Are eggs really used in advocaat

A.� Production of advocaat is dominated by Warnicks, which goes through an estimated 60 million egg yolks a year. The eggs are broken by a machine, separated, and up to 70,000 yolks per hour can be mixed with the grape spirit, sugar, vanilla and an emulsifying agent. The result is a very thick and gloopy drink, usually diulted with lemonade.

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Q.� What are the drink's origins

A.� Advocaat is very much a Dutch speciality. Its original incarnation was as a planter's drink in Holland's Brazilian enclaves, where the fruit of the abacate tree would be fermented and drunk. When the planters returned home they found that abacate trees were few and far between and, warping the original name to advocaat, they decided to use eggs instead. The Italians have a version of this liqueur as well. It's called Vov, and is made with Marsala and is thicker and sweeter than advocaat.

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Q.� Are eggs used in other creme liqueurs

A.� Creme liqueurs are often made with fruit concentrates or even essential oils rather than eggs. They are usually sweeter, lower in alcohol and more brightly coloured than brandies. Most cremes aren't produced to be drunk on their own - advocaat is usually mixed. The exceptions are Tia Maria and Kahlua. They are coffee-based brands which have stolen the market away from the older, sweeter creme de cacaos made by Bols. Kahlua claims to hail from Mexico although there is some debate about Turkish origins. It is a blend of cane spirit, Mexican coffee and vanilla. It was one of the brands that entered America after the Repeal of the Prohibition. It claims to be the world's second biggest-selling liqueur brand and is made under licence in Mexico, Denmark and Scotland. Its main rival is Tia Maria, owned by Allied Domecq. The story of the recipe dates back to the 17th century, when Jamaica was caught up in the colonial wars that raged across the Caribbean. When one estate was attacked the owners had to flee, and the young daughter and her maidservant Maria got separated from the rest of the family. Maria managed to collect her mistress's possessions, along with a box containing the family's secret recipe for their coffee liqueur. Years later, the girl gave the recipe to her daughter, who named the liqueur Tia Maria (Aunty Mary) after the servant.

The liqueur is a blend of Blue Mountain coffee beans and spices,� including vanilla, which are infused with Jamaican cane spirit.

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Q. Are creme liqueurs and cream liqueurs the same thing

A.� Creme liqueurs and cream liqueurs, such as Bailey's, are very different creations. Bailey's Cream claims to be the single most successful new spirit launch in the last 30 years and the world's top-selling liqueur. It began when Gilbeys of Ireland had a surplus of spirit. The story goes someone had the bright idea of trying to make a bottled Irish coffee, and in 1975 Bailey's was launched. Unlike Benedictine or Chartreuse, it doesn't come from herbal tradition: it springs from 20th century technology. It is an alcohol/dairy product blend that doesn't have artificial agents, yet doesn't curdle or go off in the bottle. It started an explosion of cream liqueur brands - Cadbury's, Amarula, Creme de Grand Marnier, Cointreau and Tia Maria.

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By Katharine MacColl