by Andrew H Brown

Created on: March 09, 2007   Last Updated: January 18, 2012

One of the most famous and popular branded liqueurs of all, Cointreau, is more correctly a variety of Curacao. What this actually means is that it is a brandy-based spirit that is flavoured with bitter orange peel.

When it first appeared in 1849, it was sold under the brand name of Triple Sec White Curacao (a bit of a mouthfull) but to distinguish their brand from the proliferation of Curacaos, the Cointreau brothers - Edouard and Adolphe - decided to use their own name.

Cointreau's headquarters, as well as a distillery, is located in Angers in the Loire valley in France but it is manufactured elsewhere these days as well.
A variety of differing strength versions are made, including a cream variety, but the best-known is the one which comes in the squat, square, dark-brown bottle at 40% proof.

Cointreau is a double distillation of grape brandy which is then infused with a blend of bitter green Seville-style oranges from the Caribbean with sweeter varieties from the South of France and Spain. It is then sweetened and aromatized with other ingredients which I am not at liberty to divulge here.

Probably the best way to serve Cointreau is on the rocks, as the coldness dulls some of the sweetness leaving a very refreshing tipple.

The thing that always surprises me about Cointreau is the colour - I expect it to be orange, or a least a golden yellow but it is completely colourless. That's not quite right....at room temperature it's crystal clear but when cooled the spirit becomes cloudy.

As you would expect, the dominating aroma is of oranges, bitter oranges, but there's more. I also detect lots of herbal tones and an almost pine resin hint to it.

The taste is easy to describe. Oranges.

Despite its alcohol content, Cointreau is very deceptively smooth and very sweet. It's almost like eating a fresh, juicy orange, although perhaps biting on a sweetened orange peel would be closer to the mark. It's extremely warming and the herbal aromatics add a nice quality to the experience. There is a somewhat bitter, but pleasant aftertaste.

The Verdict

Upmarket and sophisticated, Cointreau is a perfect after dinner drink when served slightly chilled. Although it is a pleasant drink on its own, I find it invaluable as a cooking aid. It combines beautifully with other ingredients in an orange sauce for duck. As for desserts, blended into a chocolate mousse or flambeed over crepes, it has no equal!

It's very versatile and can be mixed with virtually any other spirit to make dozens of drink recipes, many of which you can find on the official website.

Would I drink it again? - Is an orange orange?

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