Butterscotch
Butterscotch is an old-fashioned sweet made from brown sugar and butter. As a liqueur, it tastes exactly like that: sweet, smooth and full of caramel. Here you can read what butterscotch liqueur is, which bottles are available, how to drink it and which glass goes with it.
Three Dutch butterscotch makers
At Gall & Gall, you will find three butterscotch liqueurs, all three from Dutch distilleries. They differ mainly in strength and sweetness.
Bols
The strongest of the three. Bols makes a whole range of liqueurs for cocktails, and the butterscotch is one of them.
About Bols →
De Kuyper
The lightest and smoothest. A liqueur maker from Schiedam with a large assortment of flavors.
About De Kuyper →
Zuidam
Family distillery known for genever and gin, which also makes a range of liqueurs.
About Zuidam →How is liqueur made, and what types are there? You can read that on our page about liqueur.
A sweet in a bottle
Butterscotch is originally an English sweet made by cooking brown sugar and butter together. It resembles caramel and toffee. Caramel is usually made from regular sugar, often with cream. Toffee is cooked longer, which makes it harder. Butterscotch falls somewhere in between and has a fuller, slightly more savory flavor due to the brown sugar and butter.
Butterscotch liqueur captures that flavor in a sweet liqueur. You taste toffee, caramel and vanilla. It remains a regular liqueur: thinner than a cream liqueur such as Baileys. Bols mentions brown sugar, butter, cream and whisky as flavorings and describes a hint of salted toffee. In the United States, this type of drink is often called butterscotch schnapps.
In short
Three bottles side by side
Gall & Gall sells three butterscotch liqueurs. Are you looking for something light for a shot, or a stronger liqueur for a cocktail? That is where the difference lies.
Bols Butterscotch
Caramel and salted toffee with a slightly spicy finish. According to Bols, it is also a good flavoring for desserts and pastries, and in a Caramel Apple Martini.
De Kuyper Butterscotch
Smooth and full-bodied, with toffee and caramel. Its low alcohol content makes it the mildest of the three.
Zuidam Butterscotch Liqueur
Sweet notes of butterscotch and vanilla, with a long-lasting finish.
Butterscotch is a popular base for sweet shots. Find more shots and tips on our shots page.
Toffee, butter and a hint of salt
Caramel & vanilla
You smell burnt sugar, butter and vanilla. It brings to mind a bag of toffees.
Sweet and smooth
Distinctly sweet, with a full, buttery flavor. The stronger Bols has a slightly salty and spicy side.
Long and sweet
The toffee lingers for a long time. Chilled or over ice, it feels less heavy.
Flavor profile of a butterscotch liqueur around 20%. De Kuyper (15%) is milder, while Bols (24%) is slightly more potent.
Three ways to drink butterscotch
Butterscotch is sweet, so it works well chilled or over ice. Put the bottle in the fridge or freezer for a while before pouring.
Chilled as a shot
Pour the liqueur ice-cold into a shot glass. Want a layered shot? Carefully pour a layer of Irish cream over the rounded side of a spoon onto the butterscotch.
More shots →Over ice
4 to 5 cl in a tumbler filled with ice. The meltwater takes the sharpest edge off the sweetness. Add a splash of cold milk to make a kind of toffee milkshake.
Glass: tumbler →In coffee or dessert
A splash in coffee or hot chocolate, or over vanilla ice cream. Also handy for flavoring a cake or tiramisu.
Coffee cocktails →Cocktails with butterscotch
Butterscotch pairs well with coffee, cream and whisky. Add a splash to turn these classics into a caramel version.
White Russian
Vodka, coffee liqueur and cream. Add butterscotch for a coffee-with-toffee flavor.
Old Fashioned
Bourbon, bitters and sugar. Replace the sugar with a bar spoon of butterscotch.
Mudslide
Vodka, coffee liqueur and Irish cream. With a little butterscotch, it becomes a caramel dessert.
Espresso Martini
Vodka, espresso and coffee liqueur. A dash of butterscotch adds a caramel note.The right glass for butterscotch
A sturdy shot glass for a chilled shot, a liqueur glass for drinking it neat after dinner, and a tumbler for drinking it over ice. These are the glasses we recommend ourselves.
Everything you still wanted to know about butterscotch
Didn't find your question? Read more about liqueur or view our cocktail recipes.
To liqueur →What is butterscotch?
How much alcohol is in butterscotch liqueur?
What is the difference between butterscotch, caramel, and toffee?
How do you drink butterscotch?
What do you use butterscotch liqueur for?
Which glass do you use for butterscotch?
Buy butterscotch
Want the bottle at home right away? Order butterscotch online from Gall & Gall.
Prices from October 9, 2026, as provided by Gall & Gall. You can find the current price and stock at Gall & Gall. Glazen.nl receives a small commission if you buy something through these links; you pay nothing extra. No under 18, no alcohol.