The Best Fruit Liqueurs for Springtime Spritzes and Warm Weather Cocktails

Chinola

Chinola, a line of passionfruit and mango liqueurs, is a bartender favorite.“It tastes more like eating fruit than any other liqueur I’ve tried,” says Jonathan Brasher, director of beverage at Tre Luna Bar & Kitchen. “They use passion fruit juice from a green-skinned variety of fruit selected for its tartness, not sweetness.”

Bartender Takuma Watanabe uses both passionfruit and mango versions of Chinola for a punch and a Margarita riff at his bar Martiny’s in New York City.

“It feels like you’re using a fresh product because it adds a lot of brightness to the drink, and the flavor really emulates a perfectly ripe fruit,” says Watanabe. “For the wintertime, use them in a sour type of drink, [a] Whiskey Sour or Gin Sour. In the summer, it makes for the perfect sweet and refreshing addition to a Daiquiri.”

Ben Bozeman, head bartender at Lucky Cheetah in Portland, Maine, loves Chinola in tropical drinks, but underscores its versatility. 

“Chinola is perfectly balanced by being just sweet enough to knock back the bracing tartness of the fruit itself, while not being too syrupy and cloying,” says Bozeman. “It’s a great addition to any spritz or champagne cocktail, like a French 75, or add a quarter or half ounce to any Gimlet, Mezcal Margarita, and Mai Tai too. Not to mention, you can’t make a proper Porn Star Martini without it.”

St. George Spiced Pear

Toby Maloney, bar consultant at TY Bar at the Four Seasons Hotel New York, finds that St. George Pear Spirit, a pear brandy flavored with cinnamon and clove, plays well with other spirits. “It works in conjunction with whiskey, brandy, gin, vodka, and rum as well as with mezcals,” he say. “I specifically like using the pear liqueur as a sub for any herbal liqueur like Benedictine or fruit liqueurs like curacao, an orange liqueur.”

Maloney likes to serve the spirit with a slightly aged tequila. “Reposado tequila and pear are a peerless match,” he says. “The bright mineral notes of the tequila juxtapose with the round, warming notes of the spices in the liqueur. The vanilla flavors of the rested tequila complement the jammy pear in the liqueur.”

He also recommends to skip a cocktail altogether to try the liqueur on its own. “The best way to enjoy this stunning sipper is on the rocks with a lemon or orange peel expressed for garnish,” says Maloney.

Pallini Limoncello

If you think limoncello is simply for after-dinner sipping, think again. 

“Limoncello is bright and refreshing, [and] can also be used in many ways,” says Joe Isidori, chef and owner at Arthur & Sons New York Italian. A Limoncello Martini is a great cocktail to enjoy, and we like to spike our spicy Cosmopolitans with limoncello. We also use limoncello in our Pallini Spritz, which is by far the crowd favorite.”

Isidori prefers the Pallini brand, made from Sfusato lemons harvested across the Amalfi coast. “It’s a great high-quality limoncello and a crowd favorite when traveling through Italy,” he says. 

Giffard Pamplemousse

“Giffard was started in Angers, France, in 1885 by Émile Giffard,” says Sarah Clark, the beverage director at Chicago’s The Dearborn. “He was originally a pharmacist who started distilling a Mitcham mint concoction to mitigate digestive problems,” she says. “It was such a success, he started selling it as an alcoholic spirit and turned his pharmacy into a distillery. Five generations later, his family has carried on the tradition, creating magical fruit liqueurs from real fruit ingredients.”

Clark likes to use Giffard’s rhubarb liqueur. “It has a subtle sweetness,” she says. “Use it in your favorite Cosmopolitan or Paloma recipe.” Nikki Irvine, the bar manager at Marché Restaurant in Eugene, Oregon swears by the Pamplemousse. 

“Other grapefruit liqueurs can lean too sweet, too bitter, or somewhat artificial, but Giffard’s iteration is by far the most balanced on the market,” says Irvine. “It tends to be an industry standard.” She recommends to add a quarter-ounce to a Paloma or Brown Derby cocktail. 

Billy Turner, from Kimpton Shane Hotel in Atlanta, likes Giffard’s Cassis. “It has a very intense flavor of ripe cassis. Unlike artificial-tasting fruit liqueurs, this one has a straightforward, unaltered fruit flavor.”

Bellissimo Limoncello

Beverage expert and sommelier Fabrizio Di Rienzo loves fruit liqueurs, but they need to be authentic and high quality. “A perfect example is the limoncello and orangello from Bellissimo, a Midwestern distillery that’s close to two of our restaurants,” he says. 

“What makes this bottle stand out is it’s crafted using real fruit, without any added coloring,” Di Rienzo says. “While their color may be lighter compared to more industrially produced competitors, the flavor is truly exceptional. You can taste the difference with every sip. I enjoy serving limoncello and orangello on their own as after-dinner digestifs because they round out a meal beautifully.”

Giffard Banane du Bresil

“In a world of AI (artificial intelligence and artificial ingredients), it’s nice to know something as pure and honest as the Giffard Banane du Bresil exists,” says Susie Reyes, COO at Good Lion Hospitality based in Santa Barbara, California. “Made from real macerated bananas, you can forget that candy-flavored nonsense that scarred us as children. The warm, intense notes of ripe bananas in a flambé, not only in the nose but on the palate, can comfort anyone.”

