A liqueur is a spirit that's been sweetened and flavored, and that's the whole definition. In the US it has to carry at least 2.5% sugar by weight, and most carry far more. Beyond that, the category covers almost anything: cream, coffee, nut, herbal, fruit, even chili. It's the most varied shelf in the shop, which makes it the hardest to browse, so this page is organized around what each kind of liqueur is actually for. We carry around 100 bottles, most of them between $18 and $40. We ship to most states, with an adult 21 or older required to sign at delivery.
Liqueur or Liquor
The words are one letter apart and people swap them constantly. Liquor is any distilled spirit: whiskey, vodka, gin, rum, tequila. Liqueur is a liquor that's had sugar and flavoring added after distillation, which usually brings the alcohol down to somewhere between 15% and 40%. Every liqueur starts as a liquor. Very few liquors are liqueurs.
The practical difference is how you use them. Liquor is the base of a drink. Liqueur is usually the modifier, the thing that adds sweetness, body or a specific flavor, which is why most cocktail recipes call for an ounce or less of it.
Shop Liqueur by Style
Cream liqueurs. A spirit blended with dairy cream and sugar. Baileys invented the category and still owns it, and Baileys Original is the default. Buffalo Trace Bourbon Cream does the same thing on a bourbon base and has a following of its own, with more like it in bourbon cream. RumChata Coconut, Disaronno Velvet and Tequila Rose run the same idea through rum, amaretto and tequila.
Coffee liqueurs. Kahlúa is the sweet, familiar one and the reason the Espresso Martini and White Russian exist as we know them. Mr. Black is built on cold brew and is noticeably drier and more bitter, which makes it the better choice if you actually like coffee. Grind Espresso Caramel sits at the sweet end. Our guide to the best coffee liqueur goes further.
Nut and dessert. Disaronno is the amaretto most people know, though it's flavored with apricot kernel rather than almond. Faretti tastes like biscotti, which is exactly what it claims, and Evangeline's is praline pecan from Louisiana. Frangelico covers hazelnut.
Herbal. The oldest and strangest corner of the category. Green Chartreuse is made by Carthusian monks from a recipe of more than a hundred plants, and its price reflects production the monks deliberately keep limited. Bénédictine, Galliano and Jägermeister all belong here too. These are the liqueurs most worth sipping on their own.
Fruit and citrus. Orange liqueurs like Cointreau and Grand Marnier are the most-used bottles in any bar, since the Margarita, the Sidecar and the Cosmopolitan all depend on one. Passoã covers passion fruit, and Chambord, Midori and St-Germain each do one fruit or flower well.
Something different. Gran Malo is tamarind and chili on a tequila base, sweet, sour and hot at once. It works as a shot and surprisingly well in a Margarita.
Buying and Keeping Liqueur
Two things worth knowing. First, you rarely need the expensive version. Because liqueurs are used in small quantities and their job is flavor rather than character, the gap between a $20 and a $40 bottle matters far less than it would with whiskey. The exceptions are the herbal liqueurs, where the recipe is the product.
Second, cream liqueurs are the one spirit that doesn't keep forever. The dairy gives them a shelf life of around two years, opened or not, and they're better kept cool. Everything else on this page lasts indefinitely once sealed and for a long time once open. For what to do with a bottle of cream liqueur beyond pouring it over ice, see our Irish cream cocktails.
Liqueur FAQ
What is the difference between liqueur and liquor?
Liquor is any distilled spirit. Liqueur is a liquor with sugar and flavoring added after distillation. In the US a liqueur must contain at least 2.5% sugar by weight, and most contain much more.
How much alcohol is in liqueur?
Usually between 15% and 40% alcohol by volume. Cream liqueurs sit at the low end, around 17%, while herbal liqueurs like Green Chartreuse run as high as 55%.
Do liqueurs go bad?
Most don't. Sugar and alcohol preserve them well, opened or sealed. Cream liqueurs are the exception, with a shelf life of roughly two years and better storage in a cool place.
What is the most popular liqueur?
Baileys is the best-selling liqueur in the world by most measures. Kahlúa, Disaronno and the orange liqueurs Cointreau and Grand Marnier are close behind in American bars.
Can you drink liqueur straight?
Yes. Cream, coffee and herbal liqueurs are all commonly served neat or over ice. Fruit and orange liqueurs are usually too sweet on their own and are better as cocktail ingredients.
Can liqueur be shipped to my state?
We ship to most U.S. states, typically within a few business days. Someone 21 or older has to sign at delivery. Availability is confirmed at checkout, since a handful of states restrict direct spirits shipments.