the Unsung Drinks Category.

How liqueurs AND MODIFIERS are shaping cocktail menus and flavour innovation.

Whilst Tequila is rightly taking the headlines and hot on the tip of everyone’s tongues, liqueurs & modifiers are often the unsung heroes of modern-day cocktail menus. Whilst historically use may have been limited to a select number of brands, bars, and cocktails, the category has seen a remarkable renaissance. Providing flavour innovation and a range of options for bartenders and publicans alike, liqueurs & modifiers have been shaping menus and pushing flavour boundaries with a multitude of twists & riffs on classics cocktails and simple serves.

            ‘We often hear or relate to bitters as “the salt and pepper for bartenders”, and modifiers are in my opinion also part of this seasoning  game and way of thinking.’

Giovanni Bruno, Blue Bar at The Berkeley Hotel

The versatility of liqueurs & modifiers means that the category interlinks with every modern drinking trend – low abv, long drinks, short drinks, spritz serves and classic alike. This gives consumers and bartenders options, whether it be with a Limoncello or Cynar Spritz, an amaro or bitter & tonic, or a twist on a classic margarita or whisky sour. MUYU, as an example, is already a firm favourite of the industry being recently named as No.2 as bartenders’ favourite liqueur in the Class Magazine 2024 Report.

The category in the UK is now estimated to be over six million 9L/cases (Total Volume - Liqueurs/bitters and aperitif’s, 2023 IWSR report). At NXUS Drinks we believe it’s this versatility and need for flavour innovation that will ensure that innovative modifiers are always an important part of every ranging discussion.

We heard from Giovanni Bruno and Marcello Cauda, from the Blue Bar at The Berkeley, who shared their thoughts on how liqueurs & modifiers have played a pivotal role in cocktail culture and their recent new menu.

Giovanni Bruno (left) and Marcello Cauda (right), Blue Bar at Berkeley Hotel.

‘Modifiers have been an essential part of cocktail making for a very long time and we are nowadays very lucky to have numerous creative products to discover and brainstorm with. We consider some modifiers as being already a cocktail on their own, as some can include a very well-balanced mix of flavours in one product. 

The versatility of modifiers is what we believe makes this specific category very important, as they can be used as protagonists in a drink, or in other ways can add new dimensions to an existing cocktail recipe. At Blue Bar we use modifiers very often, especially when tailoring cocktails to guests liking on the spot but they also play  a big role on our new menu signatures. We have recently launched our new signature cocktail menu at Blue Bar, called “Shades Of Blue”. 

Thinking of modifiers on our new menu, we use Ancho Reyes Verte in “Maya Blue” which is a cocktail that includes “ingredients and crops that were already used by the ancient Mayas”.  Maya Blue features Mezcal infused with oven roasted Sweet potatoes and butternut squash, Corn, Tomato, and mole sauce.  In this particular recipe, Ancho Reyes Verte has been essential for fine tuning.’

‘This Marg variation is a drink that gets ordered again AND again, and 99% of our guests are unaware of what Italicus IS, but it is the unsung hero.’

Edgar Santillin, Honky Tonks Tavern

Edgar Santillin, Honky Tonks Tavern, Hong Kong.

This trend is seen across the world, so we caught up with Edgar Santillin from Honky Tonks Tavern (#67 on Asia Best Bars 20204 list), on how modifiers play an important part giving twists on classic recipes.

 ‘At Honky Tonks we love freshly juiced citrus, infusions and shrubs etc. But if we find something so singular and unique that it just can’t be equalled no matter what, we’re always excited to adopt and feature these on the menu.  

In creating our best-selling cocktail the “Mucho Danger”, I was trying to make the worlds best spicy margarita. That meant bringing together all of the citrus flavours possible to balance the spice and earthy smoke of Mezcal and jalapeno. Combining fresh Lime and Orange Juice with Lemon Shrub, the cocktail was great, but it needed something extra to add complexity, sweetness, and another aspect of citrus.

Eventually he settled on Italicus, which pulled everything together. Featuring bergamot, it's signature herbal and bitter notes, with a light touch of sugar rounded out the drink perfectly. This Marg variation is a drink that gets ordered again and again, and 99% of our guests are unaware of what Italicus or liqueurs are, but it is the unsung hero.’

Within the NXUS Drinks portfolio we are proud to represent several multi award winning Liqueurs, including Khoosh Exotic Bitter Liqueur, Café Solo – Cold Brew Coffee Liqueur and Dr Hostetter’s – a Bittersweet Red Liqueur.

Khoosh - Exotic Orange BITTER Liqueur

First established in 1881 as a British cocktail bitter that evoked Eastern exoticism, Khoosh was a leading cocktail ingredient of its day, appearing in the seminal 1937 Café Royal Cocktail Book compiled by William J. Tarling, until the brand went dormant in the 1940s.

Today’s reformulated liquid is made in the UK from a proprietary blend of botanicals and four citrus varietals. The dual maceration process includes the original bitter ingredient Quassia Amara, kumquat, turmeric, kaffir lime leaves and Darjeeling tea.

A zesty and herbaceous orange bitter liqueur featuring exotic botanicals, with the aroma of rich marmalade and a long, warming, bittersweet finish. Signature serves include: Khoosh Spritz, Khoosh Margarita, Khoosh Gin & Tonic and the Khoosh and Rum Negroni

Café Solo - Cold Brew Coffee Liqueur 

A Cold Brew Coffee Liqueur meticulously crafted in the UK, marrying espresso-strength coffee with premium vodka.

The signature Café Solo Original boasts a robust ABV at 25%, delivering a bold, rich flavour profile with hints of dark fruit acidity, chocolate, and vanilla notes, culminating in a subtle sweet finish. More coffee notes and less sugar than its traditional competitors, Café Solo is for the true coffee lovers.

 Signature serves include the classic Espresso Martini, Coffee Negroni or a simple Café Solo & Tonic.

Dr Hostetter’s – Bittersweet Red Liqueur

The original Dr. J. Hostetter’s “Celebrated” Stomachic Bitters was formulated in the first half of the 19th Century by native Pennsylvanian Dr. Jacob Hostetter and became popular with his clientele.

In 1853, his son David commercialized the formula – macerated in the essence of Monongahela Rye – that would go on to sell more than fifty million bottles. 

During the American Civil war, Dr. J. Hostetter’s “Celebrated” Stomachic Bitters was rationed to Union Soldiers - perhaps dubiously - as “a positive protective against the fatal maladies of the southern swamps, and the poisonous tendency of the impure rivers and bayous” and was enjoyed so universally that it found its way onto the back-bar of every respectable saloon and bar in America, and beyond. 

Today’s reformulated liquid combines original ingredients with American botanicals, red fruit, rose and sandalwood. This sophisticated bittersweet red liqueur elevates Boulevardiers, Negronis and other classic cocktails. Juicy and herbaceous; with a body of candied black cherry, rose and sandalwood; and a lingering bittersweet finish.

Signature serves include: Mezcal Negroni, Boulevardier, Dr Hostetter’s Spritz and Dr Hostetter’s Highball.

If you’re interested in hearing more about our brands or services, please do reach out to us on our contacts page and one of the team will be in touch.