup!? You’ve gone too far!” But do count me in putting it in top of vanilla ice cream!
Nostrana’s Limoncello recipe uses a method of hanging lemons above the spirit rather than soaking them in it. The alcohol vapor mascerates the lemons and you retain the more volatile aroma compounds without getting the heavier bitter compounds that also make soaked limoncello murky. I’ve applied this strategy to make all sorts of liqueurs, including Nag Champa to make ice cream and various “gins” from collected herbs to taste like the smell of a given place: a hillside, mountain top, desert arroyo, or seaside.
posted by rubatan at 2:03 PM on March 21 [2 favorites]
Nostrana’s Limoncello recipe uses a method of hanging lemons above the spirit rather than soaking them in it. The alcohol vapor mascerates the lemons and you retain the more volatile aroma compounds without getting the heavier bitter compounds that also make soaked limoncello murky. I’ve applied this strategy to make all sorts of liqueurs, including Nag Champa to make ice cream and various “gins” from collected herbs to taste like the smell of a given place: a hillside, mountain top, desert arroyo, or seaside.
posted by rubatan at 2:03 PM on March 21 [2 favorites]
Mod note: Cheers to ashbury for making a post so delicious we just had to put it on the sidebar and Best Of blog!
posted by Brandon Blatcher (staff) at 3:39 PM on March 21
posted by Brandon Blatcher (staff) at 3:39 PM on March 21
I have never heard of any of these and live in Toronto. I will say all of the Dillon's I've tried is dreadful. They unquestionably make the worst Rye I have ever had. It is so awful I've not managed to finish a bottle in 7 years.
If you want a good Canadian spirit, check out Reid's Gin. Exquisite and on par with the best gins I've had around the world.
posted by dobbs at 3:56 PM on March 21
If you want a good Canadian spirit, check out Reid's Gin. Exquisite and on par with the best gins I've had around the world.
posted by dobbs at 3:56 PM on March 21
Oh wow! 20 plus years here and I think that this is my first one. Thanks Brandon!
posted by ashbury at 4:25 PM on March 21 [3 favorites]
posted by ashbury at 4:25 PM on March 21 [3 favorites]
including Nag Champa to make ice cream
That sounds both bizarre and amazing! Could you be more specific about your method? (If it's a family secret or something that you don't want to disclose, never mind!)
posted by inexorably_forward at 6:13 PM on March 21
That sounds both bizarre and amazing! Could you be more specific about your method? (If it's a family secret or something that you don't want to disclose, never mind!)
posted by inexorably_forward at 6:13 PM on March 21
Another Canadian liquor to probably mention at this point is sortilege - whisky with maple syrup.
Makes drinking neat whisky surprisingly / ill-advisedly straightforward.
posted by The Outsider at 7:08 PM on March 21 [1 favorite]
Makes drinking neat whisky surprisingly / ill-advisedly straightforward.
posted by The Outsider at 7:08 PM on March 21 [1 favorite]
There's also acerum, an alcohol that's made from concentrated maple sap.
posted by Ashwagandha at 10:09 PM on March 21
posted by Ashwagandha at 10:09 PM on March 21
@inexorably_forward no secret at all. I just got incense I was confident didn't contain toxic additives and hung it in cheese cloth in a jar above pure vodka. The result is not something I enjoy straight, but perhaps with some sugar, and its been an ingredient in other things added to the potions cabinet. An alternative would be to get essential oils of champak and/or plumeria and sandalwood, but this way I could match whoever's proprietary-family secret without working it out (for the incense/perfume-eating inclined paan is also a delicious and highly varied cultural tradition. In sandalwood producing areas, there are versions with sandalwood).
posted by rubatan at 5:45 AM on March 22 [1 favorite]
posted by rubatan at 5:45 AM on March 22 [1 favorite]
These all sound amaaaaaazing. Is there a way to make extracts like limoncello or basilcello without alcohol?
posted by wenestvedt at 6:33 AM on March 22
posted by wenestvedt at 6:33 AM on March 22
@Ashwaganda: There seems to be a whole slew of not-quite Chartreuses. The Luxardo Del Santo is my fave, but I find it has a strange anise-y finish. Still, it's excellent.
The Montreal Plaza Calendula is the closest I've tasted, and I have tasted a LOT of them.
posted by yellowcandy at 11:15 AM on March 22
The Montreal Plaza Calendula is the closest I've tasted, and I have tasted a LOT of them.
posted by yellowcandy at 11:15 AM on March 22
I drink Chartreuse straight so the biggest challenge for any fauxtreuse is it's immediate drinkability. I have not got my hands on the Montreal Plaza Calendula yet but I've moved it up my list.
posted by Ashwagandha at 3:26 PM on March 22
posted by Ashwagandha at 3:26 PM on March 22
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Some a couple of spirits we like:
Neige Ice Cider. This is a liquor made from apples left on the tree past frost. Like Ice wine, it's viscous, heavy and sweet, golden with the fruit and all that sunshine, the ghost of apples. It can be drunk neat, but makes some nice cocktails too. This is often our New Year drink. There are Ice ciders other then Neige now, but this is one of the originals.
Ungava Gin, a gin made with Arctic botanicals. A unique flavour profile. A very pleasant herbaceous gin that goes well with citrus and fruit flavours.
But for the love of god, Montressor, stay away from those who offer Haskap Gin.
posted by bonehead at 9:32 AM on March 21