If you want a classic liqueur with orange flavours, Cointreau is the perfect choice. Orange peels added to clear liqueur have made the drink unique. Cointreau is also a commonly chosen ingredient for crafting your cocktail recipe.
Although Cointreau is a French drink, it has gained international acclaim for its fine quality. With the boom of cocktail culture, Cointreau has drawn the attention of many people.
How is Cointreau produced?
Cointreau has not clearly disclosed its process of producing the beverage. However, the most important thing is that producers steep the peels of bitter and sweet oranges in alcoholic drinks and add sugar. The company sources these oranges from different countries like Brazil and Spain. It carefully selects the peels before washing and drying them. It makes the peels ready to get infused with alcohol.
Cointreau experts then distil the mixture in copper stills to produce a colourless liquid. They blend the distillate with sugar and alcohol to provide the final product. It takes a number of weeks to produce the balanced and smooth liqueur best for cocktails.
The liqueur company has claimed they often use manual effort to deal with the peels. The shape and thickness of orange peels are significant factors in producing the liqueur. Cointreau ensures that peels are evenly dry and the moisture content is only 11%.
As alcohol content is quite high, Cointreau does not turn bad. But, flavours and aromas will fade in due course. If you have opened Cointreau bottles, the drink will last for about 2 years. In the unopened condition, the Cointreau bottles will store the liqueur for almost 10 years. However, the longevity of the drink varies with the way you have stored it.
Flavours of Cointreau liqueur
The bittersweet orange tang of Cointreau gives you a refreshing feeling. You will enjoy a fresh citrus aroma with every sip. The low sugar and heavy alcohol content makes the liqueur dry.
Some people think that Triple Sec liqueurs are the same as Cointreau. However, Triple Sec only refers to almost orange-flavoured liqueur with an ABV of not more than 40%. If you sip both, you will understand the minor difference between them. Cointreau is a separate brand, producing beverages with an orange essence.
Consume Cointreau liqueur in different ways
You can drink Cointreau in various ways. The tasty orange-flavoured liqueur digests when drunk directly from the bottle. Cointreau mixes well with drinks. Mixologists want to mix Cointreau for cocktail recipes. The aromatic orange liqueur elevates the cocktail’s flavour profile. Cointreau can be enjoyed as both dinner and daytime drinks. For more twists, you may add some champagne to your recipe.
Cointreau is a cocktail classic because it combines nicely with various flavours. Besides, you can use the orange flavoured liqueur in the culinary world. The unique orange essence makes it a perfect ingredient for your savoury dishes like chocolate-orange dessert or orange-glazed chicken.
