Cointreau Orange Liqueur (350 ml)

Édouard Cointreau fixed the formula in 1875 at the family distillery in Angers, Loire Valley, insisting on a single-spirit base rather than the brandy-cut blends common among contemporaries — a deliberate choice that kept the citrus oils front and centre without wood interference.

The recipe draws on both sweet orange peels (sourced from warm-climate groves) and bitter orange peels (from tropical and Mediterranean origins), dried to concentrate the essential oils before cold maceration in neutral beet-sugar spirit. The two peel types are macerated separately, then blended and double-distilled in copper pot stills, which strips harsh volatiles while preserving the volatile aromatic esters responsible for the liqueur's sharp citrus lift.

What separates Cointreau from most triple-sec competitors is its crystal-clear, uncoloured presentation at 40% ABV — high enough to carry the oils in stable suspension without artificial colouring or thickeners, and strong enough to hold structure in cocktail dilution. The 350 ml format delivers the full production in a bar-friendly size without compromise to the recipe.