Who hasn't had a nasty episode with a Day-Glo liqueur? Mine was chartreuse. But, as it was packed with a plethora of medicinal herbs and spices, thanks to some white-hooded monks, I came off pretty lightly (though Baileys is still a no-go for me).
Liqueur sales have been rising steadily over the past 10 years. According to the latest figures, held by the Wine & Spirit Association, 28.8 million litres were drunk in 2001, up by 1.3 million on the previous year and by a whopping 7.3 million on 1994. The reason? Cocktails.
Liqueurs are made from a vast range of natural products, from skins and stones to vegetables, herbs and spices. There's always a story behind them, which is part of their mystique. But according to EU law, liqueurs must have a minimum alcohol level of 15% and contain 100mg of sugar per litre.
Liqueurs range from the result of Middle Ages alchemy (chartreuse) to modern best-sellers (Malibu) and involve a multitude of different ingredients, techniques and flavours. They can all be drunk neat (the creamy ones often are) but these days you're more likely to find liqueurs used in cocktails - they are a bartender's secret weapon.
To show exactly what they're capable of, a group of liqueur distributors got some of their wares together at Dick's Bar in the Atlantic Bar & Grill in London recently.
There was Alizé (Coe Vintners), a blend of Cognac and fresh passion fruit juice much loved by celebrities - in fact, rap star P Diddy invented his own cocktail using Alizé, which is served at his New York restaurant, Justin's. And some say it's fabulous in Champagne.
If you're a coffee drinker, you'll love Toussaint (InSpirit Brands, 020 7377 9457). First created in 1743 on the French Caribbean island of Saint Domingue (now known as Haiti), it has a rich espresso kick but without the sugar levels of its competitors. It's said to be great over ice-cream, too. You'll find it in a Toussaint Express - one shot of Ketel One vodka, one shot of Toussaint and one shot of espresso, shaken vigorously over ice and strained into a martini glass.
I overcame my whisky cream revulsion briefly to sample the Drambuie Cream (Drambuie International, 020 7499 8973), which was noticeably less cloying than Baileys, and performs better in cocktails. Worth trying is the Mayfair Martini, created by top mixologist Alex Kammerling - shake 25ml of Drambuie Cream with 25ml of vodka, 25ml of freshly squeezed lime juice and 50ml of freshly squeezed orange juice, before straining into a martini glass and garnishing with orange zest.
Midori was there, too - launched at Studio 54 in New York at the end of the 1970s. But sorry, Midori, I've just remembered another mishap with my parents' drinks cupboard, so I'll bypass the tasting and move on to the cocktail - the Japanese Slipper, a blend of Midori, Gold Tequila, lime juice and sugar syrup, shaken and strained over ice (not bad).
My favourite, though, is the Frangelico (InSpirit Brands). Another monk-made liqueur (based on a recipe devised by a 17th-century northern Italian hermit), it bursts with hazelnuts - that's wild Piedmont hazelnuts - blended with toasted cocoa beans, wild herbs, berries and honey. Apparently, it's the third-best-selling Italian liqueur in the world, no doubt down to the fact that it's a must-have for many mixologists.
The Choc-Nut Martini explains why. This heavenly concoction blends one-and-a-half shots of Ketel One vodka, one shot of Frangelico and a half-shot of Teichenne Chocolate schnapps, shaken with ice and fine-strained into a martini glass with a cocoa-dusted rim.
Shorts
Cocktail winner
Congrats to John Farrell, manager of the Duke of York hotel in Blackpool, for scooping the top prize in the UK Bartenders Guild cocktail competition, which was held at London's Savoy hotel at the end of last month. The challenge: to incorporate sponsors Calvados Busnel into the winning drink. Farrell's winning offering combined 5cl Calvados with 3cl crème de banane liqueur, one-third of a banana, a dash of sugar syrup and single cream before serving over crushed ice. Yum. He will now compete in the final, on 28 April in Deauville, France, alongside bartenders from eight different countries.
Beer academy
The UK is to have its first Beer Academy, at London's White Horse pub on Parson's Green. Sponsored by Refresh UK, brewers of Wychwood and Brakspear and importers of Lowenbräu, the Beer Academy will involve six two-hour sessions on Monday evenings starting on 28 April.
It will include discussions on raw materials, the history of brewing, and the brewing process and beer styles, with each session illustrated by a tasting of 10 beers from around the world. The course will culminate in an exam, complete with certificate.
"The wine industry has done a wonderful job at demystifying wine while making the whole subject more interesting and aspirational. It is important that the brewing industry has a similar education programme," says Refresh UK's chief executive, Rupert Thompson. The Beer Academy was actually the brainchild of the White Horse's resident beer guru, Mark Dorber, and lectures will be run by master brewer Roger Putman and international brewing lecturer Dr Lisa Bradley. For more information call Stuart Hawthorn at Refresh UKon 01993 890800.