Department: Position: Module 9

Insert hotel
logo
General Task 9.8

Standard Operating Procedures Manual

MODULE: 9 General SUPPORT MATERIALS

 Reference LQEs, Richey, AAA, Mobil
 Any session support materials required or
TASK: 9.8 Liqueur and cognac knowledge instructions to trainers

ATTENTION Prepare colleagues for the training

What How to present and serve liqueur and cognac according to the MOHG standards.

Interest Cognac is a town in France in the department “Charente”. The town gives its name to one of the world's best-known types of brandy or eau
de vie. Drinks that bear this name must be made in certain areas around the town of Cognac and must be made according to strictly-defined
regulations in order to be granted the name Cognac.

Need This will develop your professional skills.

First Issued: 22/10/2008 CONFIDENTIAL Page 1 of 10

Revised: DN/PB/LV © 2008 Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group
 Department: Position: Module 9
Insert hotel
logo
General Task 9.8

BREAKDOWN Demonstrate and explain the steps and standards, allowing the trainee to practice at intervals
PROCEDURE STEPS QUESTIONS STANDARDS KEY

1. Present the liqueur trolley/menu.
When should you present the liqueur  The liqueur trolley/menu should be presented
trolley/menu? to the guest after serving coffee/tea and by
using suggestive selling skills encourage the
guest to have an after dinner drink. We will be
able to discuss characteristics of drinks
offered.

2. Show the chosen liqueur or Cognac Why do you show the chosen bottle to the  The chosen drink should be shown to the
bottle to the guest. guest? guest for him/her to verify his/her choice.

 It needs to be confirmed whether the guest

3. Confirm measurement of drink.
4. Place the glass.
What do you confirm regarding the would like a single or double measure.
measurement of the drink?
 The appropriate glass should be placed near
Where do you place the glass? the right hand side of the coffee cup or in front
of the guest.

 Pour the correct measure of liqueur or

5. Pour the chosen drink. What is important when pouring the chosen Cognac into the glass.
drink?

 The quantity, table number, name of item and

6. Note down the order for posting. What details do you note for posting? signature need to be clearly noted on a
Captain’s order. One copy needs to be given
to the bartender and one copy to the
cashier/captain.

 When the guest has finished his/her drink,

he/she should be asked if he/she would like a
7. Ask for refill. When do you ask for a refill?
refill, if not the empty glass is to be removed.

First Issued: 22/10/2008 CONFIDENTIAL Page 2 of 10

Revised: DN/PB/LV © 2008 Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group
 Department: Position: Module 9
Insert hotel
logo
General Task 9.8

 Liqueurs are flavored, sweetened spirits. They

8. Liqueur & cognac knowledge What should you know about liqueurs and are served in a liqueur glass when served
cognac? straight and served in a rock glass when
served with ice. Know which liqueurs we
serve. E.g.:

Old Liqueurs
 Amaretto – Italy’s celebrated almond flavored
liqueur. It is actually made with apricot kernels
and not almonds. Amaretto is a sweet, syrupy
liqueur.

 Benedictine is a sweet, aromatic, rich,

brandy-based liqueur flavored with more than
twenty herbs and plants and named after the
Benedictine monks who created it.

 Chartreuse has been around for over 300

years. It is blended from 130 different plants
and is available in two colours – green and
yellow.

 Cherry Herring is a fruit flavored liqueur from

Denmark. This crimson (red) drink is made
from the luscious cherries that grow in
Denmark. It is winy and dry for a liqueur, with
a distinctive almond tasting bitterness that
comes from the use of the cherry pits
(stones).

 Cointreau is a popular, bittersweet orange-

flavored liqueur. Because Cointreau was three
times drier than the liqueurs of the day,
imitations became known as triple sec which
means triple dry.

First Issued: 22/10/2008 CONFIDENTIAL Page 3 of 10

Revised: DN/PB/LV © 2008 Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group
 Department: Position: Module 9
Insert hotel
logo
General Task 9.8

 Drambuie is a whisky-based liqueur flavored

with honey and herbs.

 Fernet Branca is a bitter made of herbs with

a strong, medicinal flavor. It is produced in
France and Italy.

 Frangelico is a shimmering, brown hazelnut

scented liqueur and was first concocted out of
woodland nuts and herbs by a reclusive Italian
monk – hence it’s distinctive bottle, shaped
like a monk’s robe.

 Galliano is a liqueur made in Italy flavored

with herb, roots and spices.

 Grand Marnier is a Cognac based liqueur

with the peel (skin) of bitter oranges added to
it.

 Sambuca is a clear anise flavored liqueur

from Italy. It is derived from the elderberry
bush, which has been praised for its medicinal
values. Sambuca already infused with coffee
is available under the generic name negra,
which we call black Sambuca.

New Liqueurs
 Advocaat is a liqueur from the Netherlands;
made of brandy, egg yolks, vanilla and sugar.
It is the main ingredient of the cocktail
Snowball.

 Apricot Brandy is a grape brandy flavored

with apricot.

 Baileys is a rich, chocolate flavored, whisky

First Issued: 22/10/2008 CONFIDENTIAL Page 4 of 10

Revised: DN/PB/LV © 2008 Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group
 Department: Position: Module 9
Insert hotel
logo
General Task 9.8

and heavy cream liqueur of low alcohol

content.

 Blue Curacao is a blue colored Triple Sec,

which is alcohol flavored with orange peel and
citrus and sweetened with sugar.
 Calvados is an apple brandy made from
different varieties of apples that grow in
Northwest France.

 Cherry Brandy is a grape brandy flavored

with cherries.

 Crème de Banana is a banana flavored

liqueur made by infusion and maceration.

