Cointreau is a clear French liqueur flavored with peels of sweet and bitter oranges. It has an alcohol by volume of 40% and is widely used in cocktails.
How it is made
Cointreau is made by infusing dried orange peels—bitter ones from the Antilles and sweet ones from Brazil, Spain, and Southern France—on a neutral grain and beet spirit overnight. The infusion is then double-distilled in traditional copper Charentais stills. After distillation, the spirit's strength and flavor are adjusted with spring water and sugar syrup to meet Cointreau's standards.
History
In 1849, brothers Adolphe and Edouard-Jean Cointreau opened a distillery in Angers, France. Initially producing cherry liqueur, they expanded to 50 varieties. In 1875, Edouard-Jean Cointreau created the recipe for a clear orange liqueur using both bitter and sweet citrus. He patented the name and bottle shape 10 years later. Originally called Triple Sec, it was renamed Cointreau due to numerous imitators.
How it is served
Cointreau can be served neat, with ice, mixed with non-alcoholic beverages, or in cocktails. When ice or water is added, it slightly turns cloudy due to its essential oils. It is featured in cocktails such as Adios Motherfucker, Agua de Sevilla, Orgasm, 151 Florida Bushwacker, Apple Martini, and Zizi Coin-coin.
Adapted from the Russian Wikipedia article Куантро, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.