Cathy Isom tells us about a holiday not many know about. She is celebrating a sweet beverage that often flavored with fruit, cream, spices, flowers or nuts. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours.
Every year on October 16th America celebrates National Liqueur Day. This particular beverage holiday recognizes the myriad classes and flavors of liqueur which is an alcoholic beverage made from a distilled spirit flavored with fruit, cream, herbs, spices, flowers or nuts and bottled with added sugar or other sweeteners. Typically considerably sweet, liqueurs are usually not aged long. However, a resting period 
during their production allows the flavors to marry. Most of the liqueurs have a lower alcohol content than spirits. However, some do contain as much as 55% alcohol by volume.
In some parts of the United States, liqueurs may also be called cordials or schnapps.
Historically, liqueurs descend from herbal medicines prepared by monks in Italy as early as the 13th century. These often bitter herbs were steeped and sweetened with sugar to make them more palatable to the monks’ ailing patients.
I’m Cathy Isom…