Ahead of us is another session of this year’s series of regular meet-ups with bar-literature expert Tomáš Mozr!
On March 31, the next Books & Booze event kicks off, this time on the theme Liqueurs: Proprietary and Generic.
In the world of alcohol, there is no other category that comes close to liqueurs in terms of the sheer number of variations and the wide spectrum of flavors, colors, and aromas. Liqueurs have been shrouded in legend for centuries, closely guarded secrets associated with alchemists, old monks, and skilled merchants alike. Some production methods have been uncovered or revealed, while others remain mysterious to this day. After all, their creation is far from straightforward or simple. The sheer multitude of ingredients sourced from virtually every corner of the globe, combined with endless possibilities for their mixture, hints at just how diverse the world of liqueurs truly is. It is precisely this more or less mysterious category that will be the focus of the March edition of Books & Booze.
Many sources indicate that the ancient Chinese, Egyptians, and Greeks enhanced the alcohol they produced by adding fruits, herbs, or spices. However, the earliest documented evidence of liqueur production can be traced to medieval Europe. At that time, these drinks were considered preparations that guaranteed longevity and, due to their medicinal properties, were referred to as elixirs of eternal life, among other names. By the 18th century, however, the term “elixir” had begun to feel outdated, as most contemporary beverages of this type were no longer primarily medicinal but made for pleasure rather than as medicine. It became necessary to find a more accurate term for this group of drinks. One solution was the Latin term liquerefacere, meaning “to melt” or “to dissolve,” which aptly described the process involved in making liqueurs—transferring the taste, aroma, and sometimes color of selected ingredients to the final product.
The oldest and often the most mysterious category of liqueurs is herbal. It is not uncommon for a single liqueur to contain dozens of plant ingredients, although only some of them are generally known. For example, fernet contains a total of 14 herbs, yet Stock has revealed only three: gentian, Roman chamomile, and centaury. Becherovka, on the other hand, uses around 20 herbs and spices. About two-thirds of these can be grown in the Czech Republic, while the rest are of exotic origin. Other examples include liqueurs like Bénédictine D.O.M., whose recipe includes 27 herbs and spices from around the world, or Chartreuse, based on brandy and approximately 130 plant ingredients.
Selecting and gathering the plant components necessary for a specific liqueur is one thing; extracting the desired flavors, aromas, and, if applicable, coloring agents is another. Four basic methods are used for this purpose—maceration, digestion, percolation, and distillation—or combinations thereof.
Did you know that, without exaggeration, it could be said that if there were no liqueurs, there would be no mixed drinks? Their central role in mixology is primarily due to the fact that they can serve as a base, a modifier, or as flavoring, aromatic, or coloring components.
Beyond bartenders and baristas, chefs often reach for liqueurs as well. They use them to flavor sauces, fruit salads, or ice cream specialties, and also for flambéing. A classic example is the recipe for Crêpe Suzette. These pancakes, whose main ingredients include butter, orange juice, sugar, and orange liqueur, are said to have been created by pure accident. Legend has it that in 1895, at the Café de Paris in Monte Carlo, a fourteen-year-old Henri Carpentier accidentally made a mistake while preparing a dessert for the Prince of Wales, the future King Edward VII. He later described the dessert’s creation in his autobiography:
“Everything happened by accident as I was carrying food from the front of the kitchen to the table. It caught fire. I thought I was ruined. The prince and his friends were waiting for dessert at the table; I could not afford to bring nothing… I tasted it and was struck by silent amazement. What a delightful harmony of flavors spread across my mouth… The prince ate with fork and spoon, scraping the syrup from the bottom of the plate. It was obvious he was enjoying it immensely. He called me over and asked the name of the dish he had just eaten with such pleasure. I told him it was supposed to be called Prince’s Pancakes—Crêpes Princesse.”
However, according to the story, the prince decided to rename the dessert in honor of a beautiful Frenchwoman, Suzette, whom he was hosting at his table that day. The future king was reportedly so impressed by the flambéed pancake that the next day he sent the young man a ring, a Panama hat, and a cane.
With the passage of decades, this story has lost some of its shine, as various sources question its accuracy—starting with the improbability that the king would be served by an ordinary waiter rather than the head waiter. Other versions of the dessert’s origin exist as well. One credits the French actress Suzanne Reichenberg, who performed under the stage name Suzette, inspiring the recipe from a scene in Comédie Française in which she served pancakes. Another account dates to 1896, when Oscar Tschirky published a recipe for pancakes à la Casino Style, which makes no mention of flambéing. Similarly, in 1907, the world-famous chef Auguste Escoffier described Crêpes Suzette in the English version of Guide Culinaire—again without fire. Regardless of which story is accurate, the dessert remains one of the most renowned examples of liqueur use in cuisine.
Tomáš and the Alcron Bar team will welcome guests at 5:00 p.m. and at 7:00 p.m.
Everyone eager to explore the secrets of the cocktail world and bar culture is warmly invited. This special event is open to all; the ticket price is 200 CZK.
For the reservation, please click here.