Cointreau (French orange liqueur), a review (2023)

Estimated reading time:9minutes

a little background

Cointreau is named after the family that raised him; with the distillery created in 1849 by 2 brothers, Edouard-Jean and Adolphe Cointreau, who were confectioners by trade.

The orange liqueur we know today was created by Edouard-Jean's son, Edouard Cointreau. The first Cointreau bottles were sold in the early 1870s, but this original drink was considered too sweet by its main customers: the British. What followed was a drier version of the original, and it is this crisp liqueur that the world appreciates and loves today.

The original drink was called Triple Sec. However, with so many Triple Sec drinks flooding the market, in the early 20th century the company dropped the Triple Sec name in favor of Cointreau instead.

What is Cointreau made of?

It is made with a combination of sweet crust(Citrus Sinensis)and bitter orange peel(citrus oranges), pure alcohol (96%), water and sugar, resulting in an aromatic, sharp and slightly sweet brandy.

In Edward's own words,“I wanted to combine crystalline purity with the subtlety of flavors made from the perfect blend of sweet and bitter orange peels.”

The orange peel is what makes Cointreau so special because it has more than one origin, including South America, West Africa, Spain, and North Africa, with varieties such as navel, pear, and salustiana.

“Most are dry, but some Spanish sweet orange peels are macerated fresh in alcohol, giving notes of candied vanilla. “Bitter orange peels give the fresh aromas,” explains Langlais. “They are spicy, green and very volatile. Sweets are just the opposite: they give juicy orange flavors. It's a fresh and fruity combination."Extracted fromBusiness spirit

Aroma:a strong aroma of orange, spicy and orange oil, with sweet notes

Flavor:very, very clean and sharp, with a strong orange flavor and a touch of spice and even marmalade in the background.

Alcohol content:40%

How do you drink Cointreau?

You can drink it neat or on the rocks, but as many mixologists will tell you, it's simply amazing in cocktails. Many, many popular cocktails have Cointreau as an ingredient. Even if you see the words Triple Sec listed as an ingredient, chances are if the cocktail was made by someone with good taste, someone meant Cointreau!

The image above shows one of my favorite easy drinks when I don't want a glass of wine. It all started with a simple Cointreau and orange, a drink I discovered when I was 20 years old. Adding DOM Benedictine to it was one of the best discoveries I've ever made!

The best Margaritas are made with Cointreau and at LinsFood we have some in ourdrinks page. Some examples:

And looking at the screenshots on this page, you can see that there are now a total of 3 types of Cointreau. In addition to the original, we have Cointreau Blood Orange and Cointreau Noir.

bloody orange cointreau

Made with the best blood oranges from Corsica,with 30% vol. I had an eye on this for a long, long time and finally got it for Christmas last year from my in-laws (they know me so well).

What are bloody oranges?

I love blood oranges, if I could pick them they would be the oranges I would eat all the time. But their season is comparatively short and they are very seasonal unlike their regular cousins ​​which can be found throughout the year.blood orangesthey have a stronger, sweeter aroma and flavor, and their color is simply to die for. By the way, I love them in salads.

You can read more here.

However, I'm not entirely sure there's much to differentiate between this and the classic Cointreau. I think it has the appearance of being sweeter, but what I can certainly discern is the slightly stronger bitter aftertaste, overall just as elegant and smooth as the original. Maybe it has a bit more bite, I'm not sure. I'm going to use another bottle and I'll call you! 🙂

I use it in exactly the same way that I use the classic. PS I was a bit surprised by the first pour. Given the color of the bottle and the blood oranges, I was not expecting a crystal clear liqueur!

Cointreau oscuro

I found it last month and couldn't wait to get my hands on it! Cointreau Noir is an orange liqueur with French brandy and has an alcoholic strength of 40º.

OfCompany website:

"This premium and deeply seductive drink (...) promises to surprise and delight drinkers and cocktail lovers alike, with the freshness of orange flavor mingling with the velvety caress of cognac for an experience of ultimate indulgence."

Oh man, they're right about the word "caress." I'm not a brandy drinker, but I didn't let that stop me.

the first sipIt went straight up my nose and down the back of my throat!Tos.

Start again.

On the second sip, I was slow,and make sure it was small. Noir is luxuriously powerful and at the same time caresses you with a lover's touch. He warms and comforts, while he lights a fire in the background.

And it became my favorite after-dinner drink.

Cointreau Noir is also wonderful in cocktails, and I love using it with Bénédictine.

In my post aboutD.O.M. Beneditino,I mention the combination of Benedictine and brandy,B&B of Benedictines,a proprietary blend from 1937, supposedly "created" by Ernest Hemingway. So, since Cointreau Noir contains cognac, and I like Cointreau and Orange, I thought it might go well with Dom.

And boy was he right! The blend is smooth and powerful, gliding on effortlessly while making you sit up and pay attention. The ratio is up to you, 1:1 works or 1 DOM:2 Noir might be better given the intimidating nature of the Dom. It works well, but as mentioned in Dom's post, throw in a few ice cubes, watch them swirl the oils and inhale the intricate bouquet.Erm, maybe not too close!

Cointreau Noir is also a great substitute for Grand Marnier. It has a stronger character and a bit more sophisticated. And it's what I sometimes use insteadB-52and my spin on a classic,seasoning between the sheets. The only downside to this is that she is more expensive than Grand Marnier.

More articles and drink recipes

If you like reviews of drinks, infusions and cocktail recipes, enterdrinks page,for gifts like:

But in the meantime, here are some ways to enjoy Cointreau: