‘Tis the season of schnapps and cordials my friends. National Liqueur Day arrives on October 16 and with it the call to raise a glass and outstretch a pinkie.
Not without irony, October 16 is also the birthday of fabled drunk, beloved author, apex Libra and tippler til the end, Mr. Oscar Wilde.
The word “liqueur” is derived (or distilled) from the Latin liquefacere meaning “to melt, or dissolve.” Fitting, considering how many among us can recall dissolving into a puddle of regret and vomit after an afternoon spent drinking a dusty bottle of schnapps nicked from the liquor cabinet of an absent parent.
In a great paradox, the history of liqueur begins with medicine. 13th-century monks steeped bitter herbs to treat the ails of their patients, sweetening them with sugar to make the medicine easier to administer.
In the 16th century, Aries regent Catherine de’ Medici introduced liqueur to the French court, making it a fashionable and fancy AF. In the 17th century, the advent of the spice trade expanded the variegation of liqueur flavors, introducing ginger, orange and chocolate to European palettes.
While the world of liqueurs has continued to evolve, the OG emphasis on practicality persists with Metallica bassist Robert Trujillo claiming that a daily dose and douse of Jägermeister is the key to keeping his long hair lustrous. Bless.
Pour one out and raise one high for National Liqueur Day, read on to discover the the boozy spirit that aligns with your zodiac sign.
ARIES (March 21 – April 19)
Crème de menthe
Ruled by Mars and driven by the pursuit of truth and other accelerants, Aries folk are oft brutally, but always refreshingly, honest. This quality is reflected in the garish color and bright flavor of crème de menthe. Add to the lore that the cordial was invented by Emile Giffard, an Aries pharmacist and was the preferred constitutional of the otherwise teetotaling Aries pianist Sergei Rachmaninoff. Rachmaninoff claimed the verdant liqueur calmed his nerves and steadied his hands when playing his ridiculously demanding concerto “Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini,” earning the piece the nickname of “Crème de Menthe Variations.”
Recommended cocktail: Green Dragon
TAURUS (April 20 – May 20)
Midori
At best, Taurus is the sign of curated decadence and beauty as medicine. At worst, Taurus is the sign of gluttony and greed, whose power color is green and battle cry is more. How apropos that in myth and marketing, Midori speaks to both. First introduced to the US via a “Saturday Night Fever” cast party at temple of louche, Studio 54, the liqueur peaked in popularity during the me first, excess is best decade of the 1980’s.
Recommended cocktail: Midori Sour
GEMINI (May 21 – June 20)
Aperol
Like the immortal twins Castor and Pollux who together make up the Gemini constellation, Aperol is born from brothers, Luigi and Silvio Barbieri. Gemini represents the duality present in all matter, the light and the dark, the sacred and the profane, low brow and high mind. In kind and in spirit of spirit, Aperol is distilled with sweet orange and bitter bark. Gemini is ruled by Mercury, effervescent planet of hot gossip and elevated exchange and Aperol was made to marry prosecco and is best mixed with manicured gardens and questionable company.
Recommended cocktail: Aperol Spritz
CANCER (June 21 – July 22)
Bailey’s Irish Cream
Cancer is ruled by the feminine moon, lords over the chest, breasts and lactation, and is linked to root systems and heritage making Bailey’s Irish Cream an apt intoxicant for crab folk. The opaque bottles are convenient for smuggling cocaine while the flavor invokes what we wish breast milk tasted like.
Recommended cocktail: Bailey’s Colada
LEO (July 23 – August 22)
Goldschlager
Leo is ruled by the golden light of the sun and stands for the regal and the self-celebrating. In kind, and cup, Goldschlager is the Swiss descendant/throne thief of Goldwasser, a gold-flecked herbal liqueur favored by German czars.
Recommended cocktail: Gold Royale
VIRGO (August 23 – September 22)
Chartreuse
Virgo is a sign synonymous with discretion and temple guardianship and Chartreuse is a liqueur produced from a secret recipe passed down by Carthusian Monks. Born from a blend of 130 botanicals, Chartreuse tastes like vegetal compost and, in the spirit of the sign, is a rollicking good time disguised as a pious remedy.
