Tasting Tuesday: Domaine de Canton

Domaine de Canton is a ginger liqueur that produced in France. The flavor base is a syrup made from crystallized ginger, orange blossom honey and vanilla, infused into a combination of cognac and neutral spirits. It’s a low alcohol liqueur that can be drunk on its own, but is ideal for infusing a hint of ginger flavor into cocktails. Like St. Germain, Domain de Canton is packaged in a very distinctive bottle that you can’t help but notice from across the bar. The bamboo-styled bottle has won awards for packaging design, just as the liqueur itself has won a lot of recognition in international spirit taste competitions. Also like St. Germain, Domaine de Canton has the remarkable ability to make almost any drink more delicious and complex.

The liqueur has a warm ginger scent to it, with a trace of floral vanilla that lingers in your nose and makes you want to take another whiff. It tastes like a good ginger beer, but smoother and without the effervescence You get a strong ginger flavor, however it is balanced by the honeyed sweetness of the liqueur.  The finish is clean and warm, with only a hint of ginger left on your tongue. Overall, the liqueur is extremely well-balanced and it is no surprise that it is so popular, even among people who aren’t usually ginger lovers. If you are a ginger fan, however, Domaine is a must-try.

Worth another round? Absolutely This liqueur is on the pricey side and that might stop some people from buying it for their home bars, but let me assure you that it is worth it. That bottle will go a long way, since you’ll probably be adding just an ounce or so at a time to cocktails to give them an extra flavor boost, rather than drinking it straight from the bottle (even though you might be tempted). It goes with almost everything, so feel free to experiment.