What are the most popular types of liqueur?
History and origin of liqueur
Like many other spirits, liqueur has its origins in medicine. In former Catalonia, high-proof liquor was distilled for the first time in the 13th century. A physician combined spirits with herbs to extract their ingredients and active substances. This process is also known today as maceration. After that, this alcohol mixture was distilled 1-2 times. Many years passed in which pharmacies and monasteries had an unspoken monopoly on the production of soothing, stimulating or digestive spirits. Even today, medicinal products with sometimes high alcohol content are offered in pharmacies. Spirits or liqueurs developed from a medicinal product to a stimulant as early as the 14th century. Due to the high price of sugar, production costs were immensely high at the time and liqueur consumption was reserved for the wealthy. After colonization, large quantities of sugar were available and liqueur production experienced a boom. Many traditional companies were founded as early as the 18th century. Among them are companies such as Bols, De Kuyper or Marie Brizard, which are still important points of contact when buying liqueur.
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