Ginger liqueur is unlikely to be the sort of thing you need when starting your bar. In fact, when it comes to ginger beer, only the Moscow Mule and Dark and Stormy are obvious. We previously discussed that in some books, they recommend you actual make your own ginger syrup instead of using ginger beer. While ginger syrup can be delicious and fun to play with in make new drinks, it isn’t always practical to run out and juice fresh ginger. So how does something off the shelf, like Stirrings Ginger Liqueur, do in its place.
Stirrings Ginger Liqueur
Sight: A pale hay like color, just fringing on yellow [Caramel Color Added].
Smell: The nose has the essence of freshly cut ginger, mixed with a touch of caramelized sugar and some floral notes. With the predominance of sweet smelling ginger, it’s not far off the nose of ginger beer.
Sip: The sip starts out sweet but immediately gets somewhat spicy. Rather than getting hot from the alcohol (which is only 25% A.B.V.), the spice is driven from the ginger. In a way, it’s oddly reminiscent of fresh ginger in this regard. Other touches of woody notes and sugar compliment the ginger.
Savor: The ending is spice, and unsurprisingly, more ginger. A small amount of sugar is left cloyingly behind.
Stirrings Ginger Liqueur is spicy and cloying, but undeniably ginger forward. As it goes, it conveys the flavor of ginger well without adding in a lot of distracting elements. If there’s a flaw, it’s the amount of sugar needed to subdue the ginger spice. Still, this isn’t a deal breaker for this liqueur, where it can take the place of reduce the amount of simple syrup required.
In Cocktails
In a cocktail Stirrings Ginger Liqueur unmistakably adds the flavor of ginger. This is particularly useful in a pinch if you haven’t had time to make your own ginger syrup.
The problem is there aren’t a broad group of classic cocktails that call for ginger liqueur. While we like to keep it around for crafting reasons (it goes particularly well with strawberries and fall spiced apple cocktails), it isn’t an everyday thing and very few of our original recipes rely on it.
In Review – Stirrings Ginger Liqueur
This isn’t a long review, primarily because there isn’t much to say about adding the flavor of ginger to things with Stirrings Ginger Liqueur. At the $16 price point, this bottle should last you a reasonable amount of time, and won’t break the bank. Be aware it isn’t the most complex ginger flavor in the world, and isn’t as good as making your own. That said, it is a value level brand that performs like a workhorse – should you find the need for ginger liqueur in your bar.