🥃 Cointreau
French orange liqueur from Angers; the house was founded in 1849 by Adolphe Cointreau and Édouard Cointreau created the liqueur in 1885; 40% ABV; part of Rémy Cointreau.
Cointreau is a French orange liqueur made in Angers, in western France. According to the producer, the house was founded in 1849 by Adolphe Cointreau, an Angers confectioner who diversified into liqueurs. Cointreau L'Unique is 40% ABV, and the brand belongs to the Rémy Cointreau group.
History. Adolphe's brother Édouard-Jean joined the family business in 1856, and orange liqueur first appears in the brothers' recipe books in 1857. Édouard Cointreau, Édouard-Jean's son, joined in 1875; according to the producer, he created the liqueur in 1885 and registered the Cointreau trademark and the square bottle. The distillery in Saint-Barthélemy-d'Anjou opened in 1972, and in 1989 Cointreau merged with the cognac house Rémy Martin to form Rémy Cointreau.
How it is made. According to the producer, L'Unique is made from dried peels of sweet and bitter oranges and fresh peels of sweet oranges, with pure water, sugar and neutral alcohol; no artificial flavours are added. The visitor centre Le Carré Cointreau is at the distillery. Besides L'Unique, the producer lists Cointreau Noir, Cointreau Spicy, Citrus Spritz and ready-to-drink Cocktail Twists.
Why it matters to you. L'Unique is 40% ABV, so it is not a light drink. The producer says Cointreau is a liqueur, not a distillate, and more than a generic triple sec, while its site says L'Unique can be used as a triple sec in cocktail recipes. The WHO reminds us that no level of alcohol consumption is safe.
Facts
| Year founded | 1849 — Adolphe Cointreau (Angers); the liqueur created by Édouard Cointreau in 1885 |
|---|---|
| Legal basis | Reg. (EU) 2019/787, Annex I, category 33 “liqueur” |
| EU category | 33 — liqueur |
| Raw material | dried and fresh peels of sweet and bitter oranges, neutral alcohol, sugar, water |
| Alcohol (% vol.) | 40% ABV (L'Unique) |
How it connects to Spirits
🥃 Cointreau → kind of → 🍸 Liqueurs → kind of → 🥃 Spirits
Links
- Previous step
- 🥃 Rémy Cointreau
- What is made from it
- 🥃 Between the Sheets, 🥃 Cosmopolitan
- What it contains
- 🍷 Ethanol, 🧪 Water
- What it affects
- 🍷 Alcohol and health, 🍷 Drunk driving
- Part of
- 🍸 Liqueurs
- Related to
- 🌍 Western Europe
- Similar and different
- 🥃 Grand Marnier, 🥃 Curaçao Senior & Co, 🥃 Rémy Martin, 🥃 Curaçao
Frequently asked questions
Is it true that Cointreau is a weak, sweet liqueur?
No. Cointreau L'Unique is 40% ABV, even though sugar is one of its ingredients.
Is Cointreau a triple sec?
The producer says Cointreau is a liqueur, not a distillate, and more than a triple sec, which it calls a generic term with no specific production rules. Its site also says L'Unique can be used as a triple sec in cocktail recipes.
What is Cointreau made from?
According to the producer, from dried peels of sweet and bitter oranges and fresh peels of sweet oranges, with pure water, sugar and neutral alcohol.
Who owns Cointreau?
The Rémy Cointreau group, formed in 1989 when Cointreau merged with the cognac house Rémy Martin; its headquarters are in Paris.
Where is Cointreau made?
At the distillery in Saint-Barthélemy-d'Anjou, by Angers, which opened in 1972; the visitor centre Le Carré Cointreau is there.
What to read next
- 🍷 Alcohol and health — Alcohol in any drink is harmful in large amounts, and the risks grow with the quantity.
- 🍷 Ethanol — The alcohol formed during fermentation that makes you drunk.
- 🌍 Western Europe — France, the Netherlands, Britain, Ireland, Belgium and Luxembourg: a mild, moist climate, pastures and hundreds of cheeses such as Roquefort, Camembert, Gouda and Cheddar.
- 🥃 Grand Marnier — French orange liqueur based on cognac, created in 1880 by the Marnier-Lapostolle family; now owned by the Campari Group.
- 🥃 Between the Sheets — Between the Sheets is a cocktail of 30 ml each of white rum, cognac and triple sec with 20 ml fresh lemon juice, shaken with ice; the IBA lists it in The Unforgettables.
Similar
🥃 Passoã · 🥃 Chambord · 🥃 Bols · 🥃 St-Germain · 🥃 Pisang Ambon · 🥃 Goldschläger
⚠️ Spirit drinks contain alcohol and are for adults only. Alcohol harms health. Do not drink during pregnancy or before driving; check the label for ingredients and possible allergens.
Sources
- Cointreau (official site): History (1849 Adolphe Cointreau, Angers; 1856 Édouard-Jean; 1857 orange liqueur in recipe books; 1875 Édouard Cointreau; 1885 the liqueur and trademarks; 1972 Saint-Barthélemy-d'Anjou distillery; 1989 merger with Rémy Martin)
- Cointreau (official site): Cointreau L'Unique (40.0 % ABV; dried and fresh sweet and bitter orange peels, water, sugar, neutral alcohol; liqueur, not a distillate; storage; cocktails)
- Rémy Cointreau: Cointreau house (1849 Angers; distillery in Saint-Barthélemy-d'Anjou; merger with Rémy Martin 1989, Rémy Cointreau group, headquarters in Paris)
- Regulation (EU) 2019/787 on spirit drinks, Annex I (categories: 2 whisky or whiskey, 15 vodka, 33 liqueur), legislation.gov.uk copy
- WHO/Europe: No level of alcohol consumption is safe for our health (04.01.2023)