Liqueurs’ at-home renaissance

Amidst the golden era of the at-home mixologist, consumers are thirsty for two things: creativity and more liqueurs.

Unable to spend money on travel, in-person experiences, or cocktail bars, consumers have turned their enthusiasm for cocktails like the Espresso Martini (one of the top trending cocktails in the world) or the White Russian (one of the top five most-searched cocktails online) into motivation to learn the language of liqueurs and create simple cocktails at home.

The at-home cocktail boom has led to impressive growth for liqueurs. Made with various ingredients such as herbs, spices, fruit, flowers, nuts and cream, liqueurs can be enjoyed neat or used to add flavour and texture in cocktail builds. According to Nielsen data for the 52 weeks ending 14 November 2020, total off-premise sales for the cordials category — which includes liqueurs — increased 24% year over year. As the essential building block for classic cocktails and key to developing new recipes, this boom has also witnessed the emergence of exciting innovation in the liqueur category.

Disaronno, the world’s favourite Italian amaretto liqueur, will celebrate Disaronno Day on 19 April with one of its signature cocktails, the Disaronno Fizz. The quintessential low-ABV cocktail combines the unmistakable taste and Italian elegance of Disaronno with the refreshing taste of Q Mixers Club Soda. In partnership with Q Mixers, Disaronno encourages consumers to mix their own Endless Dolce Vita with the Disaronno Fizz cocktail alongside brunch food, friends, or in the comfort of their own home.

In March 2020, Disaronno launched a new line extension with Disaronno Velvet, the iconic brand’s incredibly smooth and sophisticated cream liqueur. Boasting the floral character of almonds with nuances of chocolate and vanilla, Disaronno Velvet is the perfect serve over ice or in a White Russian.

Last month, Tia Maria Cold Brew Coffee Liqueur, the world’s most authentic coffee liqueur, released a new bottle design alongside the launch of its ready-to-drink cocktail, the Iced Coffee Frappé cocktail. Tia Maria can also be enjoyed in a neat pour over ice or combined with tonic water in a refreshing Tia Tonic. Since its launch in 1950, Tia Maria has been a favourite for coffee liqueur lovers around the world and was used in the first Espresso Martini recipe, created in London in 1983.

Additionally, Tia Maria will launch Tia Maria Matcha this summer. A uniquely fresh yet indulgent cream liqueur created with natural Japanese green matcha tea extract, Tia Maria Matcha encourages consumers to slow down from busy schedules and ‘take your matcha time’. Reinforced with the hashtag #takeyourmatchatime, Tia Maria Matcha asks its drinkers to create a new ritual by mixing two teaspoons of sugar and one teaspoon of matcha powder in a dish, and rimming the glass of their Tia Maria Matcha serve. With an ABV of 17%, it is an ideal drink of choice for any occasion, especially an outdoor summer barbecue, whether served over ice or used as a rich ingredient in cocktails like the Matcha-Tini.

With sales of liqueurs predicted to continue their upward growth, be on the lookout for continued innovation and creativity across the category.

About Colangelo & Partners (www.colangelopr.com)

Colangelo & Partners is the leading fine wine and spirits-focused PR agency in the US offering five basic services: press relations, social media/ influencer marketing, event marketing, trade relations and content marketing. With main offices in New York and San Francisco, Colangelo & Partners has an international team of PR professionals who are technically trained and certified in wine and spirits as well as the disciplines of communications.