National Liqueur Day: The Toasted Almond

The Toasted Almond is a great drink to celebrate National Liqueur Day on October 16.Photo byhomebarmenu.com website

On Wednesday, October 16, it's National Liquer Day. It's to share one of the oldest and most versatile drinks in our society.

The history of liquer is vast and centuries old. While some have tried to use liquers and liquor simultaneously, they are greatly different. Liquor is a distilled spirit that isn't sweet, and liquers usually have a sweetness to it. Liquers are also usually much less in alcohol content.

The French word liqueur is derived from the Latin word liquifacere, which means "to dissolve." Liquers are usually delicious as a mixing element in many drinks and even desserts.

Liqueurs as Medicine:

Liqueurs were first used in the 13th century to make herbal midicines. The ancient Romans and Greeks used them as they put liquor in herbal medicines to make them last longer. They also put sweetener in them to make them taste better. In the 19^th and 20^th centuries, hot toddies and other things for respiratory issues were used, and some would put alcohol on children's gums for teething, but that is obviously frowned on today.

Two delicious liqueurs are kahlua and amaretto. In a simple recipe, both can be enjoyed.

Toasted Almond:

Ingredients for 2 drinks (halve ingredients for one drink):

• 2 ounces Kahlua
• 2 ounces Amaretto
• 4 ounces cream, half and half, or milk

Variations:

Use vanilla ice cream instead of cream or milk and mix.

-add ice to blend ingredients and top with shaved chocolate whip cream or sliced almonds.

Add a shot of vodka to the ingredients to make it stronger.

If you don't have amaretto, use two shots of kahlua.