Triple Sec Cocktails

Orange liqueur is the single most requested modifier in cocktails, and triple sec is its plain name. It does two jobs at once, adding sweetness and adding an aromatic citrus lift, which is why so many sours use it in place of plain syrup.

Quality varies more here than in almost any other bottle. The cheapest triple secs are around 15% ABV and taste mostly of sugar; Cointreau and the better curaçaos are 40% and taste of orange peel. In a three-ingredient drink that gap is the whole drink.

Curaçao, triple sec and Grand Marnier are not interchangeable despite being shelved together, and the blue one is the same liqueur with colouring.