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Grande Marnier, Cointreau and Triple Sec are all varieties of Curaçao family liqueurs, orange liqueurs. The only difference is in the production technology and in the brand name, for example, Triple Sec, which is clear from the name, is distilled three times, and Cointreau uses the zest of two different types of orange (pomeranians).
At the request of one of our readers, we present to your attention several recipes for orange liqueurs. They were found in books and other sources, mostly of foreign origin, so some points are not clear and require adaptation, which we immediately did. The preparation of the following drinks is very different from the original recipe for “purebred” liqueurs, but in the end you will get excellent analogues that your guests will not be ashamed to pour or use in cocktails.
So, the king of tonight, first of all, is the unique French liqueur Grand Marnier, created by Louis-Alexandre Marnier Lapostle in 1880 (thus, the liqueur is a little older than the equally popular Cointreau). Remarkably, it was with this liqueur that the already legendary B-52 was first prepared, and perhaps even a whole galaxy of classic cocktails – not with Cointreau, which is 5 years younger than Grand Marnier, but with a liqueur based on cognac and wild Caribbean oranges.
Grande Marnier is one of the favorite drinks of the British royal family. And in 2006, in honor of the 80th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II, Lapostelle released a special series of bottles in her favorite purple colors.
If you do not go into details, then Grande Marnier, Cointreau and Triple Sec are all varieties of liqueurs of the Curacao family, that is, orange liqueurs (more about this family can be found in the articles on Blue Curacao). The difference is only in the production technology and the brand name, for example, Triple Sec, which is clear from the name, is distilled three times, and Cointreau uses the zest of two different types of orange (pomeranians).
But the essence is the same: the zest is soaked in alcohol (this process is called maceration), then mixed with another portion of alcohol and distilled several times. But Grande Marnier stands out from the crowd – nothing more than French grape brandy, by and large cognac, is used as an alcoholic base. In addition, the liquor is still aged in oak barrels for half a decade, which already makes it unique and inimitable. But it is much easier to imitate it than the rest of the Curacao family.
Grand Marnier liqueur recipe #1
- 700 ml brandy (cognac);
- 1,5 tsp pure orange extract;
- 240 ml of aromatic honey;
- ½ tsp glycerin (for viscosity, optional ingredient);
- a pinch of ground cinnamon and coriander.
Mix all the ingredients, cork tightly and send to infuse for 1 month in a dark, cool place. After a month, strain and bottle. In general, the longer the liquor will stand in a corked form, the better it will turn out in the end.
A sediment will fall to the bottom – this is honey. This sediment is absolutely harmless, but it spoils the look of the liquor very much, so it is better to remove it by decanting (drain the drink through a straw, leaving the sediment in the jar). To avoid this sediment, honey can generally be replaced with sugar by boiling the syrup. The amount of sugar will have to be determined independently, but logically it is reasonable to take an amount equal to the volume of honey, that is, 240 g of sugar. It is enough to add the same amount of water and boil the syrup for 5 minutes, removing the white foam.
In most homemade drinks, it is enough to use ordinary honey, which is the first to come to hand. But for the preparation of exotic drinks, it is better to take exotic honey, which will turn an ordinary, faded imitation into something special, close to the original. For example, Drambuie liqueur uses heather honey, while Grande Marnier uses citrus, to be more precise, orange blossom honey (fleur d’orange), collected by bees from the flowers of an orange tree.
You can try to find similar exotic products in online stores or specialized supermarkets, where rare foreign goods are provided.
Now for the orange extract. You can find it in supermarkets, or you can cook it at home. In fact, it is prepared in the same way as the vanilla extract, the recipe of which we shared in the article on homemade coffee liqueurs (it is here). You need to take 1 orange, cut off the zest from it, without clinging to the white skin, and pour 100 ml of vodka or alcohol into it (in general, it is better to use 75% alcohol). But that’s not the point, the main thing is to extract all the essential oils from the zest, and this is best done by alcohol. Yes, you need to insist such an extract from 1 to 3 weeks, and store no more than a year.
Grand Marnier liqueur recipe #2
* in the source, the liquor is listed as “Grand Orange-Cognac Liqueur”
- 80 g orange peel;
- 120 grams of sugar;
- 480 ml brandy;
- ½ tsp glycerin (optional, for density).
It is better to cut the zest with a fine grater until it reaches 80 g. Pour it into a bowl and cover it with sugar, then grind it with a wooden spoon or pestle until the sugar is absorbed into the zest.
Orange peel grated with sugar.
Pour the candied zest into a jar, pour cognac into it, mix well, cork tightly and send to infuse in a dark, cool place for 2-3 months. You can stir once a month. After infusion, filter the drink well, mix again with a wooden spoon and pour into a bottle. It is recommended to drink ready-made liquor 3 months after bottling.
Homemade Triple Sec
As a bonus, we offer you an alternative recipe for Triple Sec liqueur without distillation.
- 4 large, ripe, sweet oranges;
- 600 ml of vodka;
- 350 ml of sugar.
Remove the zest !two orangeswithout touching the white skin. Squeeze juice from all four oranges and, if necessary, dilute it with water – the total volume must be brought to 480 ml. Pour the juice into a saucepan, add zest and sugar there, put it on fire. Bring to a boil, stirring vigorously, then simmer for 10 minutes over low heat. Cool to room temperature and mix with vodka. Pour into a jar and let it brew for 3-4 months. Then strain and filter, if necessary.
Home Curacao (Curaçao)
For general information.
- 4 orange;
- 240 ml of liquid honey;
- 700 ml whiskey.
Insist the zest of 4 oranges on whiskey for 1 month. Strain, removing the zest, add honey and insist until the drink is completely clarified – honey should precipitate. Decant from the sediment and, if necessary, filter through a dense cloth.
We wish you the most delicious liqueurs!