After dinner: the nightcap
At restaurants, the tables are always turning. That’s a big reason why staying in is the new going out. At home, when dinner’s done, you can stretch out and enjoy a long hang with friends over a nightcap. Or two. These bold, herbal, spicy and, of course, creamy liqueurs are what’s for dessert—simple to plan and easy to serve, so nothing gets in the way of catching up with good company.
1 Chartreuse Green
LCBO 37333, 375 mL, $34.90
Strega Alberti Benevento
LCBO 47068, $32.65
Talk about a backstory: green Chartreuse is a rich and complex liqueur made by Carthusian monks in the French Alps, according to a 400-year-old recipe of secret herbs and spices. By comparison, Strega is a young’un—only 150 years have passed since it was invented as a saffron-tinged herbal remedy for stomach problems, a.k.a. a “digestivo.” Both are bartender faves, since they’re popular “secret weapons” in cocktails as well as great for sipping straight.
2 Rumchata Cream Liqueur
LCBO 380865, $30.95
Five Farms Single Batch Irish Cream
LCBO 12197, $39.95
Another bartender favourite, RumChata is a tropical twist on the old standard cream liqueur, inspired by a traditional Mexican cinnamon rice-milk drink. It’s lighter and a little fresher-tasting than your average Irish cream. Case in point: Five Farms Single Batch Irish Cream, an indulgent, rich whiskey cream with butterscotch and vanilla notes, which, on top of it all, comes in an adorable ceramic milk bottle. Some say it’s the best Irish cream in the world. They may well be right.
3 Ancho Reyes Liqueur
LCBO 453969, $40.20
Kavi Reserve Coffee Blended Canadian Whisky
LCBO 497891, $29.95
Sure, the impossibly cool Ancho Reyes is better-known as a musthave Margarita ingredient than as an after-dinner drink, but to fully appreciate the sweet heat of this ancho chili liqueur, drink it straight up. The same wisdom holds for Kavi coffee liqueur, an expertly blended mix of bold coffee and high-quality whisky made right here in Ontario. It’s easily one of the best coffee liqueurs around; it’d be a waste to dilute it with anything, except maybe an ice cube or two.