Calisaya is a
herbal liqueur
A liqueur ( , ; ) is an alcoholic drink composed of spirits (often rectified spirit) and additional flavorings such as sugar, fruits, herbs, and spices. Often served with or after dessert, they are typically heavily sweetened and un-aged, beyon ...
produced by infusing
cinchona
''Cinchona'' (pronounced or ) is a genus of flowering plants in the family Rubiaceae containing at least 23 species of trees and shrubs. All are native to the Tropical Andes, tropical Andean forests of western South America. A few species are ...
calisaya, and other barks, roots and flowers in grain neutral spirit and
Seville orange
The bitter orange, sour orange, Seville orange, bigarade orange, or marmalade orange is the hybrid citrus tree species ''Citrus'' × ''aurantium'', and its fruit. It is native to Southeast Asia and has been spread by humans to many parts of th ...
extract. It is a contemporary revision of the classic Italian
amaro. It is handcrafted in small numbered batches by Elixir, Inc., a craft distillery in Eugene, Oregon,
[Microdistilleries in the US and Canada, by David J. Reimer Sr., 2012] which was founded by the Italian brothers Andrea and Mario Loreto.
It can be drunk as both an
apéritif and digestif
Apéritifs (; ) and digestifs () are drinks, typically alcoholic, that are normally served respectively before and after a meal.
Apéritif
An apéritif is an alcoholic beverage usually served before a meal to stimulate the appetite, and is usua ...
or used as a bitter ingredient in
cocktail
A cocktail is a mixed drink, usually alcoholic beverage, alcoholic. Most commonly, a cocktail is a combination of one or more liquor, spirits mixed with other ingredients, such as juices, flavored syrups, tonic water, Shrub (drink), shrubs, and ...
s.
Cinchona based liqueurs are very popular in Italy under the generic name of China (pronounced Kee-nah), the Italian name of cinchona. They also were popular in the US before Prohibition, where calisaya was the generic name of any cinchona based liqueur or bitters and was used as an ingredient or bitter in several cocktail recipes. After Prohibition, calisaya liqueurs disappeared from the US market until Elixir, Inc. reconstructed the liqueur and trademarked the name Calisaya.
See also
*
References
External links
Official website
Liqueurs
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