Top 10 Liqueuers
The question is no longer, "Do you drink liqueurs?" but rather, which ones are worth your time? Good thing we're here to help. Explore the brighest and best liqueurs here.
What Liqueurs to Drink in 2026
The sweet life of liqueurs entails far more than the dusty, back-of-the-cabinet stuff your nan stashed. When built on proper spirits with real ingredients and flavour ideas that actually make sense, these are some of the best drinks you can buy. Just ask any top bartenders.
In 2026, liqueurs are less about sickly sweetness and more about balance, texture, and purpose. They earn their place on the shelf rather than loitering there. The good ones work neat, over ice, or as the missing piece in a cocktail you suddenly cannot stop making. They are playful without being daft, indulgent without being cloying, but still often overshadowed by the big-name spirits. Not here.
Here is a liqueur cupboard you'll want to open. We taste widely, revisit old favourites with fresh eyes, and hunt down the bottles doing something genuinely interesting right now. What we've come up with is a Top 10 of liqueurs that deserve attention in 2026. Consider this your shortcut to the good stuff.
Tequila Liqueur
Patrón XO Cafe Coffee Liqueur
70cl • 35%
Patrón XO Cafe is made with natural coffee essence and is more like a coffee-flavoured Tequila than a liqueur, because it is not overtly sweet. The result is a far better product because of it, and the smaller amount of sugar results in a liqueur that can be used in cooking and cocktails. Ever a best seller.
"Back by popular demand. Once the king of the closing time shots (and the bane of the bartender who hates sticky hands). Far superior to sambuca in my book, but will it steal the crown back from the Baby Guinness?"
French citrus secret weapon
Ferrand Dry Curaçao Yuzu Late Harvest
70cl • 40%
This dry curaçao from Maison Ferrand is made using yuzu grown in Morocco, which can be harvested later in the season thanks to being closer to France, so the yuzu here is extra ripe. This all gives the dry curaçao a wonderfully rich and rounded citrus flavour, with notes of candied peel, and makes it a great choice in classic cocktails like a Margarita.
"The regular Pierre Ferrand Dry Curaçao is simply wonderful. Next level stuff for your cocktails. Throw in yuzu? That most exciting of fragrant 'lemon/lime/grapefruit/mandarin/what-the-hell-is-this?' citrus fruits? Yeah, we're gonna have some serious fun with this. Currently a limited edition mind..."
Cognac & pear Liqueur
Belle de Brillet
70cl • 30%
Belle de Brillet is a lip-smacking liqueur which combines Cognac and pear in a harmonious blend of sweetness and crisp fruit notes. We can see this making a great aperitif, and also being rather useful in cocktails too...
"A true liqueur. No additives or neutral alcohol, just amazing Cognac from Maison Brillet, Pear Eaux-de-vie and Madagascan vanilla sugar in a beautiful bottle. There is the equivalent of 18 Williams Pears in each one! Fantastic French quality."
American Liqueur
Buffalo Trace Bourbon Cream
70cl • 15%
A luxurious cream liqueur from Buffalo Trace, made with their fantastic Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey. The blend of rich dairy with real Kentucky straight bourbon gives you all the vanilla, caramel, and oak flavour with a silky texture. Over ice, it is a treat, in coffee it is borderline dangerous, and in cocktails it proves cream liqueurs can still have a backbone.
French modern classic
St. Germain Elderflower Liqueur
70cl • 20%
St-Germain is a gorgeous French liqueur made from fresh, hand-picked elderflowers and produced using traditional French methods. It lifts everything it touches, from a simple Gin & Tonic to the now-iconic St-Germain Spritz (add 60ml of Champagne and soda to 40ml of SG). A modern classic for good reason, if your drinks feel a bit flat, this is often the fix.
French classic
Cointreau Triple Sec Orange Liqueur
70cl • 40%
There are orange liqueurs, and then there is Cointreau. Crisp, balanced, and intensely aromatic thanks to sweet and bitter orange peels, it is the quiet engine behind countless classics. Margaritas, Cosmopolitans, Sidecars, you name it. Also excellent neat or over ice, which feels like cheating but works anyway.
B corp alcohol-free ace
Botivo
50cl • 0%
A non-alcoholic botanical aperitivo from Hertfordshire – ideal if you're rustling up some alcohol-free Spritzes! Botivo takes over a year to produce, hand blended in small batches, a combo of five raw ingredients are infused with aged British apple cider vinegar and balanced with organic wildflower honey.
Italian posh nuts
Adriatico Amaretto
70cl • 28%
A superb Italian amaretto liqueur here from the Adriatico selection, made with almonds that are hand-picked in the Apulian countryside. These tasty nuts are roasted, macerate and distilled, then combined with cane sugar, cinnamon, cocoa, coffee and vanilla. The team also adds just a pinch of salt, too. Really impressive in all manner of cocktails.
Italian royalty
Campari
70cl • 25%
Campari is a bitter, bright red Italian aperitif made from an infusion of herbs and fruit. Campari is often served as an apéritif before meals, or as a digestif after dinner.
The most popular way to enjoy Campari is in a Negroni cocktail, which consists of Campari, gin, and sweet vermouth.
Fair trade smoky chilli
FAIR. Chipotle Liqueur
70cl • 18%
From FAIR. comes a Chipotle Chilli Liqueur made in Cognac, France using chipotle peppers from Oaxaca, Mexico. The smoked, dried jalapeño peppers are ethically sourced and then infused for a fortnight in neutral alcohol before the solution is slowly reduced by adding Fair Trade liquid sugar and demineralized water. Ideal for the creative cocktail maker.
Popular Liqueur categories
Building better cocktails, or just want something interesting for after dinner? There's a liqueur category with your name on it.
Liqueur Landing
Coffee Liqueurs
Chocolate Liqueurs
Fruit Liqueurs
Cream Liqueurs
