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Orange liqueur and blue curaçao are two popular categories of orange flavoured liqueurs used in cocktails and culinary applications

1.      Orange Liqueur: Orange liqueur is a broad term that encompasses a range of liqueurs flavoured with orange either naturally or synthetically. It is typically made with a spirit base that is flavoured with orange through maceration, distillation addition of natural orange essential oils or essences or a combination thereof, along with sugar or sweeteners. The resulting liqueur is typically clear or amber in colour and has a distinct orange flavour.

One well-known and widely used orange liqueur is triple sec. Triple sec is a sweet and colourless liqueur that originated in France. It is traditionally made from the peels of bitter and sweet oranges and has a balanced sweetness with hints of orange zest. Triple sec is commonly used in classic cocktails like Margaritas, Cosmopolitans, and Sidecars.

Another popular orange liqueur is Cointreau, which is also produced in France. Cointreau is known for its clear appearance and intense orange flavour It has a slightly bitter edge and is often used in cocktails, as well as in culinary applications like desserts and sauces. Cointreau is attributed with creating the term triple sec

2.      2.Blue Curaçao: Blue curaçao is a vibrant blue liqueur that is traditionally flavoured with the dried peel of the laraha fruit, a bitter citrus fruit native to the island of Curaçao in the Caribbean. The liqueur gets its distinctive blue colour  from food colouring, which is added to give it a visually striking appearance.

Blue curaçao has a sweet and slightly bitter orange flavour similar to other orange liqueurs. It is frequently used as a cocktail ingredient to add a pop of colour and a hint of citrus flavour. Popular cocktails that feature blue curaçao include the Blue Hawaiian, Blue Margarita, and Blue Lagoon.

It's worth noting that the flavour and sweetness of orange liqueur and blue curaçao can vary depending on the brand and recipe. They are versatile ingredients that can enhance the flavour and visual appeal of various cocktails, as well as desserts and other culinary creations.

DesmondJi’s Orange Liqueur and Blue Curaçao are based on a premium grain spirit. They are flavoured with the natural essential oils of the renowned Nagpur orange and sweetened with a high quality crystal sugar. DesmondJi’s orange liqueurs in both the colourless and blue form lend themselves well to crafting a plethora of delicious cocktails in addition to application in confectionary and desserts.

Overall, orange liqueur and blue curaçao are beloved choices for mixologists and home bartenders, offering a burst of citrus flavour and a visually appealing touch to a wide range of drinks.

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Asia’s only agave spirit

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Other Offerings | DesmondJi

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What are Pure Cane spirits?

Pure Cane spirits are distilled alcoholic beverages, made from sugarcane juice. People are often confused between cane spirits and their fraternal twin, rum; the distinction lies in the fact that most rums are made from molasses, a by-product of sugarcane whereas cane spirits, though also technically rums, are distilled directly from fermented sugarcane juice. DJ Pure Cane is the one of two Cane spirits produced in India; Pure Cane spirit being more abundant in Brazil with its manifestation there as cachaca.

Travelers passing from one town to another in India often pass through highways embanked on both sides by agricultural fields. Sometimes these are paddy fields, reaching out till the horizon in vibrant green. Sometimes these are mustard fields, with their yellow flowers swaying joyfully in the air. And sometimes, they are lush fields of sugarcane; the thin, sturdy and upright stalks reaching out to the blue sky in happy abandon.

The long and many stretches of sugarcane fields in India is indication about the importance of the nation’s production of the crop in the global agricultural landscape; India is the second largest producer of sugarcane (and sugar), the first in the rank being Brazil.

Because of high production of sugarcane in Brazil, it is not surprising that the nation is known for cachaca, the pure cane spirit. So much so that, cachaca is protected by geographical indication in Brazil, confining its nomenclature and thus its production only to Brazil.

What is surprising is that for a very long time, despite India being such a high sugarcane producing nation, the nation had no equivalent to cachaca; yes, we manufacture rum, but it is manufactured from molasses, a by-product of sugarcane whereas cachaca and all pure cane spirits are distilled from sugarcane juice itself.

It was only after DesmondJi entered the alcobev industry in 2011, that this gap was filled and India got her first Pure Cane spirit in 2013. DesmondJi introduced DJ Pure Cane which is distilled exclusively from the purple sugarcanes flourishing in the Deccan plateau of the nation.

Proudly Made in India, DJ Pure Cane, and its purple label on the bottle are a tribute to the purple sugarcane that have made India its home since centuries. Like Cachaca of Brazil and Rhum Agricole of the Caribbean region of France, DJ Pure Cane also belongs to the international family of sugar cane based spirit and is a premium white spirit made following international standard. Distilled in small batches of artisanal pot-stills in DesmondJi’s craft distillery in Andhra Pradesh, DJ Pure Cane bewitches patrons with its unique profile of a craft sugarcane rum.

Unlike most of its kindred spirits which are imported products in India and thus highly priced, DJ Pure Cane, because of its domestic origin, commands a comparatively affordable price in the market and is thus accessible to a greater section of tipplers.

Cane spirits, including DJ Pure Cane can be enjoyed with soft beverages and juices. The adventurous patrons who love to explore often give a twist to cocktails like mojito, daiquiri, caipirinha, etc. by introducing Pure Cane spirit into the game.

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A Heritage Spirit of India

When it comes to heritage spirits the rest of the world has several noteworthy examples. France has Cognac, Scotland has Scotch Whiskey, America has Bourbon, Greece has Ouzo, Sri Lanka has Arrak and China has Baiju. What about India? Do we have a heritage spirit?

In urban India, the most consumed spirit is Whiskey. It masquerades as our default national spirit. However, hidden in the forests of Central India, a strong contender for a true national spirit still survives. It is a spirit that has lived on through its suppression as well as the oppression of the people who are its custodians. The spirit is called Mahua.

The only spirit in the world to be distilled from a naturally sweet flower, Mahua is produced from the flowers of the tree that shares its name. It has been distilled traditionally for centuries by the indigenous people of India, who are collectively called Aadivasi. The Mahua flowers fall from the tree and are collected. They are never plucked. The flowers are then sun dried for 3-5 days. The sun dried flowers are soaked in water and a rice ball with herbs, called ranu, is added to the pot to initiate the fermentation process. After the fermentation is complete, distillation is done using a rudimentary and rustic, three tier distillation set-up. The resulting spirit is then diluted with water and sold for consumption as is. 

The Mahua tree is considered sacred by the Adivasis. Entire forests may be cleared for agriculture but the Mahua trees will be left standing. The Mahua tree flowers for a period[JD1]  of one month from[JD2]  March through May. These flowers are an important source of livelihood for the indigenous people of India. During the Mahua season, everyone is engaged in collecting the flowers. Sun dried flowers are used in a variety of food preparations, they are bartered for provisions or sold for cash. But the most important use of the Mahua flowers is the production of Mahua spirit.

The Mahua spirit is very important to the symbolic reality  of the Adivasis. Mahua is distilled for births, weddings and deaths. Even engagements are finalized with the distillation of Mahua and both men and women drink the spirit . In the Central Indian forest belt much art, music and folklore is based on the spirit and the sacred tree that produces its floral origins.

Mahua trees grow abundantly in 13 states of India and almost nowhere else in the world. A conservative estimate of 500 million kilograms of Mahua flowers are collected every year, 95% of which ends up distilled into Mahua spirit. Mahua has history and scale. All it needs is vision to make it a national heritage spirit of India.