Creme de Noyaux
Encyclopedia
Creme de Noyaux is an almond
-flavored crème liqueur
made from apricot kernels, which also flavor the better-known, brandy-based amaretto
. It may also be made from the almond-shaped kernels contained within peach pits. Both Bols and Hiram Walker produce artificially colored red versions of the liqueur (either of which contribute the pink hue to Pink Squirrel cocktails) while Noyau de Poissy from France is available in both clear (blanc) and barrel-aged amber (ambre) versions. The name comes from the French noyau: "kernel, pit, or core". It is an ingredient in the Fairbank cocktail, the Pink Squirrel
cocktail and in a cocktail called Old Etonian
.
Creme de Noyaux has appeared in fiction as the vehicle for cyanide poisoning, due to the presence in apricot kernels of aromatic chemicals that break down into hydrocyanic acid when mixed with water. One famous instance of this is the short story, "Bitter Almonds," by renowned mystery author Dorothy Sayers. The main character, a wine and spirits salesman, determines that a customer died after drinking the first (oiliest) glass of a bottle of Creme de Noyaux that had stood unopened for 40 years.
Almond
The almond , is a species of tree native to the Middle East and South Asia. Almond is also the name of the edible and widely cultivated seed of this tree...
-flavored crème liqueur
Crème liqueur
A crème liqueur is a liqueur that has a great deal of additional sugar added to the point that it has a near-syrup consistency. Unlike cream liqueurs, crème liqueurs include no cream in their ingredients. Crème in this case refers to the consistency. This category includes crème de cacao , crème de...
made from apricot kernels, which also flavor the better-known, brandy-based amaretto
Amaretto
Amaretto is an Italian sweet almond-flavoured liqueur. It is made from a base of apricot or almond pits, sometimes both.-Etymology:The name is a diminutive of the Italian amaro, meaning "bitter," indicating the distinctive flavour lent by the mandorla amara--the bitter almond or the drupe kernel...
. It may also be made from the almond-shaped kernels contained within peach pits. Both Bols and Hiram Walker produce artificially colored red versions of the liqueur (either of which contribute the pink hue to Pink Squirrel cocktails) while Noyau de Poissy from France is available in both clear (blanc) and barrel-aged amber (ambre) versions. The name comes from the French noyau: "kernel, pit, or core". It is an ingredient in the Fairbank cocktail, the Pink Squirrel
Pink Squirrel
The Pink Squirrel is a frozen cocktail made of* 1 oz Creme de Noyaux* 1 oz Creme de Cacao* 1 oz Half and halfBlend with ice. Serve.Invented at Bryant's Cocktail Lounge.-Pink Squirrels in Popular Culture:...
cocktail and in a cocktail called Old Etonian
Old Etonian (cocktail)
An Old Etonian is a gin cocktail which enjoyed great popularity in London, circa 1925. The cocktail takes its name from Eton College and from the college's alumni, who are often referred to as Old Etonians...
.
Creme de Noyaux has appeared in fiction as the vehicle for cyanide poisoning, due to the presence in apricot kernels of aromatic chemicals that break down into hydrocyanic acid when mixed with water. One famous instance of this is the short story, "Bitter Almonds," by renowned mystery author Dorothy Sayers. The main character, a wine and spirits salesman, determines that a customer died after drinking the first (oiliest) glass of a bottle of Creme de Noyaux that had stood unopened for 40 years.