14 Tasty Orange Liqueurs That Aren't Cointreau Or Grand Marnier
Widely known as triple sec ("Triple Dry," in French), orange liqueur is a staple in classic cocktails such as the Cosmopolitan, Sidecar and the Margarita. In fact, most people don't even know that triple sec is going into their Margarita, but occasionally I get someone asking whether I use Cointreau (possibly the best-known French triple sec) or a "well" variety (nice way to say "bottom shelf"). And some people can be real purists, like my old bar regular, Chris (now this guy triple secs), bringing up obscure delicacies like Pierre Ferrand, for instance.
Triple sec originated in France in the 1830's, though the term triple sec is a bit of a confusing name, as the liqueur is not universally triple-distilled, nor is it three times more dry than comparable liqueurs like Curaçao. However, orange liqueur actually originated two hundred years earlier in the form of Curaçao, named after the island that was a colony of the Dutch West India Company, which grew the very oranges that the Dutch would use to make the liqueur we know and love today. Cointreau's original name was in fact, "Curaçao Triple Sec Cointreau."
A great orange liqueur is very enjoyable to drink neat, on the rocks, or mixed into your favorite cocktails. As craft cocktails have been becoming increasingly more prominent and creative over the years, cocktail enthusiasts are making use of some more niche offerings to add sophistication to their creations. There are, according to Diffords Guide, at least 165 known cocktails in existence that feature orange liqueur as a key ingredient. Being a former bartender, I'll walk you through some of my favorites to taste either behind the bar, or while I'm traveling.
De Kuyper Orange Curaçao
I'll start with Curaçao, and in particular, one that can be found in the wells of almost every mid-range bar in the country. This Dutch orange liqueur by DeKuyper will be the go-to for bars that don't carry Cointreau (or ones that reserve Cointreau for premium cocktails), and bottles of it cost only about $10. The liqueur itself is as simple as the label that adorns the bottle: clear, thick orange sweetness. It is a great substitute for Cointreau, as you won't notice a difference after its mixed into a Margarita. Being on the budget end of the spectrum, this is great for home bartenders who want to mix cheap margaritas without breaking the bank, but no one in their right mind (trust me) drinks this one neat.
DeKuyper also produces a premium orange liqueur, made with Brazilian and Curaçao orange as well as lemon peels. It is called "O3," and can be hard to come across, but will be great alongside other Brazilian spirits like cachaca.
Pierre Ferrand Dry Curaçao
Though Curaçao originated with the Dutch, I'll next take a peek at Pierre Ferrand Dry Curaçao, manufactured by Maison Ferrand, a French distillery renowned for preserving age-old craft methods of producing fine spirits, including Curaçao. Looking at the label alone, this liqueur screams sophistication.
Alexandre Gabriel is Maison Ferrand's owner and master blender. He began a quest to recreate the original French Curaçao by tasting rare 19th century bottles, and researching over 50 different recipes from the same period. Gabriel wanted to recreate the classic recipe of the same Curaçao that Jerry Thomas (the father of American mixology) referred to in the first-ever cocktail book, which claimed that every cocktail needed a bar spoon of sry Curaçao.
Ferrand's Curaçao is made with only the finest ingredients, sweetened with barrel-aged, toasted cane sugar, and Laraha orange (produced in Haiti) distillate with vegetal infusion containing walnut skins and prunes blended with Ferrand brandy and cognac (Grand Marnier is famously blended with cognac). Keeping to tradition, the spirit undergoes three separate distillations before being aged for several months, et voila, you have Pierre Ferrand. Cocktail enthusiasts everywhere agree that this niche French find is an ideal ingredient for elevating your favorite libations.
Mathilde Orange XO
The French cognac connoisseurs at Maison Ferrand have been quite busy producing an entire elegant line of classic French fruit-based liqueurs known as "Mathilde." This line of liqueurs is based on the staple flavors in French eau-de-vie (Hemingway fans may recognize this as "water of life") which are known to mixologists everywhere: blackcurrant (Cassis), peach (Peche), raspberry (Framboise), and pear (Poire). However, I want to focus on Orange XO, which is a unique orange liqueur made first and foremost for sipping, whereas Ferrand's Dry Curaçao is made more with the intents and purposes of a mixer.
Blended with Ferrand cognac, Mathilde Orange XO is darker than Grand Marnier, and some feel it is even more approachable on its own. The name Mathilde was chosen as a representation that expressed the older, more mature tones than what are present in typical fruit-based liqueurs. I think of Mathilde as a "spicy grandma" of sorts, bringing to your palette some vanilla and butterscotch notes to the rich aftertaste of the liqueur, all packaged in one of the most top-shelf of presentations. Why stop at one, when you can go for the entire Mathilde line, both for nightcaps and for endless possibilities in cocktail mixing?
Senior & Co. Curaçao Liqueur
Hailing from Curaçao proper, Senior and Co. produce and bottle their own Curaçao, with their locally sourced Laraha oranges. Because of this, they lay claim to their product as being the only genuine Curaçao in the world. With orange, blue, and original clear varieties on offer (the colors are artificial), Senior & Co. has been in business since 1896, and continues to use a traditional recipe, in which oranges are picked slightly before ripening and left to dry in the sun for five days.