Recommended cocktail: Last Word
Check out more of The Post’s food astrology content:
- Here’s which beer embodies your zodiac sign
- What kind of pizza are you based on your zodiac sign?
- What wine are you based on your zodiac sign?
LIBRA (September 23 – October 22)
Chambord
Libra is ruled by planet Venus, named for the goddess of love and beauty whose earthly associations include the raspberry from which Chambord derives its deep color and rich, sweet flavor. Libras are unabashed sugar babies that like the finer things in life and aren’t above a little genteel social climbing. In kind, Chambord, which bills itself as “unmistakably decadent” borrows its name from a French chateau and its status from King Louis XIV’s reported fondness for the good juice.
Recommended cocktail: Pink Julep
SCORPIO (October 23 – November 21)
St. Germain
St. Germain with its statuesque bottle, Parisian mystique and fresh elderflower flavor is pure Scorpio. Fixed water, Scorpio rules the eighth house of sex, death and transformation and the mystical elder tree from which the elderflower springs, can sprout from damaged boughs and grow roots from cuttings making it an ancient and eternal symbol of regeneration. In the same vein, elder flowers are associated with death, grief and resurrection as it is believed Christ’s cross was made from the wood of an elder. Add to the mix, or still as it were, that elder wood, flowers and leaves are employed during the pagan fire festival of Samhain, which falls during Scorpio season, to ward off evil spirits and protect the souls of the dead.
Recommended cocktail: Traditional Elderfashioned
SAGITTARIUS (November 22 – December 21)
Kahlúa
The cinematic embodiment of the Sagittarius archetype can be found in Jeffrey Lebowski, sage stoner, wayfarer-wearing, bathrobe king whose drink of choice, the White Russian, is made complete with the addition of this coffee liqueur. Who but an arrow to the sky, caution to the wind, zero f–ks to give archer would dream of mixing booze and milk as a breakfast of ne’er-do-wells? Sagittarius is the sign of a good time and good-natured criminality, an energy made manifest in this macaque monkey bandit/hero who broke into his local liquor store to score Kahlúa. Hero.
Recommended cocktail: White Russian
CAPRICORN (December 22 – January 19)
Grand Marnier
Ruled by Saturn, planet of the long game and hard lessons, Capricorn folk are built to endure and oft harbor something of a superiority complex. They expect the best of themselves, the world they move through and the people they judge. Like sea goats, Grand Marnier tastes expensive, is the rich result of a slow process and improves greatly with age.
Recommended cocktail: Cadillac Sidecar
AQUARIUS (January 20 – February 18)
Sambuca
In terms of the Major Arcana, Aquarius is represented by the Star card wherein a topless maiden gazes into a reflecting pool while a bright central star rises over her head, shining as a symbol for hope, perception and the divine intercession of the universe. Similarly, star anise, the main ingredient in Sambuca is associated with the opening of psychic channels and the delivery of deific downloads. In the Star card, the central orb is surrounded by a wreath of seven stars, each corresponding to one of the seven chakras. Same but different, Sambuca is commonly served with seven coffee beans in honor of the Seven Hills of Rome.
Recommended cocktail: Sambuca Sazerac
Astrology 101: Your guide to the star
- The 12 zodiac signs
- What are the astrology houses
- Here’s what each planet represents
- Sun, moon and rising signs: Get to know your Big 3
PISCES (February 19 – March 20)
Amaretto
Pisces is the die-hard, drunk on love, I am my beloved’s and my beloved is mine, reckless romantic of the zodiac, ever willing to go to great lengths and terrible depths in the service of a relationship. In-kind and in Greek myths, the almond, from which Amaretto draws its signature flavor, is tied to both a doomed love story and a constellation of self-inflicted castrations. Love hurts and Pisces is always ready for the pain. Drink up.
Recommended cocktail: Italian Margarita
Astrologer Reda Wigle researches and irreverently reports back on planetary configurations and their effect on each zodiac sign. Her horoscopes integrate history, poetry, pop culture and personal experience. She is also an accomplished writer who has profiled a variety of artists and performers, as well as extensively chronicled her experiences while traveling. Among the many intriguing topics she has tackled are cemetery etiquette, her love for dive bars, Cuban Airbnbs, a “girls guide” to strip clubs and the “weirdest” foods available abroad.