Orange liqueurs are vital to any well-stocked bar. They appear in classic cocktails like the Margarita and Sidecar, not to mention Long Island Iced Teas and Cosmopolitans. They are understated workhorses, providing fruit flavours, complexity, and occasionally sweetness.
TRIPLE SEC
A drier style of orange liqueur, triple sec hails from France, but the origin of the drink’s name beyond that is disputed. Some attribute it to being a translation of the words “triple dry.”
Others say it is a reference to triple distillation (which doesn’t actually occur in its preparation). Or it could be a reference to the third evolution of French brand Cointreau’s recipe.
Triple sec is the orange liqueur used most often in margaritas, but there are other types of orange liqueurs you can use. Combier and Cointreau both claim to be the world’s first triple sec producer.
In modern parlance, triple sec is often used as a generic term for any orange liqueur and sometimes denotes a low-grade knock-off. High-quality triple secs, meanwhile, can be consumed neat or as part of a cocktail.
COINTREAU
Cointreau is one of the best-known brands of the triple sec style of orange liqueur. The drink was first released in 1875 and is made using a mix of sweet and bitter orange peels and sugar beet alcohol. Cointreau has a crisp, smooth, orange flavour.
Its high-quality production means that it can be drunk neat, over ice, or in cocktails.
It was originally called Cointreau Triple Sec, but as time passed, the name was shortened to simply Cointreau to separate the brand from other companies.
Because of its high production value, Cointreau can be enjoyed neat or on the rocks, as well as mixed in a sidecar or a Singapore Sling. Cointreau is one type of orange liqueur that bartenders use often when making margaritas.
GRAND MARNIER
Often described as s a Curaçao/triple sec hybrid, made from a mix of Cognac, distilled bitter orange essence, and sugar. It first appeared in 1880 and was originally called “Curaçao Marnier,” in reference to its high quantity of brandy. Like Cointreau, Grand Marnier measures 40 percent ABV and can be enjoyed neat or in mixed drinks. It is used in classic French desserts, such as crêpes suzette and bûche de Noël (Yule log).
The cognac used to create the blend is sourced from ugni blanc grapes and is double-distilled in copper stills. It can be consumed neat, on the rocks, or in cocktails. Cointreau tends to be lighter in colour than Grand Marnier and the recipe may specifically need the colour to be as assigned.
