14 Liqueurs To Keep Stocked In Your Home Bar

Kick off your shoes and get settled into that chair, folks. It's cocktail hour, and tonight, we're staying at home. Cocktails are one of the fanciest ways to enjoy an alcoholic beverage, and the act of mixing spirits and other drinks has been around for hundreds of years. Although there are actually only 77 "true" cocktails that are recognized by the International Bartender's Association, there's an argument to be made that if you have imagination and a few bottles of booze, you too can be an amateur mixologist.

But to make those wild and wacky cocktail creations — or to nail the classics — you're going to need liqueur. Classified as a spirit that's been flavored with additional ingredients like sugars, herbs, or fruits, liqueurs bring an essential component to cocktails, distinguishing them from run-of-the-mill drinks and making your mixed beverage a thing of beauty. 

With that said, as anyone who's ever been in a well-stocked liquor store before knows, there are a lot of liqueurs out there. So how do you know which ones you need? With our essential guide, you can't go wrong. Let's take a look at the liqueurs you need to usher in happy hour without having to go to the bar.

If you've ever enjoyed a margarita, you've probably enjoyed Cointreau without even realizing it. Cointreau is part of a family of orange liqueurs, whose other members are triple sec, orange curaçao, and Grand Marnier. But this drink stands in a class of its own. Cointreau clocks in at 40% ABV, and comes in a distinctive rectangular bottle, with dark orange glass. Originating in the 19th century in France, it sports a distinctive citrus taste, with a slight acridity and spice to it that makes it way more complex than some other orange-based drinks.

The real reason you should have a bottle of Cointreau in your home bar, though, is because it's the key ingredient in a huge amount of cocktails. The aforementioned margarita is made by mixing tequila, Cointreau, and lime juice, with the orange liqueur cutting through the smokiness of the tequila to balance the drink's flavor notes. Cosmopolitans also feature Cointreau heavily, mixing the liqueur with vodka, cranberry juice, and lime for the ultimate party drink. The sidecar, Long Island iced tea, Mai Tai, Singapore sling, and white lady all have Cointreau mixed into them as well. Simply put, if you want to have a cocktail party, you're going to need a bottle of this in there.

Coffee liqueurs are a staple of any well-stocked bar, with coffee-flavored drinks like espresso martinis a popular choice amongst cocktail newbies and aficionados alike. But there's no use choosing the cheap stuff and hoping for the best. If you want to make sure your home bar has a top-quality coffee liqueur, Kahlúa is the way to go. Kahlúa originated in Mexico in the 1930s and has a detailed production process that starts with growing and harvesting the best Arabica coffee beans. The beans then have to be dried out, roasted, mixed with rum, and allowed to rest. From farm to glass, making a bottle of Kahlúa can take up to seven years.

That lengthy production, though, means that they end up with an industry-leading product, which positively makes cocktails sing. Aside from espresso martinis and mudslides, Kahlúa is also the best coffee liqueur to make a super-indulgent White Russian. Simply mix one part Kahlúa with two parts vodka, and pour it over ice. Top the mixture with a little bit of heavy cream, and enjoy. It's basically an alcoholic milkshake, and we are very much here for it.

The first thing you'll likely notice about Chambord is its frankly stunning circular bottle. But don't let that distract you from the premium liqueur contained inside, and its vital use in cocktails that makes it a must-have for any home bar owner. As with many French liqueurs, Chambord has a story that spans multiple centuries, and was allegedly a drink given to French royalty when they visited its site of creation in the Loire Valley. Modern-day Chambord, however, wasn't developed until the 1980s, with the roll-out of the now-distinctive brand and bottle making it a popular choice for cocktail connoisseurs.

Chambord is a raspberry and blackberry-flavored liqueur, a 33-proof drink with notes of cherry, chocolate, honey, and preserved fruits. This multi-layered flavor means that adding it to any cocktail will immediately give it a boost. For a refreshing summer cocktail, mix Chambord with gin and lemonade to make a gin berry spritz. Chambord can also be used in place of créme de cassis for a revamped Kir Royale. One of our favorite uses of the liqueur, however, is to use it instead of Cointreau or triple sec in a margarita, giving the traditionally tart cocktail a fruity flavor. Trust us, it's a crowd-pleaser.

