alchermes (, ; from the , from ) is a type of italian liqueur (especially in tuscany, emilia-romagna and sicily) prepared by infusing neutral spirits with sugar, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and vanilla, and other herbs and flavoring agents. its most striking characteristic is its scarlet color, obtained by the addition of "kermes", a small parasitic insect from which the drink derives its name. the drink fell out of favor around the turn of the 20th century because people discovered that its colour came from insects. several proprietary variants are commercially available, where the coloring agent is a coal tar derived dye such as e124 and e126, with alcoholic contents ranging from 21 to 32%. its chief use is in coloring pastry, although a quick dessert is sometimes made by adding it to mascarpone and sugar. in the italian pudding "zuppa inglese", sponge cake or ladyfingers soaked in this liqueur are a major ingredient.