The peels are cooked with secret spices in cloth bags for three days in a still filled with alcohol derived from cane sugar. The distillation process takes another three days, after which the distillate is blended with water and sugar to come up with their traditional orange liqueur, yielding a harmonious blend of sweet and bitter, with pronounced notes of orange peel and a subtle bitterness that balances the sweetness. There's also a hint of herbal and spicy undertones that add complexity to the overall profile. This one is slightly less potent than Cointreau, though more sweet. Perhaps pick up their blue Curaçao if you intend to make blue lagoons or other tropical cocktails, but otherwise this offering doesn't turn heads as much as some of its competitors.
Luxardo Triplum
Though triple sec is traditionally dominated by the French (Cointreau, Combier, etc), it's only natural that Luxardo steps up to produce an Italian offering. This award-winning, premium triple sec is made from three types of oranges and a slew of other botanicals. The name itself, as well as the label refers to the three orange varieties that make up the distillate: "Bitter" (from Dutch Antilles), "Mandarin," and "Sweet." Added to this are dried orange flowers, pennyroyal, and vervain, which lend a hint of spice to the flavor profile.
You probably know Luxardo for its famous Maraschino cherry liqueur, a key ingredient in the (perfect) Last Word, one of my absolute favorite cocktails. If you're anything like me, you're already scheming up a twist on this cocktail subbing one Luxardo for the other. But in any case, Triplum is a great addition to your bar cabinet if you want to spice up some of your favorite drinks.
Patrón Citrónge
What better liqueur to pair with a margarita than one made by Patrón itself? This legendary tequila manufacturer offers a premium orange liqueur made from Haitian and Jamaican oranges to bring your palate that elegant balance of sweet and sour. Distilled in the highlands of Jalisco, Mexico, this Patrón offering pairs perfectly with tequila-based cocktails such as the Paloma and Margarita, as well as other classics that require a measure of triple sec.
The oranges used in production are organically grown, and are a combination of sweet oranges from Haiti, and bittersweet oranges from Jamaica. Perhaps it's my imagination given the Patrón connection, but it's impossible not to pick up earthy agave and spicy Tequila notes when tasting this liqueur. And the elegant, frosted bottle aesthetic topped with the iconic Patrón cork sphere makes this a beautiful addition to the home liqueur cabinet.
Combier Liqueur d'Orange
Combier, specifically Jean-Baptiste and Josephine Combier, were the first to produce triple sec in France, allegedly working for years out of their home kitchen (they were married) to produce a French style of Curaçao. And their resulting Liqueur d'Orange is clear, pristine, and clean. Though they named the liqueur "Triple Sec", it is highly unlikely they were unaware of the Curaçao-based offering, as they imported their oranges from the Caribbean.
While slightly sweeter than Cointreau if compared side by side, one would never notice a difference when served in a cocktail, and so these two old rivals are largely interchangeable. The brand also has a competitor offering to Grand Mariner, which would be Royal Combier. Blended with cognac, like Marnier and Cointreau Noir, this liqueur is also great in glazes, cooking sauces, and over ice cream. Some say French Toast is even fair game for a visit by your favorite French liqueurs.
Solerno Blood Orange Liqueur
Solerno is a complex, Sicilian liqueur made from blood oranges. It is developed in three separate small batch distillations (a true triple sec, this one) that each focus on a different flavor profile. The first is of the orange meat, the second is of the peel and zest, and the third is of lemon peels to balance out the liqueur.
Solerno is one of the most unique orange liqueurs because of the fact that it is distinctively different from Cointreau with its use of blood oranges; the lack of cognac sets it apart from Marnier and Napoléon, and others. Sweet and oily on the front end, it finishes with a drying acidity, with a more subtle orange profile courtesy of the blood orange. Lastly, its complexity makes for a great upgrade of a classic margarita to a blood orange margarita, as well as use in Cosmpolitans, Sidecars, and countless other beloved cocktails. I would recommend trying a "Sicilian Negroni" with Solerno subbed in for the usual Campari (still Italian, but Solerno is less bitter and more blood orange-forward). The experimentation is for science, of course.
Mandarine Napoléon
This Belgian orange liqueur takes its name from Napoléon Bonaparte himself. Legend has it, that the French emperor preferred to drink cognac with macerated mandarin oranges, and it was supposedly his physician, Antoine-Francois de Fourcroy, who had the idea of macerating mandarins in alcohol before blending the distillate with cognac. In 1892, a Belgian chemist named Louis Schmidt discovered this recipe in one of Fourcroy's journals, thus leading him to create a liqueur that he named after Napoléon.