 Crème de Cacao is a liqueur made from

cocoa beans and flavored with cocoa. It has
an inferior quality compared to Kahlua.

 Crème de Cassis is a blackcurrant flavored

liqueur.

 Crème de Framboise is a raspberry

flavoured liqueur.

 Crème de Menthe is a peppermint flavored

liqueur available in green or clear colors.

 Kahlua is a coffee liqueur from Mexico,

enjoyed straight or on the rocks, but is also
used in many mixed drinks.

 Kirsch is a fruit brandy made from small,

semi-wild cherries.

 Midori is a bright green liqueur that has a

sweet taste of ripe melons. It works best as an

First Issued: 22/10/2008 CONFIDENTIAL Page 5 of 10

Revised: DN/PB/LV © 2008 Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group
 Department: Position: Module 9
Insert hotel
logo
General Task 9.8

accent in fruity, tropical drinks.

 Schnapps, a German word, is the generic

term for all white (clear) brandies distilled from
fermented fruits. True Schnapps has no sugar
added and are both fermented and distilled.
Schnapps are available in peach,
butterscotch, apple, lemon and melon as well
as many other flavors.

 Sloe Gin is a liqueur made by steeping

crushed or pricked sloes in gin.
 Southern Comfort is a blend of bourbon,
orange and peach liqueur.

 Tia Maria is a rum based liqueur from

Jamaica. It has an intense flavor, but is
lighter-bodied and drier than Kahlua.

 Triple Sec means triple dry and is an orange-

flavored liqueur, which is considered to be an
essential ingredient for many cocktails.

 Brandy alone is distilled from grape wine

sometimes aged in oak casks and usually
bottled at 80% proof. Brandy has a unique
system of classification. “A.C.” signifies that it
is two years old and aged in wood casks such
as Courvoisier ***. V.S. is “very special” and
aged three years in wood casks. V.S.O.P.
indicates “very superior old pale” and is aged
for a minimum of five years in wood casks
such as Courvoisier VSOP, Hennessy
VSOP and Remy Martin VSOP. X.O. means
“extra old” and is aged for a minimum of six
years such as Hennessy XO, Martell XO and
Remy Martin XO.

First Issued: 22/10/2008 CONFIDENTIAL Page 6 of 10

Revised: DN/PB/LV © 2008 Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group
 Department: Position: Module 9
Insert hotel
logo
General Task 9.8

 Brandy is divided into four main categories:

 Fruit Brandies – Cherry Brandy, Apricot
Brandy – which are clear and distilled directly
from the fruit itself. They are served chilled or
over ice.

 American Brandies are usually distilled in

California and have a lighter, smoother
characteristic than European brandy, which
tends to produce a stronger, headier taste.

 Armagnac is similar to Cognac but is usually

aged longer than Cognac. Armagnac is only
produced in Gascony, France.

 Cognac is a brandy that is only produced in

the Cognac region of France. If the Cognac is
served straight, pour into a brandy snifter, if it
is served with ice, then pour into a rock glass.

 Know the different types of liqueur coffees,

their names and what spirit is used in them.
Pour the spirit into a white wine glass and add
hot coffee on top. Gently pour double cream
over the back of a teaspoon to float on the
surface of the coffee.

 All liqueur coffees are usually served after a

meal.

 Irish coffee – Irish Whisky

 Spanish coffee – Tia Maria and Rum

 Italian coffee – Choose Sambuca, Frangelico

or Grappa
 Jamaican coffee – Rum

First Issued: 22/10/2008 CONFIDENTIAL Page 7 of 10

Revised: DN/PB/LV © 2008 Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group
 Department: Position: Module 9
Insert hotel
logo
General Task 9.8

 Mexican coffee – Kahlua

 Russian coffee – Vodka

 Belgian coffee – triple sec and Baileys

 Port is a sweet fortified wine from Portugal,

often served after a meal although the
Portuguese often drink it as an aperitif. The
best ports are vintage ports, which are made
from grapes of a single vintage and bottled
within two years. We sell Dow’s 1980 and
1985. Taylor’s Tawny port is a blend of
grapes from several different years and can
be aged in wood as long as 40 years.
Sandman’s Ruby port is considered to be
the lowest grade of port.

 Sherry is a fortified wine and ranges broadly

in color, flavor and sweetness. There are
fundamentally two types of sherry, fino and
oloroso. Fino is a dry, pale sherry like Tio
Pepe and Harvey’s Bristol Cream is a low
grade Oloroso that has been heavily
sweetened.

First Issued: 22/10/2008 CONFIDENTIAL Page 8 of 10

Revised: DN/PB/LV © 2008 Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group
 Department: Position: Module 9
Insert hotel
logo
General Task 9.8

CHECK Test recall and understanding of the task and the standards

Name the most common liqueurs and cognacs.

Question
What are the exact measurements of liqueur and cognac you sell?
Question
When should you ask the guest if he/she wishes to have a liqueur or cognac?
Question

Question

Question

Trainee Practices Give trainee a scenario. Take the role of the guest and ask the trainee to practice. Give feedback on the practice on what went well and
Entire Task what could be improved.

First Issued: 22/10/2008 CONFIDENTIAL Page 9 of 10

Revised: DN/PB/LV © 2008 Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group
 Department: Position: Module 9
Insert hotel
logo
General Task 9.8

TASK 9.8 Liqueur and cognac knowledge

STEP: 01 STEP: 02 STEP: 03

Insert Photo or Diagram Insert Photo or Diagram Insert Photo or Diagram

First Issued: 22/10/2008 CONFIDENTIAL Page 10 of 10

Revised: DN/PB/LV © 2008 Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group