FRANCESCANO ITALIAN LIQUEURS

Written by: Erin R. and Alex C. – Happy Harry’s Staff Aficionados

Happy Harry’s recently debuted a new line of Italian Cream Liqueurs that are sure to delight your senses. The follow tasting notes are written by two of our own staff, Cheers!

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PEACH CREAM LIQUEUR

We can honestly say that when we tasted this liqueur, it did not give us what we were expecting. We expected the standard strong peach taste that one typically gets from peach schnapps. This liqueur, however, has captured the true taste of a Georgia peach. It’s light and subtle, like true peaches and cream. We can just imagine that this liqueur came straight from the center of a fresh peach pie.

MELON CREAM LIQUEUR

This was the one we were most excited to taste. With the limited selection of melon liqueurs available on the market, they all taste as artificial as their green coloring. Upon first taste, we were not disappointed. Like a sweet fresh cantaloupe, this was every bit what we wanted in a true melon liqueur. The cream takes a back seat is this drink, letting the Assisi melon taste take the stage. We had to investigate this melon as it tasted so similar to cantaloupe. It turns out that the melon is named for the city it’s grown in, Assisi, Italy. The only thing we can really compare this liqueur to is the time we got over excited about a new juicer and ran an entire cantaloupe through it. Time well spent.

PISTACHIO CREAM LIQUEUR

On its own, this liqueur is thick, syrupy wonderfulness. Nutty and creamy, the pistachio stars in this drink. On the front, you taste fresh, unsalted pistachios with a light nose with hints of chocolate. The alcohol is practically undetectable on the palate as well as the nose. It is like the love pairing of fresh pistachios and sweetened condensed milk. On its own, this liqueur shines. We anxiously await pouring this over ice cream. Not to be content with just the drink on its own, we had to try this one in a mixed cocktail. After viewing the manufacturer’s site, we settled on a recipe for “Cavalletta”

6-8 mint leaves

2 oz. Citrus Vodka (we used Deep Eddy)

1 oz. Pistachio Cream Liqueur

Method: Separate mint leaves from stem. Muddle in glass to release oil. Combine all liquid ingredients in a mixing glass or martini shaker; shake vigorously then strain into a glass. Garnish with a full mint sprig.

This drink was, for lack of better words, FANTASTIC. It was reminiscent of pistachio macaroons. While the drink isn’t winning any beauty contests, the cream liqueur tends to curdle when mixed with straight spirits, it didn’t alter the flavor in the least. This drink is highly recommended!

CHOCOLATE RUM CREAM

This liqueur is like the best chocolate syrup you’ve ever had, with the benefit of having alcohol in it. Smooth, creamy, chocolatey goodness. The nose is like sweet cacao powder, like opening the best hot chocolate mix you’ve ever had. You know, the artisanal kind you only find at Christmas. We are actively fantasizing about pouring this over ice cream, though we know that once we have it, there’s no turning back. We had to try this one in a mixed drink as well. Once again, we turned to the manufacturer’s website. The Birra Fredda:

1 oz. Chilled espresso

1 oz. Chocolate and Rum Cream Liqueur

1 oz. Bourbon (we used Jim Beam Single Barrel)

Top with coconut milk & grated chocolate or nutmeg

Method: Combine all ingredients (minus the coconut milk) into a mixing glass. Shake in a martini shaker with ice, strain and pour into a chilled rocks glass, over crushed ice. Gently layer with coconut milk and grated chocolate or nutmeg.

This drink is like an ideal iced mocha. It is everything a mocha should be; rich, creamy, with the coffee pulling everything together. The bourbon is virtually undetectable in this drink, though we know it pulls the flavors together and keeps the drink from wandering into the “too sweet” category.

“These liqueurs are in a class of their own, not comparable to any standard cream liqueur.”  “Every bit of praise we give them, they deserve.”   “We would highly recommend each of these liqueurs to anyone looking for something a little out of the ordinary.”  Erin and Alex