Our recommendations are dedicated to helping you find the right product at the right price. Things you buy may earn us a commission.

Fruit liqueurs can come across as too flowery to warrant space on the bar cart, but lychee liqueur is having a moment, especially when mixed with ice, vodka, and a dash of lime juice. From there, it’s easy to move to a Shanghai Fizz, a Hong Kong Cooler or a Hong Kong High Flyer, each using variations of lychee liqueur with lime or another citrus, elderflower juice or liqueur, ginger and vodka. 

It’s a tropical, fresh kind of drink. It’s used as a mixer more than it is served straight or on the rocks, although a shooter called Crouching Tiger calls for equal parts lychee liqueur and blue agave tequila, and takes this fruit liqueur at least to something more daring indeed.

Massenez Liqueur de Litchi, 500ml, France, $48.30

This famous French distillery has been making liqueurs since the 1870s, and knows how to do it properly. It’s become famous for capturing the essence of fruit in its purest form, credited for being the first to distill wild raspberries. It has made it onto the top shelves of bars around the world. Made from 100 percent pure fruit, this lychee liqueur has intensity, perfect for a twist on the traditional Kir, as a cocktail base or simply served with soda and a squeeze of fresh lime.

Hunter Distillery Lychee Liqueur, 500ml, Australia, $48

This liqueur from the Hunter Valley’s Pokolbin is fresh and light, though syrupy enough to mix with soda water and still have a flavour punch. It’s local and delicious, a worthy addition to the liquor cabinet. Hunter Distillery uses raw and organic fruit to make the liqueur, and says it uses traditional, time-proven methods to distill their products.

Aubrey Liqueurs Lychee Liqueur, 500ml, Australia, $31.99

The pink labelled bottle is almost enough to win us over. But this homegrown craft liqueur is made using natural and all-Australian ingredients, with no artificial colours or preservatives – and it’s delicious. Aubrey Lychee Liqueur is light, sweet and refreshing, just as its branding would suggest. Shake it into a martini or mix a fresh take on a mojito.

Tamborine Mountain Distillery Lychee and Elderflower Liqueur, 375ml, Australia, $48.99

There’s something mellow about elderflower in any product, and it serves as a perfect balance to lychee in this lovely, subtle drink. Have it neat on ice, with soda water or lemonade, however mixing it with anything strong will risk it disappearing altogether.

Kai Lychee, 750ml, Vietnam, $44.99

Kai Lychee flavoured rice spirit is infused with tropical lychee fruit and is distilled five times from exotic yellow blossom rice, making it essentially a flavoured vodka. The result is unique, far removed from French lychee liqueurs. This is something more sweet, a little like Midori in texture, but lychee in flavour. It’s a good choice for gluten intolerant drinkers, being made from rice.

Litchao Lychee Liqueur, 700ml, France, $31.99

This liqueur is for the serious lychee lovers. It’s complex and fruity and has an intensity that works well in martinis with a twist or with soda and ice. The price tag belies its quality – it’s a smooth, lovely drink that goes far in any cocktail asking for lychee or any fruit liqueur. It’s sweet, but not overwhelmingly so, and fits the lychee in its most natural form.

Does lychee liqueur have alcohol in it?

Lychee liqueur does have alcohol in it, usually around 20 to 30 percent alcohol.

What can you use instead of lychee liqueur as an alternative?

Lychee syrup is a non-alcoholic alternative to lychee liqueur. It can be made using fresh lychees, water and sugar, or bought pre-made in a bottle.

What’s a popular cocktail to make with lychee liqueur?

A classic lychee cocktail is a lychee martini, often called a lichitini or lycheetini, which uses one-part lychee liqueur, three-parts vodka, ice and often a dash of fresh lychee juice, lime juice or a whole lychee, shaken and poured into a martini glass. 

Have you heard about our new delicious pairing?

In our quest to make life more delicious., we’ve partnered with Qantas Wine to deliver premium Australian wine to your home. All wines are specially curated to perfectly pair with this month’s recipes, making food-and-wine matching effortless.

Featuring award-winners, premium brands and classics, all cases suit both your palate and your pocket. Plus, you’ll earn Qantas Points on every purchase!

Simply choose from our selection of quality cases or a wine subscription and get delicious wines delivered to your home.

Find more information, see delicious.com.au/drinksclub.