Spirits are produced by concentrating the alcohol in a ferment liquid through distillation whereby liqueur is a spirit that has been sweetened and flavoured. The concentration of the alcohol is normally between 37% and 43% for spirits versus 12% for table wines. Liqueurs are often used in cocktails as a base, although, they used to be used as a form of medicine in their origination.

Typically, the bases for spirits are fruit, grain or vegetable, or any sugar-based liquid that can be fermented. In grain based spirits, the initial fermentation turns the starch to sugar to be fermented. Certain spirits can only be made with a certain base and others can be made with different bases. For example, Vodka can be made with a grain, potato or sugar cane base whereby Brandy can only be made with grapes.

Cognac, Armagnac, Brandy, Grappa, Piscos and Trebbiano are examples of grape based spirits from different regions, with different types of grapes as their base. Calvados is an apple based spirit known as applejack in North America.

Whisky and Scotch are grain based spirits, where Scotch whiskey is a whiskey that contains a blend of more than one distillation, typically malt whisky and grain whisky. A single malt scotch whisky is the original whiskey that was produced from barley and distilled.

Rum is the most popular distilled spirit and typically made wherever sugar cane is grown, which is the base or sometimes molasses may be used. Depending on the still method used, pot or patent determines whether it is white rum or darker.

Gin is typically a compounded spirit from Juniper, coriander, or citrus fruits and Schnapps is distilled from grain or potatoes and flavoured with caraway or aniseed.

Liqueurs generally fall into four categories, which are dairy liqueurs, bean or kernel liqueurs, herb liqueurs and fruit liqueurs. Liqueurs are more commonly known as names like Bailey’s Irish Cream, Crème de Menthe, Kahlua, Amaretto, Sloe Gin, Galliano, Southern Comfort or Grand Marnier, for example. These are popular liqueurs that are often used in cocktails, although they can also be drank by themselves.

The primary difference, when it comes to spirits and liqueurs is that they are the same, except for the added flavouring and sweetness that a liqueur is characterized by. When it comes to drinking, they carry higher alcohol content than wine and beer, because of the concentrated nature of the distillation or compounding processes. Typically, they are mixed with additional juices or flavouring to compliment their base.

Both spirits and liqueurs can be added to some dishes when cooking and Jack Daniels grill items are popular on many American menus, using a whisky based marinade or barbeque sauce. Another popular dish is Tequila lime chicken, which has international flair and popularity on Latino menus. The list is endless, but one thing for certain is that the popularity of spirits and liqueurs is international and personal tastes have a wide variety of products to choose from.

Liqueurs can be hard to classify, but regardless of flavor they can be broadly divided into two categories.

Generics are liqueurs of a particular type (Crème de Cacao or Curaçao, for example) that can be made by any producer.
Proprietaries are liqueurs with trademarked names that are made according to a specific formula. Examples of such liqueurs include Kahlea, Grand Marnier, and Southern Comfort.

Schnapps is a general term used for an assortment of white and flavored spirits that have originated in northern countries or regions such as Germany or Scandinavia. Schnapps can be made from grain, potatoes, or molasses and be flavored with virtually anything (Watermelon and Root Beer Schnapps from the United States being proof of that). The dividing line between Schnapps and Flavored Vodka is vague and is more cultural than stylistic, although European Schnapps tend to be drier than their American counterparts and liqueurs.

Anise-Flavored Spirits can vary widely in style depending on the country of origin. They can be dry or very sweet, low or high proof, distilled from fermented aniseed or macerated in neutral spirit. In France, Anis (as produced by Pernod) is produced by distilling anise and a variety of other botanicals together. Pastis is macerated, rather than distilled, and contains fewer botanicals than Anis. In Italy, Sambucca is distilled from anise and botanicals, but is then heavily sweetened to make it a liqueur. Oil of fennel (also known as green anise) is frequently added to boost the aroma of the spirit. Greece has a drier, grappa-like liqueur called Ouzo , which is stylistically close to pastis.

Bitters are the modern-day descendents of medieval medical potions and are marketed as having at least some vaguely therapeutic value as stomach settlers or hangover cures. They tend to be flavored with herbs, roots, and botanicals, contain lower quantities of fruit and sugar than liqueurs, and have astringent notes in the palate.

Liqueurs, Schnapps, Anise, and Bitters are terms that cover a wide variety of types of spirits. What they all share in common is that they are flavored spirits.
Liqueurs (also known as Cordials) are sweet, flavor-infused spirits that are categorized according to the flavoring agent (i.e., fruits, nuts, herbal and spice blends, creams and such). The word liqueur comes from the Latin liquifacere (“to dissolve”) and refers to the dissolving of flavorings in the spirits. Artificial flavorings are strictly regulated in most countries, and where allowed, must be prominently labeled as such.

Top-quality liqueurs are produced by distillation of either the fermented flavor materials or the spirit in which they have been infused. Many liqueurs use finished spirits such as Cognac, Rum or Whisky as their base. Others macerate fruit or other flavorings in a neutral spirit. Crèmes (crème de menthe, crème de cacao, etc.) are liqueurs with a primary flavor (a single, dominant flavor rather than a mix), while cream liqueurs combine dairy cream and alcohol in a homogenized, shelf-stable blend.

All liqueurs are blends, even those with a primary flavor. A touch of vanilla is added to crème de cacao in order to emphasize the chocolate. Citrus flavor notes sharpen the presentation of anise. Herbal liqueurs may contain dozens of different flavor elements that a master blender manipulates to achieve the desired flavor profile.
Liqueurs are not usually aged for any great length of time (although their base spirit may be), but may undergo resting stages during their production in order to allow the various flavors to “marry” into a harmonious blend.