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Cointreau is a top-quality French orange liqueur that every home bartender should stock! Here’s more about it and how to use it.

Cointreau
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Looking at buying a bottle of Cointreau, or simply wondering what it is? This top-quality orange liqueur is a must in every home bartender’s stash. Not only is it the key ingredient in the Classic Margarita, it stars in a long list of classic and modern cocktails. Here’s more about it, what it tastes like, and how to use this citrusy French liqueur.

What is Cointreau?

Cointreau is a clear, orange-flavored liqueur with a lightly sweet, citrus perfume flavor. It is a type of triple sec liquor, which means “triple dry” in French. The first bottles were sold in 1885 after the recipe was perfected by Edouard Cointreau and his family business, Cointreau Distillery. The business was family owned until until 1990, when it merged with French company Rémy Martin to form Rémy Cointreau.

How do you say Cointreau? Say KWAN-troh.

What does Cointreau taste like?

Cointreau tastes balanced between bitter orange and sweet, with warm spices that add complexity on the finish. It has a fragrant aroma and a clean finish.

Are there any Cointreau substitutesLook for the real thing if at all possible. If it’s not available, go for Grand Marnier (a French orange liqueur made with brandy), Triple Sec, Orange Curaçao, or any other type of orange liqueur.

Read more about the differences: Cointreau vs Triple Sec and Cointreau vs Grand Marnier

Why we like it

Cointreau is a classic orange liqueur that’s part of the standard lexicon of cocktails, most importantly two classic sours, the Margarita and Sidecar. The clean, orange perfume flavor is second to none. It’s a must in any liquor collection!

How much does it cost?

Compared to other liquors, Cointreau is mid-priced. A 375 ml bottle costs around $20 to $25, and a 750 ml bottle costs around $30 to 35. Cointreau is typically used in small amounts, around 1 ounce per drink, so a bottle will last you quite a while.

You can drink Cointreau straight as a shot or an aperitif. It’s also included in many classic cocktails.

  • Don’t want to follow a recipe? Drink it as a shot, or mix a bit into soda water as a make-shift spritzer. It’s also great with champagne or Prosecco.
  • Want a cocktail? Try it in one of these popular Cointreau cocktails:

More cocktails

This spirit is also featured in the following drinks:

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Cosmopolitan (Top Cointreau Cocktail)

Cosmopolitan cocktail
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What’s in a Cosmopolitan cocktail? This vibrant pink drink features cranberry, lemon and Cointreau, and is perfect for celebrations of all kinds.

  • Author: Sonja Overhiser
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Cook Time: 0 minutes
  • Total Time: 5 minutes
  • Yield: 1 drink 1x
  • Category: Drink
  • Method: Shaken
  • Cuisine: Cocktails
  • Diet: Vegan

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 ounce (2 tablespoons) vodka or citron vodka*
  • 1 ounce (2 tablespoons) 100% cranberry juice (do not use sweetened!)
  • ½ ounce (1 tablespoon) Cointreau
  • ½ ounce (1 tablespoon) lemon juice
  • 1 lime wedge
  • 1 teaspoon maple syrup (or simple syrup)**
  • For the garnish: lime wheel (optional)***

Instructions

  1. Place the vodka, cranberry juice, Cointreau, lemon juice, and syrup in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake 15 seconds until cold. Strain the liquid into a martini glass.
  2. Squeeze with the lime wedge and serve, garnished with a lime wheel if desired. 

Notes

*If you have it, use citron vodka for the most authentic Cosmo: in this case you can omit the lemon juice. In our tests we found it was just as tasty to use standard vodka with lemon juice, so you don’t have to buy another type of vodka.

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About the authors

Alex & Sonja

Hi! We’re Alex & Sonja Overhiser, authors of the acclaimed cookbooks A Couple Cooks and Pretty Simple Cooking—and a real life couple who cooks together. We founded the A Couple Cooks website in 2010 to share seasonal recipes and the joy of home cooking. Now, we’ve got over 3,000 well-tested recipes, including Mediterranean diet, vegan, vegetarian, pescatarian, smoothies, cocktails, and more!

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