What is the difference between liqueurs, tinctures, cordials, and infusions?

Expanded Explanation

Liqueurs are sweetened flavored spirits designed to be enjoyed as finished drinks. They combine an alcohol base with ingredients such as fruits, herbs, spices, nuts, or botanicals, then use sugar or another sweetener to create a smoother, more rounded result. They are usually meant to taste balanced and drinkable on their own or in cocktails.

Tinctures are far more concentrated. They are usually made with strong alcohol and a small amount is used to add flavor, bitterness, or aroma to another drink or recipe. Infusions sit between the two: they are spirits flavored by soaking ingredients in alcohol, but they are not necessarily sweetened, so they often remain more like flavored spirits than true liqueurs.

Cordials can be more confusing because the word changes by region and tradition. In some places, cordial means a sweet herbal or fruit liqueur, while in others it refers to a non-alcoholic syrup diluted with water. In modern homemade liqueur making, cordial is sometimes used loosely, but liqueur is the clearest term when the drink is alcoholic, flavored, and intentionally sweetened.