Applications of natural ingredients in alcoholic drinks - Natural Food Additives, Ingredients and Flavourings - page 384

Table 16.14 Outline of major ingredients of a few herbal liqueurs

Liqueur Spirit base

(% ABV)

Sweetener Herbal

components

Colour

Bénédictine
(France)

Cognac/neutral
spirit (40)

Honey 27 botanicals Gold (from

saffron + cask
ageing)

Chartreuse
(France)

Brandy/neutral
spirit (40,
yellow; 55,
green)

Sugar/honey 130+ botanicals Yellow or green

(from herbal
components)

Drambuie
(Scotland)

Aged Scotch
whisky (40)

Heather honey Anise, nutmeg,

saffron + others

Gold

Galliano (Italy) Neutral spirit

(42.3)

Sugar Anise, citrus,

ginger, star
anise, vanilla +
others

Yellow
(tartrazine)

Glayva
(Scotland)

Aged Scotch
whisky (35)

Heather honey Almonds, anise,

cloves, citrus +
others

Gold

Kahlúa
(Mexico)

Sugarcane spirit
(20)

Cane sugar and
corn syrup

Coffee beans,
vanilla + others

Coffee

Kümmel
(Northern
Europe) e.g.
Wolfschmidt

Neutral spirit
(39)

Sugar Caraway, cumin,

fennel

White

Strega (Italy) Neutral spirit

(40)

Sugar Fennel, mint,

saffron + others
(70 total)

Yellow (from
saffron)

Tia Maria
(Jamaica)

Rum (31.5) Cane sugar Arabica coffee

beans, vanilla

Coffee

￿ ￿ ￿ ￿ ￿

latter two generally needs less blending or 'marriage' time. Another advantage of
using distillates and oils is the heavy metal and other residue content is minimised
in the fi nal product. In the EU, the maximum allowed level for Cu 2+ , Pb 2+ and
Zn 2+ is 1.0, 0.2 and 5.0 mg/l, respectively. As with all drinks made with herb and
spice ingredients, the levels of toxic phytochemical components must not exceed
certain specifi ed levels (Table 16.15).
In eastern Asian countries, especially Korea, herbal or medicinal liqueurs
(yagyongju, in Korea) are made by infusion of rhizomes (e.g. ginger), roots (e.g.
ginseng), shoots or leaves (e.g. bamboo or pine needles), seeds and bark - often
in the ratio soju to herbs of 3:1 (Table 16.16). Many of the names for these liqueurs
indicate the principal herb used.
Sugar, derived from beet, cane or cereal (such as modifi ed starch or corn
syrup) is the commonest sweetener of distilled drinks, but natural intense