Lychee liqueur is a sweet alcoholic drink made from lychee nuts, with natural lychee flavors blended with complementary fruit juices or flower essences. It is commonly used as a mixer for cocktails and is associated with Asian flavors. The lychee fruit is oval in shape, has a sweet taste with floral undertones, and is grown in Southeast Asia and other moist regions. Some cocktails call for lychee juice or pulp, but liqueur can be used as a substitute.
Lychee liqueur is a strong, sweet alcoholic drink made from the nut of the lychee, a fruit native to parts of Asia. The taste of the liqueur varies by brand, but many manufacturers blend natural lychee flavors with complementary fruit juices or flower essences. While the liqueur can technically be served on its own, most people use it as a mixer for cocktails.
An average lychee fruit is oval in shape, with a length of about 2 inches (about 5 centimeters) and a width of 1.5 inches (about 4 centimeters). The lychee fruit is very fragrant and has a sweet taste comparable to that of grapes, but with floral undertones. The outer skin is red and bumpy, but the inner flesh is translucent white, firm and juicy. Lychee trees originated in the southern Chinese provinces of Kwangtung and Fukien, where they grew near bodies of water. Nowadays, lychee trees are grown in large parts of Southeast Asia and several non-Asian countries as well, particularly in consistently moist regions with no frost.
True lychee liqueur relies on natural lychee juice or essences to create the base flavor, but some manufacturers may add complementary flavors to further enhance the taste of the alcohol. Guava and peach are among the most common fruit additions, while some brands prefer to add citrus blossoms to accentuate the fragrance and refreshing tartness of the lychee fruit. Given that the lychee fruit originally came from and is still associated with Southeast Asia, any additions made to the liqueur are intended to evoke a sense of Asian flavor and may therefore be unfamiliar to Western palates. Most lychee liqueur is clear, but some manufacturers produce a light pink liqueur instead.
Rather than drinking this liqueur directly, most people prefer to use it as a mixer. There are several named drinks that specifically call for this liquor. The Crouching Tiger is a shooter made from equal parts lychee liqueur and blue agave tequila. The lichitini or lycheetini, a martini with an Asian twist, is made with vodka, lychee liqueur, lime juice, and a pitted lychee. In the Red Lotus cocktail, the liqueur is paired with vodka and cranberry juice.
Some cocktails may call for lychee juice or pulp, but in many cases, liqueur can be used as a substitute. For example, Amurula and Eva is a creamy cocktail traditionally made from amarula cream, citrus vodka, lychee juice, and ruby red grapefruit juice. Liqueur is a suitable substitute for juice, but can result in a sweeter tasting drink. This cocktail is often garnished by placing a fresh lychee fruit at the rim of the glass when available.
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