Cointreau Orange Liqueur

Cointreau is the orange liqueur written into the original recipes for the Margarita, the Sidecar and the Cosmopolitan. The Cointreau brothers opened their distillery in Angers in 1849, and the liqueur is still made in France, at Saint-Barthélemy-d'Anjou, by distilling a blend of sweet and bitter orange peels. It comes out crystal clear and bottled at 40%.

That strength is the point. It tastes of fresh peel and candied orange, sweet but clean, and in a cocktail it carries orange and backbone together instead of just adding sugar.

A budget triple sec like Torada is fine for a big batch of frozen margaritas. For a shaken Margarita or a Sidecar you are going to taste properly, use Cointreau.

It also works as a long drink: over ice, topped with soda and a squeeze of lime.

More bottles for the home bar are under liqueurs and cordials and the wider liquor shelf. Pick it up at our Brooklyn store or get same-day delivery in Brooklyn, Manhattan & Queens.