Cointreau Orange Liqueur
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Cointreau is an iconic orange liqueur with crystal clear color, exceptional citrus aroma, and an instantly fresh taste that lingers. Crafted from a precise blend of sweet and bitter orange peels and meticulous distillation processes, this full-strength spirit is perfectly balanced and smooth. Throughout its more than 170 years of history, Cointreau has inspired the imagination of mixologists, bartenders, chefs, and home hosts around the world. Now at the heart of more than 500 of the world’s most celebrated cocktails, Cointreau is highly versatile to create more elevated cocktails, bringing balance, depth, and freshness to the mix. Cointreau has won more than 300 international awards ever since its birth. In the 19th century, Cointreau became the essential ingredient of many classic cocktails, including The Original Margarita, The Cosmopolitan, and The Sidecar.
*This liqueur is in the process of changing the label and customers may receive one of the two labels shown above.
*Specific labels cannot be requested.
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A classic, can't-go-wrong workhorse spirit that provides a versatile option for a wide range of cocktails. This clear liqueur has a bright, true orange scent with a hint of bitter orange on the aroma. The flavor mix is of candied orange slices and lightly bitter orange peel. The finish is warm and clean. Good balance.
The story begins at the rue Saint-Laud in Angers, France. The year, 1849 and the brothers, Edouard-Jean and Adolphe Cointreau opened the doors to their distillery. Previously in the confectionery and cake-making business, the family saw the need for higher quality naturally flavored liqueurs that were unavailable at the time. From then on, the brothers embraced the new challenge. Edouard Cointreau, the son of Edouard-Jean, grew up in the warmth of the distillery and reached adulthood with the prospect of becoming a Master Distiller himself. His sole aim was to follow his father's footsteps and enhance the status of liqueur making. His childhood dream came true in 1870 when he joined his father and uncle as head of the family distillery. Edouard had noticed consumers' interest in the taste of oranges, which at the time was a very rare and precious commodity. He saw this universal flavor, which was appealing to both men and women, and continuously experimented until he created the perfect blend of bitter and sweet orange peels. His passion gave birth to the original Triple-Sec that is known today as Cointreau. It wasn’t long before Edouard’s passion was shared with the world. At the World’s Fair in Paris in 1889, Cointreau would claim the first of many awards dedicated to the Unconventional French Spirit. Soon, recognition came from all over the globe. Not content with just building a unique liqueur, Edouard took great interest into the emerging medium of advertising. Drawing inspiration from a picture of Pierrot and an homage to Edouard’s eyeglasses - the character of Pierrot de Cointreau was born and quickly became the Brand’s ambassador in its advertising.
First prepared by 13th century Italian monks as herbal medicines and elixirs, Liqueurs are distilled spirits that have been combined with flavoring agents. A range of herbs, spices, nuts, fruits and flowers can be used, and a sweetener such as sugar or corn syrup is often added. While typically rather sweet, some examples are herbaceous or tart and pair exceptionally well with desserts or act as a delightful addition to cocktails.