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Advocaat

Advocaat

ABV: 14-20%; Bols Advocaat, the most widely available label, is bottled at 15%

A rich Dutch liqueur made from eggs, sugar, and brandy, with a custard-like texture and flavor. Bols Advocaat, a widely available label, comes in a 750 mL bottle at 15% alcohol and is made in the Netherlands.

Origin

The Netherlands, developed by Dutch colonists and traders, with roots possibly tracing to a 17th-century Caribbean drink made from avocado pulp and spirit.

History

One theory traces advocaat's name and origin to Dutch colonists in the Caribbean and Brazil, who made a drink from mashed avocado and cane spirit; when the fruit wasn't available back home in the Netherlands, egg yolks stood in for its rich, custardy texture and color. Another account credits a 19th-century Dutch distiller, Johannes Cooymans, with the idea of blending egg yolks, sugar, and brandewijn (brandy) directly. The name itself is short for advocatenborrel, roughly "lawyer's drink," a nod to needing a clear head (or a smooth tongue) after a few glasses. It became a fixture of Dutch households, especially around the holidays, traditionally eaten with a small spoon rather than sipped, and later found its way into eggnog-style drinks and the Snowball, a British pub classic that pairs it with lemonade.

Flavor profile

Rich, custardy, and eggy-sweet, with brandy warmth and a touch of vanilla, closer in texture to a drinkable custard than a typical liqueur.

Tasting notes

Thick and pourable rather than truly liquid, tasting of sweet egg custard and vanilla with a gentle brandy warmth underneath. It's sipped slowly or spooned rather than shot, and its low proof and heavy body mean it doesn't mix cleanly into everything - it shines best in drinks built specifically around it, like the Snowball.

Substitutes

Common cocktails