Orange Liqueurs: What’s the Difference?

                                            All of these orange liqueurs are Triple Sec!

I don’t know about you, but we use a lot of orange liqueurs in this household.  At the moment, our lime trees are laden with a bumper crop so we’re making mucho margaritas that use orange liqueur.  Moreover, summer is here and one of my favorite desserts is anything topped with fresh berries and a splash of an orange liqueur.  Our bar is stocked with Cointreau, Grand Marnier, a dark & light Curacao, two different Combiers, and a few other orange liqueurs we've picked up.   But which is the best?  That depends.

                  I prefer Cointreau in margaritas for its bright orange flavors & clear color

There is a significant difference in these orange liqueurs and which one is used is dependent upon what flavors you want.  I'm going to take the two most popular in alpha order.  Cointreau is really a type of Triple Sec (Triple Sec is simply any orange liqueur).   In 1885 Cointreau was registered as a brand name in France.   Cointreau was originally marked as Cointreau Triple Sec, however, the name was changed after World War I to differentiate it from other orange liqueurs of lesser quality that were entering the marketplace.

           Note the somewhat darker color of the Grand Marnier Margarita on the left  vs the lighter Cointreau Margarita on the right

                           

Distilled in copper stills, Cointreau in an unaged clear-colored liqueur.   It offers complex orange flavors due to its mélange of oranges from Spain and the Caribbean, both bringing different citrus flavors to the blend.   Cointreau also has little sugar, therefore, has a drier finish (actually “sec” in French means dry or little sugar).  As it has no color, Cointreau could be considered in a cocktail for its neutrality in color.  Its complex orange flavors is another reason for choosing it.

Next in the Triple Sec popularity lineup is Grand Marnier.  Simply put, Grand Marnier is Triple Sec mixed with Cognac in nearly equal amounts.  This liqueur was developed about the same time as Cointreau in 1880 by a Frenchman by the name of Marnier.  Using Triple Sec made of fruit from the bitter Caribbean orange, he mixed it with and Cognac and called it “Curacao Marnier.”  His friend, hotelier Caesar Ritz, suggested renaming it Grand Marnier and the rest is history.

             Grand Manier's Cognac backbone pairs beautifully with berries & a touch of mint

Grand Marnier’s addition of Cognac alters its flavor and color.  As Cognac is aged in an oak barrel, nuances from the barrel impart flavors to Grand Marnier such as vanilla, nuttiness, and caramelized orange.   Oak influence also changes the color of Cognac as it ages to a dark amber.  Since Grand Marnier is 51% Cognac, its color is also amber.  This may be a consideration in which orange liqueur one chooses.

Grand Marnier should be used when a richer, fuller bodied flavor of burnt orange laced with nuttiness complement a drink.  Its dark color should also be considered.  While many up-market margaritas are made with Grand Marnier, I prefer the more gentle, lighter and brighter orange flavors found in Cointreau, and I like that Cointreau does not affect the visual of the cocktail.

By now you should know that Triple Sec is not a specific brand but a category of orange liqueurs which includes Cointreau and Grand Marnier, along with a host of other brands.  So which orange liqueur should you utilize?  That depends!