THE FOLKLORE OF PLANTS: Cordials and Liqueurs

Lisa Karen Miller

          We depart from our one plant per column format today to discuss cordials and liqueurs. These medicinal drinks originated with those healers and scholars in holy orders, monks.  The alcohol preserved the essence, or spirit, of the plants, while the sugar made the drink more palatable.    

          They became associated with winter, when people were susceptible to more health complaints.  Being cooped up in a small house with little air flow made contagion spread easily. Eventually, liqueurs became popular Christmas gifts, and still are today.

          Here are just a few of the most popular.

          Amaretto – Leonardo da Vinci’s art student Bernardino Luini was gifted a bottle of brandy in which apricot kernels had been steeped by his landlady, a widowed innkeeper.  She was also his model and lover. The almond-flavored liqueur we know is mostly used in coffee or as an after-dinner drink – a digestif.

          Chambord – I first had this raspberry and blackberry liqueur in a seafood restaurant in winter.  It was served in hot chocolate with a tot of vodka to warm the cockles on a cold night. Its distinctive bottle was modeled on the orb and cross (globus cruciger), which is being held by Queen Victoria in some of her photographs.

          Chartreuse – this green or yellow liquid (the color gets its name from it), first made by Carthusian monks in 1737, is made with 130 herbs, plants, and flowers. It is named after the Grande Chartreuse monastery in Grenoble, France. 

Curacao – Laraha is a bitter orange grown on the Dutch island of Curacao; the drink is made from the peel, which has many reputed medicinal properties. The dry version is orange in color, while the blue has a blue dye in it, and is a bit sweeter.

          Frangelico – Made by monks in the Piedmont region of northern Italy, this classic hazelnut liqueur is also made with coffee, vanilla, and cocoa. It is named for Fra’ (brother) Angelico, a hermit monk who gathered wild hazelnuts and preserved them in alcohol during the 18^th century. Nothing better in strong hot coffee with a dollop of real cream.

          Galliano – Originating in Chieri, Italy, this drink continues to be distilled in two small copper pot stills, using plants and herbs native to the region. The flavor of vanilla dominates this excellent companion to an after-dinner coffee.

          Raise of glass of good cheer this season with the liqueur of your choice.

© Copyright 2023 Lisa Karen Miller