Perhaps the ultimate after-dinner drink, a Bailey's following a meal is a sure sign of a good night in. Bailey's is perhaps the most famous Irish cream liqueur out there, a unique drink that's prized for its luscious, creamy consistency. Bailey's and other Irish cream liqueurs are a pretty simple combination of Irish whiskey and cream, with additional ingredients added to deepen the flavor. Although the liqueur is dairy-based, it has a surprisingly long shelf life, with the alcohol working to keep it safe and drinkable.

At 17% ABV, Bailey's is slightly stronger than the average wine, and while it's probably too heavy to drink during a meal (although hey, we won't judge), it's pretty much perfect to cap things off. If you're enjoying Bailey's on its own, you should always serve it chilled or over ice. Thanks to its creaminess, it's also the ideal drink to make a coffee alcoholic, because all you have to do is swap out your standard milk or creamer for it. Bailey's also comes in a selection of flavors, with its apple pie-flavored product being part of a delectable "Apple of my Chai" holiday cocktail.

If you could distill summer into a drink, we're pretty sure it'd look something like Aperol. Coming in a vibrant bright orange hue, Aperol is a slightly bitter liqueur that is centered around the flavors of orange, rhubarb, and herbs. Invented in the early 20th century, the drink has a fairly low ABV, making it a lighter choice than some other liqueurs to add to cocktails.

People tend to use Aperol in the ever-popular Aperol spritz, a cocktail made by mixing Aperol, prosecco, and soda water or seltzer with ice and served with a garnish of orange or lemon. The Aperol spritz is a classic pre-dinner drink, best enjoyed on a sunny beach or patio, surrounded by friends. Beyond that, though, it can also be used in punches, sangria, and for a zesty twist on a margarita.

While Aperol is similar to Campari, it's worth remembering that the two aren't completely interchangeable. Also used to make spritzes, Campari is slightly more bitter, and also has a higher alcoholic content. This increased bitterness and ABV make it a good choice for shorter, stronger cocktails, like Negronis.

When things start warming up for the year, you're going to want to make sure you have those summer drinks ready. And there's no better way to see out those long, hot days than with a healthy stock of Malibu. The always-iconic liqueur, with a name that conjures up images of the beach, is a white rum flavored with coconut extracts. One of the slightly newer entries into the liqueur market, Malibu was first made in the 1980s, and is made at its Barbados headquarters before being shipped around the world.

Although it's a rum-based drink, Malibu is much weaker than pure white or dark rum, and has a 42-proof strength. This lower alcohol content makes it much more easily drinkable. However, while you can drink Malibu without adding anything else, it shines when mixed into other drinks, as the coconut flavor has a chance to diffuse and add its taste and scent. Arguably the easiest way to enjoy Malibu is mixed with a Coke, or in a particularly coconutty piña colada. For something just as sun-kissed and festive, use it to make a Malibu sunrise. Mix Malibu and pineapple juice and then pour grenadine in slowly, so it sinks to the bottom, making a gloriously two-tone beverage.

Some liqueurs have a touch of class in every sip — and Benedictine D.O.M. is one of them. With a hugely extensive history, Benedictine D.O.M. dates back to 1510, when a mix of herbs and spices was made by Benedictine monk Dom Bernado Vincelli as a reviving medicinal tonic. This religious heritage is still present in its very name, with Benedictine referring to the type of monk that made it, and D.O.M. standing for "Deo Optimo Maximo" — or "God infinitely good, infinitely great."

But what about its all-important taste? Well, folks, it's pretty one-of-a-kind. Benedictine D.O.M. has a warm, somewhat bitter herbal taste to it, with a slightly sweet edge coming from the addition of honey. While its multi-layered flavor might make it difficult to figure out how you can use it in a cocktail, it's a key element to one of the all-time classics, the Singapore sling. Here, Benedictine D.O.M. is mixed with Cointreau, gin, cherry liqueur, fruit juices, and bitters to make a sweet-spicy concoction. You can also enjoy Benedictine D.O.M. on its own as a digestif.