This is a matter of hot debate! The question is so complex that it deserves to be explored further... although one thing is for sure: as an orange liqueur with quality and production requirements, Cointreau is more than a triple-sec. Why? Simply because a triple sec is a generic name used for any orange-flavored spirit, while an “orange liqueur,” like Cointreau, goes a step further: as an officially recognized spirit category, there is certain legal production that needs to be fulfilled and qualified requirements to be considered a liqueur. By using Cointreau in your cocktails rather than just a triple sec, you add the guarantee of the exceptional richness of 40+ aromas, quality sweet and bitter orange peels from the world’s finest terroirs, and 170 years+ of know-how—all resulting in a perfectly balanced cocktail. Thanks to age-old expertise as a liquor distiller, unique organoleptic qualities, and the art of Cointreau (art of selection, art of harmony, and art of distillation), Cointreau is an orange liqueur in a league of its own.
When Édouard Cointreau created his liqueur in 1885, it was trademarked under the name "Cointreau Triple Sec", a term abandoned over time as Cointreau falls within the officially recognized category of liqueur spirits due to its quality indicators and manufacturing processes.
Learn more about the history of Cointreau to feel the richness of our story with every sip of a Cointreau cocktail you take.
There are many triple secs, but only one Cointreau.
Triple sec is a generic term for any orange-flavored spirit, with no specific rules around the method of production or quality criteria1. Since there is no official legal definition, nor specific quality requirements that must be met to carry this name, there can be significant differences between one triple sec and another.
Created by Édouard Cointreau in 1885, Cointreau is a product passed down through generations of liquorists and distillers in the Cointreau family, making our signature orange liqueur from meticulous orange peel selection to artisanal blending and distillation. Cointreau also implements a system of analyses at every stage of the process to ensure organoleptic excellence.
For perfectly balanced cocktails? Yes, and it would enhance the quality of your cocktail!
Why is that? Simply because Cointreau is an orange liqueur with the perfect organoleptic balance. There are significant differences between one triple sec and another, which can translate into the quality of your cocktails in terms of taste, freshness, sweetness, balance, etc.
By using Cointreau in your cocktails rather than just a triple sec, you add the guarantee of the exceptional richness of 40+ aromas, quality sweet and bitter orange peels from the world’s finest terroirs, and 170 years+ of know-how, and the result is a perfectly orange liqueur cocktail. Feel the Cointreau difference by trying our Top Fall Cocktails.
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