Entertainment desk
< November 12	<< Oct \| November \| Dec >>	Current desk >

Welcome to the Wikipedia Entertainment Reference Desk Archives
The page you are currently viewing is a transcluded archive page. While you can leave answers for any questions shown below, please ask new questions on one of the current reference desk pages.

November 13

Lack of local (!) liqueur BRANDS in ENglish drinking culture

With the surge in popularity in Aperol and Campari I have been reading up about different liqueurs across Europe. Most of the big European countries seem to have a lot of traditional liqueurs (invented pre 1950s) Italy has Campari,Aperol, Cynar, Amaro, Martini etc, then France has Chambord, Dubbonet, Chartreuse, Germany has UNderberg, Jaegermeister. Hell even the small countries like Croatia, Ireland and Scotland have Masharino, Baileys, Drambuie. A lot of these liqueurs are big brands with a lot of tradition behind them - I have noticed in recent years there has been an explosion of liqueurs in the UK but I found myself wondering why England in particular has so few "traditional" liqueur BRANDS. The only BIG one I can think of is Pimms - are there any more out there?? I have done a tonne of research and managed to come up with Grants Cherry Brandy and The Kings Ginger (by Berry Rudd & Bros) but both of these are quite obscure and definitely not as well known in the UK as these other brands are known in their respective home countries. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 2A00:20:3045:1A19:5195:7C75:4E72:A551 (talk) 15:08, 13 November 2023 (UTC)[reply]

Not sure if this is what you want but English firms acquired Port and Sherry wineries to sell the product at home.

Perhaps they took the niche of liqueur? Error (talk) 01:39, 14 November 2023 (UTC)[reply]

Who do you think drinks all the Campari, Aperol, Martini, Baileys, Drambuie... ? DuncanHill (talk) 01:42, 14 November 2023 (UTC)[reply]

Baileys and Malibu were created by an Englishman. Most gin companies sell some sort of gin liquers (gins flavoured and sweetened, eg sloe gin). But I think the reason why there are no 'brands' is because a lot of the recipes for English/British alcoholic drinks are fundamental and not tied to any one organisation or entity. Cherry brandy is sold by lots of different companies but raspberry brandy is only made by Chambord. Also beer and cheap alcohol has always been more popular in Britain that fancy liquers. Nanonic (talk) 09:05, 14 November 2023 (UTC)[reply]

See also Alcohol preferences in Europe. What one drinks (and what one historically drank) depends (and depended) on the availability of raw materials, and later on availability of commodity. --Ouro (blah blah) 18:58, 15 November 2023 (UTC)[reply]

In Continental Europe, liqueurs were traditionally drunk as an aperitif, which niche in Britain which was traditionally filled by sherry, or as a digestif, which in Britain was port. The difference may have been our continual warring with France, which led to us acquiring fortified wines from Portugal or Spain. Alansplodge (talk) 19:23, 18 November 2023 (UTC)[reply]