That's the Spirit! Trivia Quiz

Answer:

The herbal flavoring of licorice can be represented in so many different herbs; the primary one being anise, as is clear in anisette and absinthe (which also uses fennel). Others rely on spicy and minty combinations of herbs (usually including angelica or fennel) to give the same flavoring, as is the cast with Fernet and Chartreuse.

Absinthe, a personal favorite liqueur to elevate a martini, is well known for its "green fairy" effect; a high concentration of wormwood is purported to be the cause of hallucinations. For that reason, absinthe from Europe was banned in the United States for nearly a century (though local variations with less wormwood were allowed). In reality, though wormwood DOES cause hallucinations, the alcohol content would hit well before the wormwood.

Ouzo is a dry Greek aperitif heavy in anise. It's not green like absinthe, nor does it contain wormwood. Therefore, during the era of absinthe being looked on so unfavorably, ouzo found a gap in the market and swept through to replace it for those unwilling to drink the green liqueur. In the same vein, Herbsaint was invented in New Orleans as a direct replacement for absinthe, and originally was called an "absinthe" despite its lack of wormwood.

Jagermeister is a bar favorite licorice liqueur... love it or hate it, it sells well. If you are willing to try a licorice liqueur but are skeptical, try my personal favorite - the black tea shot. A cousin of Jameson's green tea shot, the Jager gives a rich flavor to the shot, and the combination hides the licorice almost completely away. Akin to Jagermeister is the lovely Italian digestif Fernet-Branca. Sometimes called "Jager for grownups", Fernet has a similar flavor; licorice-heavy with the angelica used.

Anisette (from Mediterranean regions) and Pastis (from France) are spirits that are similar to absinthe but a lot drier and commonly served louched (diluted with water over a sugar cube - commonly done with anise-based spirits as the drink emulsifies with the water through the ouzo effect). Another French liqueur is Chartreuse, a recipe known only to a select few and therefore very revered in the spirit community. Interestingly, the color chartreuse was named after the liquor, not the other way around!

Sambuca (Italian) and Arak (Levantine) are drier liquors similar to ouzo, and Xtabentun (Yucatan) and Sassolino (Italian) are slightly sweeter liqueurs.

My personal favorite flavor, clearly, is licorice, but the other options are all delicious as well! St-Germain is an elderflower liqueur and pairs very well with most of these licorice flavors. Creme de Cassis is a blackcurrant liqueur, Chambord is raspberry, Midori is a sweet melon liqueur, Limoncello is a bright, sweet lemon liqueur, Kirsch is a cherry brandy, Luxardo is a liqueur made from specifically Luxardo maraschino cherries, Cointreau is a variety of triple sec (an orange liqueur stronger than a curacao),and apfelkorn is a sweet apple liqueur.

Umeshu is a Japanese liquor is often called plum wine, and sometimes contains the whole plum (ume) inside the bottle. Sloe gin often turns people off because of the gin it is made with, but sloes (black fruits) give it a deep, tasty plum flavoring. Rakia is a collective term for fruit brandies in the Balkan regions... and perhaps the biggest "twist" in this quiz. The similarly named Raki is a Turkish licorice flavored liquor!