Cointreau Cocktails
Top 12 Triple Sec Drinks
MC NickRock
Singer, Entertainer, Writer and Cocktail Maker.
As a main player in the orange-flavoured liqueur category, Cointreau is everywhere. The French brand has been a high roller since it’s creation in 1875. It’s now selling more than 13 millions bottles each year in more than 150 countries. It’s succulent neat, on the rocks or in cocktails. If a drink requires triple sec liqueur, you can’t go wrong with Cointreau cocktails.
There are so many triple sec drinks available that it’s easy to get lost in the selection. As a bar musician, I’ve tried hundreds of them over the years and I’ve finally made a top 12 list of my favourite Cointreau cocktails. Let’s get started:
1. Why Cointreau?
Comparaison Between Cointreau And Other Orange Liqueurs.
2. Best Ingredients
Choosing the Right Ingredients For the Best Triple Sec Drinks.
3. top 12 Cointreau Cocktails
My Personal Top 12 Cointreau Cocktail recipes.
1. Cointreau Cocktails : Why Cointreau?
Comparaison Between Cointreau And Other Orange Liqueurs.
“No Amount Of Physical Contact Could Match The Healing Power Of A Well Made Cocktail.”
-David Sedaris
Why choose Cointreau over other orange liqueur brands? The answer I got the first time I asked that question of a bartender was : “Because it’s Cointreau”. I can’t say I found that reply satisfying – so now I know more , I’ll elaborate for you.
Unlike Grand Marnier which is made with cognac, Cointreau is a blend of 96% ABV sugar beet alcohol mixed with sweet and bitter orange peels. It is not aged but twice-distilled. You can totally taste the clear , intense orange essence.
It has a light , smooth feel in the mouth and it’s clear colour won’t alter the presentation of your cocktail. It’s strong citrus aroma blends perfectly in frozen margarita recipes , long island iced tea drink, dark rum cocktails , or in fact any triple sec drinks. The value for money ratio is also excellent compared to other triple sec liqueurs.
2. Best Ingredients For Cointreau Cocktails
Choosing The Right Ingredients For The Best Triple Sec Drinks.
To make any decent cocktail, it’s imperative to avoid low quality alcohol. Not only will ignoring this advice significantly raise your chances of dealing with a headache the next morning – the poor taste of cheaper booze may ruin your drinking experience entirely.
For example , in most vodka Cointreau blends , triple sec is not the main ingredient , so if the vodka has a harsh taste you won’t get the result you’re looking for. You’ll definitely always want a well balanced mix. Grey Goose vodka is usually what i use , as it has the smoothness we expect at the right price. It’s perfect for cocktails such as the cosmopolitan.
I strongly recommend applying this rule also to every other type of alcohol. Case in point : bottom-shelf gin included in a cointreau cocktail will never be a good idea.
3. Top 12 Cointreau Cocktails
My Personal Top 12 Cointreau Cocktail Recipes.
As usual, there are countless recipes for triple sec drinks , so I’ve compiled my top 12 favourite Cointreau cocktails. I could have made a much bigger list , so feel free to add more in the comments:
Top 12 Cointreau Cocktails :
- Cosmopolitan cocktail
- Frozen Margarita
- Long Island Iced Tea
- Cointreau Mule Drink
- Singapore Sling
- Sidecar Cocktail
- Cointreau Red Rock
- Kamikaze shot
- Zombie cocktail
- Bullfrog Cocktail
- White Lady
- Velvet Hammer
Cointreau Cocktail – Recipe No 1 :
Cosmopolitan Cocktail
Ingredients
- 2 oz of vodka
- 0.75 oz of Cointreau
- 0.25 oz of cranberry juice
- 0.75 oz of freshly squeezed lime juice
- 0.5 oz of simple syrup
Step-By-Step
- Combine all the ingredients into a cocktail shaker with some ice
- Shake well
- Pour with a strainer in a Martini glass
- garnish with an orange slice
Cointreau Cocktail – Recipe No 2 :
Frozen Margarita
Ingredients
- 2 oz of silver tequila
- 1oz of Cointreau
- 3 oz of freshly squeezed lime juice
- 1 oz of agave syrup
Step-By-Step
- Combine all the ingredients into a blender with some ice
- Blend until the ice is crushed
- Check the consistency and add more ice until you get the desired texture
- Gently pour in a salt-rimmed cocktail glass.
- Garnish with a lime wheel
- Enjoy Your Frozen Margarita.
Cointreau Cocktail – Recipe No 3 :
Long Island Iced Tea
Long Island Iced Tea
Ingredients
- 0.5 oz of gin
- 0.5 oz of silver tequila
- 0.5 oz of vodka
- 0.5 oz of white rum
- 0.5 oz of Cointreau
- 1 oz of freshly squeezed lime juice
- 0.5 oz teaspoon of simple syrup
- cola
Step-By-Step
- Pour the 5 alcohols in a highball glass filled with rocks.
