A liqueur is a type of distilled spirit that is sweetened with sugar or syrup and often contains flavoring agents such as fruit, herbs, and oils. Liqueurs are made by using liquor or spirits as their base that are then sweetened and flavored with all manner of herbs and oils, sugars and syrups, nuts, chocolate, cream, or coffee. The word liqueur comes from the Latin word liquefacere, which means "to make liquid". Liqueurs are sweet, but some have a bitter taste as well, depending on the herbs used. Flavors are added by steeping or percolating fruit or plants in liquor. Liqueurs have a wide range of flavors, including coffee, fruits (such as blueberry, passionfruit, apricot, rhubarb), vegetable (such as carrot), nuts (like almond and hazelnut), and herbs (anise, saffron, and ginger) . Liqueurs are often used as an ingredient in cocktails, where they add a lot of flavor and are used in smaller amounts than the base liquor. They can also be consumed straight on their own, usually sipped as an aperitif before a meal or digestif after a meal, and can be drunk on the rocks or neat, depending on your preference.