Tropical & Melon

Tropical liqueur is any sweetened spirit flavored with fruit from warm climates, such as passion fruit, banana, lychee, pineapple or melon. Most are bottled for cocktails rather than sipping. Chinola Passion Fruit Liqueur, Giffard Banane Du Bresil and Soho Lychee Liqueur are three good examples of the range.

It depends on the drink. Chinola Passion Fruit Liqueur leans tart and fresh, which suits sours and spritzes, while Passoa Passion Fruit Liqueur is a familiar choice for a passion fruit martini. Alize Gold Passion blends passion fruit with French vodka and is often served simply over ice.

Midori Melon pairs easily with citrus, so the classic Midori Sour simply adds fresh lemon and lime juice and a splash of soda. It also mixes well with pineapple juice, coconut rum or sparkling wine. Keep the pour around one to one and a half ounces, since melon liqueur is quite sweet.

Crème de banane is a banana liqueur used in tiki drinks, the Banana Daiquiri and dessert cocktails. Tempus Fugit Creme De Banane and Giffard Banane Du Bresil both carry a ripe, rounded banana flavor, so a half ounce is usually enough to taste the fruit without overwhelming the rum or citrus in the glass.