Tangerine Liqueur

Good luck finding this 20 to 25 cordial made with mildly flavored spices. A few years ago, Moyet Cognacs of France stopped distilling its fine Rene Niell Tangerine (and, for that matter, its Rene Niell Melon) because it wasn't cost-effective. As far as we can tell, no other distiller has bothered to pick up where Moyet left off, though we're still hopeful that some small distiller will claim this admittedly rarely used liqueur as its niche.

Diamond Wine Merchants in Emeryville, California, was the only US importer and distributor of Moyet's tangerine and melon liquors. Although it managed to amass a stockpile of both cordials, supplies are now running low. Drake McCarthy of Diamond Wine says the company is still on the lookout for an adequate substitute. But for now, most imbibers will have to use fresh tangerine juice and simple syrup instead. (To replace half an ounce of tangerine liqueur, use 1/2 ounce tangerine juice and 1/4 ounce simple syrup.)