“My favorite application truly depends on the season, which shows the incredible adaptability of this liqueur,” says Reyes. “[On] a hot summer day, [use the liqueur in] a Banana Daiquiri or two. [For a] cold winter night, [try] a smidgen of Giffard Banane du Bresil [in a] Manhattan.”

Vicario Mirto

“When it comes to fruit-flavored liqueurs, I gravitate toward Vicario Mirto, a unique and deeply flavorful Sardinian liqueur made from wild myrtle berries,” says Benjamin Kirk, beverage director of Bastia and Caletta in Philadelphia. “It has a rich, herbaceous profile with notes of dark berries, earth, and a subtle, bittersweet spice.”

Mirto shares similarities to a bittersweet amaro. “It’s a versatile ingredient that can bridge the gap between sweet and bitter in a cocktail, offering complexity without overpowering the drink,” says Kirk. “Vicario Mirto highlights fruit-driven complexity while providing versatility for thoughtful and creative cocktail applications.”

Giffard’s Lichi-Li Liqueur

Jessica Kim, owner of Harumi Sush in Phoenix, is a fan of Giffard’s Lichi-Li Liqueur, a juicy, floral pink liqueur made with rose-colored lychee. 

“Giffard’s Lichi-Li Liqueur is a delicious, refreshing addition to any cocktail,” says Kim. “You can taste the lychee without it being overly sweet or too spirit-based, which allows it to pair well with other ingredients.” 

Kim’s restaurant currently serves a gin cocktail with dry vermouth, sweet potato shochu and Lichi-Li Liqueur. You can easily try this in a Lychee Martini. 

Apologue Aronia Berry Liquor

“I’m a big fan of Apologue Aronia Berry Liquor, particularly for day drinking,” says Frankie Gabriel, director of restaurants at New York City’s TH/RST Hospitality Group. “The floral, farm-grown berry liqueur is perfect in spritzes and low-ABV cocktails.”

“With a heavy hit of cherry and raspberry followed by floral overtones, mix it with bubbles for an exciting and accessible brunch cocktail,” says Gabriel. “In the colder months, I like to riff on a Paper Plane by replacing the bitterness of Aperol with the rich flavor of Aronia Berry. It also makes for a mean Sangria.” 

PAMA Pomegranate Flavored Liqueur

“One of the fruit-flavored liqueurs that I always have fun playing with is Pama pomegranate-flavored liqueur,” says John Shelton, bar manager at Mileta in Lexington, Kentucky. “It’s mostly vodka-based, but there’s a tequila in it as well, which gives it a deeper complexity and versatility.”

Shelton serves it in a spritz-style cocktail with sparkling wine and loves adding a touch to a bourbon sour, with egg white. “The added acidity and lingering pomegranate flavor meld beautifully with the caramel and toffee bourbon notes,” he says.

Grand Marnier Cordon Rouge

“Grand Marnier Cordon Rouge, a classic Cognac-based orange liqueur, is absolutely my go-to for a fruit-forward liqueur,” says Neal Benefield, director of operations at Próximo in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. “It is the industry standard in my hometown of Pittsburgh for an after-service shot, and I have carried that tradition with me to North Carolina.”

“At 80 proof, it is the perfect combination of boozy yet sweet and delicious,” says Benefield. “I prefer to drink it neat and chase it with a refreshing domestic lager, but it has versatility in an array of cocktails (and is perfect in my wife’s best cupcakes).” 

Try Grand Marnier in a Red Lion or Marny cocktail.

Averell Damson Plum

“Averell Damson Plum gin liqueur is a staple on our back bar at The Citizen,” says Tyler Faust, bartender at the Alys Beach, Florida restaurant. “Made from heirloom damson plums, it’s rich and bright with a slight bitter spice and tartness.”

Faust finds the gin-based liqueur is adaptable in a range of cocktail recipes. Try it in a Mule or a spirit-forward stirred cocktail. “It’s also a great alternative in a Sloe Gin Fizz, or a velvety egg white cocktail, such as the Clover Club, [cocktails] that benefit from a tart fruit.” 

Bols Passion Fruit

“We always reach for Bols liqueurs,” says Carl Summa, bartender and owner of Copper & Zinc in Waterbury, Connecticut. Bols Passion Fruit is a favorite. 

“It has the perfect balance of flavors — tangy passion fruit and subtle flavors of vanilla, combined with just the right amount of sweetness,” he says. “It screams harmony when designing cocktails. Bols Passion Fruit is also fabulous when combined with club soda for a great low-ABV sipper.” 

At Copper & Zinc, Summa serves the liqueur in his Retired Pornstar cocktail, a Porn Star Martini riff with tequila, mezcal, lime, and vanilla cream soda. “The earthy, fruity and smoky notes of tequila and mezcal, the subtle tanginess and vanilla of Bols Passion, acid from the lime, and the sweetness of cream soda form the ultimate symmetry of flavors.”