- Pour the lime juice and simple syrup.
- stir well.
- top with cola.
- garnish with a wheel of lime.
Cointreau Cocktail – Recipe No 4 :
Cointreau Mule Drink
Ingredients
- 2 Oz of Cointreau
- 0.75 Oz of freshly squeezed lime juice
- 3 Oz Ginger Beer
Step-By-Step
- Combine all the ingredients in a collins glass filled with ice.
- Gently stir
- Garnish with a Lemon wheel
Cointreau Cocktail – Recipe No 5 :
Singapore Sling
Ingredients
- 1.5 oz of Gin
- 0.5 oz of Cointreau
- 0.25 oz of cherry liqueur
- 0.25 oz of Benedictine
- 0.25 oz of grenadine
- 1 oz of freshly squeezed lime juice
- 0.75 oz of pineapple juice
- 1 dash of Angostura bitters
- Soda water
Step-By-Step
- Combine all the ingredients except the soda water into a cocktail shaker with some ice.
- Shake well.
- Pour the mix in the glass with a strainer in a hurricane glass filled with rocks.
- Top with soda water.
- Garnish with a brandied cherry and a wheel of lime.
Cointreau Cocktail – Recipe No 6 :
Sidecar Cocktail
Ingredients
- 1 Oz of cognac
- 0.75 Oz of Cointreau
- 0.75 oz of freshly squeezed lime juice
Step-By-Step
- Combine all the ingredients into a cocktail shaker.
- Shake well with ice.
- Gently Pour into a cocktail glass.
- Garnish with a lemon wheel.
Cointreau Cocktail – Recipe No 7 :
Cointreau Red Rock
Ingredients
- 0.5 oz of gin
- 0.5 oz of tequila blanco
- 0.5 oz of vodka
- 0.5 oz of white rum
- 0.5 oz of Cointreau
- 0.25 oz of grenadine
- 1 Smirnoff Ice
Step-By-Step
- Pour the 5 alcohols in a big glass filled with rocks.
- Gently add the grenadine.
- Top with Smirnoff Ice.
- Garnish with lime wheel.
Cointreau Cocktail – Recipe No 8 :
Kamikaze Shot
Ingredients
- 1 oz of vodka
- 0.5 oz of Cointreau
- 0.5 oz of lemon juice
Step-By-Step
- Combine all the ingredients into a cocktail shaker with some ice.
- Shake well.
- Pour with a strainer in a shot glass.
- Garnish with a Lime Wedge.
Cointreau Cocktail – Recipe No 9 :
Zombie Cocktail
Ingredients
- 1 oz of white rum
- 1 oz of dark rum
- 0.75 oz of orange rum
- 0.5 oz of Cointreau
- 0.5 oz of apricot brandy
- 2.5 oz of orange juice
- 2.5 oz of pineapple juice
- 1 oz of freshly squeezed lime juice
- 0.5 oz of grenadine
Step-By-Step
- Combine all the ingredients into a cocktail shaker with some ice.
- Shake very well.
- Pour with a strainer in a highball glass filled with crushed ice.
- Garnish with an orange wheel and brandied cherry.
Cointreau Cocktail – Recipe No 10 :
Bullfrog Cocktail
Ingredients
- 0.5 oz of gin
- 0.5 oz of tequila blanco
- 0.5 oz of vodka
- 0.5 oz of white rum
- 0.5 oz of Cointreau
- 0.5 oz of blue curaçao
- Red Bull energy drink
Step-By-Step
- Pour the 5 alcohols in a big glass filled with rocks.
- Gently pour the blue curaçao.
- Top with Red Bull.
Cointreau Cocktail – Recipe No 11 :
White Lady
Ingredients
- 1 oz f gin
- 1 oz of Cointreau
- 1 oz of freshly squeezed lemon juice
Step-By-Step
- Combine all the ingredients into a cocktail shaker.
- Shake well with ice.
- Pour with a strainer in a chill cocktail glass.
- Garnish with a twisted lemon slice.
Cointreau Cocktail – Recipe No 12 :
Velvet Hammer
Ingredients
- 0.75 Oz of Cointreau
- 0.75 Oz White crème de Cacao
- 2 Oz Cream
Step-By-Step
- Combine all the ingredients into a cocktail shaker.
- Shake well with ice.
- Pour with a strainer in a chill cocktail glass.
- Garnish with nutmeg.
In Conclusion
As I mentioned earlier, It wasn’t easy to choose only 15 Cointreau recipes. I could have made a top 50 recipes easily. Let me know in the comments witch one is your favourite and feel free to add some more recipes that I’ve left behind. Again, Thanks guys and girls for your time, don’t forget to like and share, to help me spread the word out there.