The oranges they use for production are hand-picked mandarins out of Silicy which are peeled when perfectly ripe before being macerated in pure alcohol to capture the essential oils and citrus notes. This distilled essence of mandarin is blended with the finest aged cognac and infused with (as always with distillers) a closely guarded mixture of spices and botanicals to impart the notes of flavor that will set this liqueur apart from competitors like Grand Marnier and Cointreau Noir. The final liqueur is aged for a hot minute before being bottled, and is a beautiful addition to any home bar.
The first sip is bright and citrusy, with the zest of mandarin balanced by the rich complexity of the cognac. The finish is long and warm, with lingering notes of cinnamon and nutmeg and a smooth, dry finish. In 2009, the company was sold to DeKuyper, meaning this French recipe — rediscovered by the Belgians — is now owned by the Dutch.
Rhum Clément Créole Shrubb
Continuing into our wild card territory, next up is one of the most unique offerings in the orange liqueur world. Clément Creole Shrubb is made from rhum agricole, a rum base made from sugar cane juice, rather than molasses. This is similar to Brazilian cachaca, which is made from the same juice, though this producer hails from Martinique, a French island in the Caribbean.
Because of a diversion from the norm that most triple secs follow, this orange liqueur is not going to struggle with being overly sweet like most other Curaçao offerings. It's almost a reverse-engineered orange liqueur — the rhum agricole distillate is sweet by definition, and is infused with bitter orange peels and spices, coming together to form a crisp taste that brings in the zesty orange without being too sweet. The rum base of this liqueur makes it a perfect addition to dark-spirit cocktails like the Sidecar, or any tropical, rum-based cocktail that you can think of. The downside? Clément Creole Shrub can be hard to find in the U.S.
Gran Gala
Widely available in the U.S., Gran Gala originated near the port of Trieste, Italy in the late 19th century. This liqueur is made from Sicilian orange peels, blended with Italian VSOP brandy (which has to be aged at least 4 years to attain the level of 'VSOP'), making it more Grand Marnier-adjacent than it is comparable to Cointreau.
Though originating in Italy, Gran Gala orange liqueur is now made in Canada, but imported and bottled by the Sazerac company in Louisville, KY. I'm not complaining of the runaround, as Gran Gala is a delicious and affordable alternative to Grand Marnier, and shares a similar dark undertone after a bright, sweet opening. While perfect for mixing in cocktails, Gran Gala is also great to pair with aged dark spirits like other cognacs and Scotch. Sometimes, I will add a splash of it to my morning coffee when no one's looking.
Picon
Have you ever wondered what blue-collar French workers are known to consume after a day of god-awful working conditions? Look no further than a shot of Picon in a pint of lager beer, which strengthens the beer and grants it delicious, dark, citrusy notes. (Haters may claim it tastes more like petrol.) This is my favorite beer-cocktail to order in France, and when ordered in my usual broken French, I almost always receive a look of surprise from bartenders. Some have even asked me, "How do YOU know about this?"
Not technically a triple sec, Picon is an amer, a French version of the amaro, yet it is labeled "Aperitif a L'Orange", due to it being so strongly orange-forward. It originated from a soldier who moonlighted as a distiller while stationed in Algeria around the same time that triple secs were being created. It may have been created as a malaria deterrent, but more likely was something to entertain the soldiers, and it is now very popular in North and Eastern France, though I've found it as far away as Tokyo. Though no longer available in the US due to market changes (Picon becoming more of a regional staple now) and import restrictions, great alternatives to be found in the US are Amer Torani or Bigallet China-China
Campari
OK, if we're including Amer Picon/Picon Biere (I couldn't resist, it's my favorite thing), I had better throw in some other comparable bitter orange liqueurs. While not technically triple secs, these amari (Italian for bitter) are so buzzing with orange flavor, that I thought I'd list them as well.
Campari is a bar staple. Impossible to make a Negroni without one. One of the greatest and most simple brunch cocktails after all is the Giovanni, a mix of Campari, ice, and orange juice. The Italians often consume Campari and other amari as a digestif after a meal.
While it's not considered an orange liqueur, and the recipe is a closely guarded secret, it is widely speculated that citrus peels are among the many ingredients in Campari and are part of what contributes to its bitter flavor. Despite being so different than most of the liqueurs listed above, the most prominent fruit to emerge in Campari's flavor profile is that of bittersweet orange.
Bigallet China-China
Bigallet China-China is a French amer (bitter) liqueur that is crafted with bitter and sweet oranges, and mixed with French alpine herbs and spices such as gentian, anise, clove, and cinchona bark. The result is similar yet unlike any of the traditional triple secs, as there are more bitter, earthy undertones coming into China-China's palate thanks to the pastures of the French Alps.
Bigallet was founded in Lyon, but relocated to a tiny village at the foot of the Rhone Alps called Virieu. This delicious liqueur has rich flavors of caramel that set it apart from most orange and bitter liqueurs alike and create a warm, enriching experience. Licorice, cardamom, black pepper, and cinnamon also come forth in this glowing complexity of a liqueur.China-China is perfect for sipping and mixing alike. Try it in champagne for a winter warmer spritz, or mixed with rum or cognac for a sophisticated pair of old fashioned spinoffs.