Calamansi liqueur, anyone?

MANILA, Philippines – Ever heard of calamansi (calamondin) liqueur?

Manille Liqueur de Calamansi, a limoncello-like digestif (after-meal alcoholic drink) made from calamansi rinds, was recently unveiled by Destileria Limtuaco & Company Inc. The unique drink will be among the Filipino products on display at the Berlin International Green Week in Germany this month.

The calamansi rinds were sourced from Oriental Mindoro, through the Tugdaan Mangyan Center for Learning and Development, an institution for the Mangyan tribes in Mindoro island.

Destileria Limtuaco president Olivia Limpe-Aw noted that mainstream markets abroad find products like the calamansi liqueur exciting “because they do not have these ingredients, and yet these are produced according to their quality standards.”

“The products we make are really catered for the mainstream market. We use international methods of making spirits but using Filipino ingredients,” said Limpe-Aw.

She added that craft spirits – alcoholic drinks produced in small batches – are gaining ground overseas. Destileria Limtuaco, seeing the increased demand overseas, hopes that this would become a new revenue stream for them.

Liqueurs are sweetened alcoholic drinks made from distilled spirits and flavored with fruits, creams, herbs, nuts or spices. They are different from liquors, which are distilled fermented beverages; examples of liquors are rum, whisky, vodka, and tequila.

The company is looking forward to exporting Manille Liqueur de Calamansi in the United States, where it has sold its two other products, Paradise Mango Rum Liqueur and Amadeo Coffee Liqueur, starting in 2013. The calamansi liqueur is also available locally, sold for P320 in supermarkets and Filipiniana stores nationwide.

Destileria Limtuaco is the maker of alcoholic drinks such as Napoleon V.S.O.P. Brandy, White Castle Whisky, Toska Vodka, Maria Clara Sangria, and El Hombre Tequila. – Rappler.com

Cocktail image via Shutterstock