Tuaca

Tuaca (Italian pronunciation: [tu. a:ca] is a brand of liqueur produced by the Tuoni and Canepa families of Livorno, Italy The liqueur is sweet and golden brown in color. Its ingredients include brandy, essence of Mediterranean Lemon, Orange, and Vanilla. Vanilla is the dominant flavor. It is bottled at 70 proof (35% ABV).

The recipe supposedly dates back to the Renaissance. A legend claims that it was created for Lorenzo the Magnificent.

Tuaca has been sold in the US since the 1950s and can be bought in most liquor stores in the Liqueur section.

This liqueur is always a big hit at my gatherings. Even though my bar is better stocked than most commercial Bars and Restaurants, a few friends and I went through a whole bottle of Tuaca last night. One of things I like most about Tuaca is that is so simple to drink. The citrus and vanille mix well with lots of things, but really just drinking it chilled and over ice is great, or maybe with a bit of natural sweet and sour mix. It makes for a fantastic shot for people who don't normally ever like shots and still works for those who make doing shots look like a profession.

The best I can describe it would be similiar to an amaretto, but with a bit of bite, vaguely sweet but not a syrupy and overly sweet as I can handle (like my Butterscotch Schnapps over ice). My tequila drinking friends put aside the Patron Silver for some more Tuaca. Nuff said.

For a more info and drink recipies, see http://www.tuaca.com/home.aspx