Triple sec is a clear orange liqueur made with orange peel, and Cointreau is a brand in that style. Curaçao is named for the Caribbean island and its Laraha orange, and now covers orange liqueurs of several colours. For a Margarita or a Sidecar, any good triple sec works. Our first pick is Gabriel Boudier Curaçao Triple Sec.
| Style | What it is | Strength in our bottles | Best in | Our pick |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Triple sec | A clear liqueur flavoured with orange peel | 25 to 38 per cent | Margarita, Sidecar | Boudier Curaçao Triple Sec, Vedrenne Triple Sec 35% |
| Cointreau | A brand of clear orange liqueur from Angers, made from sweet and bitter orange peels | Not in our range | Named in the IBA Cosmopolitan | Boudier Curaçao Triple Sec as the swap |
| Curaçao | Orange liqueur named for the island and its Laraha orange, now made in many places and colours | 25 to 38 per cent | Mai Tai, which asks for orange curaçao | Boudier Curaçao Triple Sec, which carries the word on its label |
| Blue curaçao | Curaçao coloured blue | 25 per cent | Drinks where colour is the point | Boudier Curaçao Bleu |
| Richer orange liqueur | Orange liqueur made with armagnac, or from a cognac house | 35 to 40 per cent | A richer Sidecar, or a small glass on ice | Grosperrin Orange d'Or, Gelas Cordialor |
What is triple sec?
Triple sec is a clear, colourless orange liqueur, flavoured with the peel of bitter and sweet oranges rather than the juice. Under EU Regulation 2019/787, which most of the French bottles here are made to, there is no separate category for triple sec or curaçao at all. Both are sold under the general liqueur category, which sets a minimum strength of 15 per cent. Where the words "triple sec" came from is disputed between brands, so we will leave the origin story out.
Our triple secs run from 25 to 38 per cent. Vedrenne Triple Sec at 35 per cent is made from an orange distillate, and Difford's Guide's tasting note describes "intensely zesty orange" with a "long, zesty orange finish". The Nuits-Saint-Georges house also makes a 25 per cent Triple Sec, and Briottet Triple Sec Curaçao from Dijon is also 25 per cent. Gabriel Boudier's 38 per cent bottle is labelled Curaçao Triple Sec, which tells you how loosely the two names are used.
Is Cointreau a triple sec?
Yes, in style. Cointreau is a clear orange liqueur, and the IBA uses both names for the same job. Its Margarita and Sidecar call for "Triple Sec", while its Cosmopolitan names "Cointreau". According to Rémy Cointreau, the house was founded in 1849 in Angers, and in 1875 Edouard Cointreau joined the family firm, where he created the Cointreau recipe from "the precise selection and distillation of sweet and bitter orange peels".
Cointreau is a brand, and we do not carry it, so this page sticks to the bottles we do. A triple sec at a similar strength is the closest swap.
What is curaçao?
Curaçao is the island in the southern Caribbean, and the liqueur is named for it. On the island, Senior & Co says it began producing curaçao liqueur in 1896 with the peel of the Laraha orange (Citrus aurantium currassuviensis), "only found on the Caribbean island of Curaçao". Even Senior says its liqueur "can be used as a Triple Sec as it serves the same purpose in a cocktail recipe", and concludes that "the differences in names are primarily marketing driven".
French houses use the word freely. Boudier's label reads Curaçao Triple Sec, and so does the label on Vedrenne's 35 per cent bottle. Some recipes ask for dry curaçao, a style we do not carry under that name. For a richer orange liqueur from a cognac house, Grosperrin is our choice.
Does blue curaçao taste different?
No, the colour is the difference. Senior & Co puts it plainly: "Blue Curaçao is basically an ordinary Curaçao liqueur, colored Blue." Expect orange peel, and a glass that turns blue.
We have Gabriel Boudier Curaçao Bleu in 700 ml and a 500 ml bottle, and Vedrenne Curaçao Bleu, all at 25 per cent. For the same colour with no alcohol, Vedrenne Curaçao Syrup is an azure-blue orange-peel syrup.
Does strength matter? 25 against 38 per cent
Orange liqueurs on our shelf run from 25 per cent (Briottet, and Vedrenne's 25 per cent Triple Sec) through 35 (Vedrenne) and 38 (Gabriel Boudier and Autonomy) to 40 per cent (Grosperrin). What strength changes is how much alcohol the same 20 ml pour puts in the glass.
In numbers, the IBA Margarita of 50 ml tequila at 40 per cent, 20 ml triple sec and 15 ml lime comes to about 2.2 standard drinks with a 38 per cent triple sec and 2.0 with a 25 per cent one. A standard drink in Australia is 10 g of pure alcohol.
Neither strength is better, and strength is not a reason to pick one bottle over another. Choose on flavour and on the drink you are making, keep to the recipe's 20 ml, and measure it with a jigger.
Which orange liqueur should you buy? The verdict by drink
For a Margarita
The IBA spec is 50 ml 100 per cent agave tequila, 20 ml triple sec and 15 ml fresh lime juice. Our pick is Gabriel Boudier Curaçao Triple Sec, or Vedrenne Triple Sec at 35 per cent. Our spicy Margarita and best tequila for margaritas post covers the tequila, the full method is in our Christmas cocktails, and the range is in our tequila collection.
For a Sidecar
The IBA Sidecar is 50 ml cognac, 20 ml triple sec and 20 ml fresh lemon juice: about 2.2 standard drinks with a 40 per cent cognac and Boudier. Boudier is our everyday pick. For a richer drink, use Grosperrin Orange d'Or at 40 per cent, labelled "liqueur d'orange aux alcools rares" by the cognac house Grosperrin. Our brandy cocktails post has the method, and our cognac range has the base.
For a Mai Tai
The IBA Mai Tai asks for 15 ml "Orange Curacao" alongside two rums, orgeat and lime. Boudier's Curaçao Triple Sec fits the brief by name. For an armagnac-based twist of our own, try Gelas Cordialor, a liqueur d'orange et armagnac at 35 per cent. The full recipe and the rums are in our Mai Tai recipe.
For a Cosmopolitan
The IBA names Cointreau here. Gabriel Boudier Curaçao Triple Sec is our swap, and our Valentine's Day cocktails give the full Cosmopolitan with it.
For an Australian bottle
Autonomy Australian Orange Liqueur is 38 per cent and made in Melbourne. Autonomy works with the local juice company Market Juice, collecting citrus peels from fruit already squeezed for juice, according to the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival. It does the same jobs as a French triple sec.
What can I use instead of Cointreau or triple sec?
- Another triple sec at a similar strength. Boudier at 38 per cent or Vedrenne at 35 per cent for a drink that names Cointreau.
- A different citrus. Vedrenne Liqueur de Mandarine at 25 per cent gives a Margarita or Sidecar a tangerine edge. Call it a variation.
- No alcohol. Vedrenne Curaçao Syrup brings orange peel, but it is blue, so the drink will be too.
Every swap changes the drink a little, so taste and adjust the lime or lemon. More bottles are on our cocktail enhancers page.
Triple sec FAQ
Is triple sec the same as curaçao?
In practice, yes. Both are orange liqueurs made with orange peel, and EU rules define neither. Curaçao is named for the island and its Laraha orange, and Senior & Co, which makes it there, says its curaçao can be used as a triple sec. Bottles such as Boudier's carry both names.
Can you drink triple sec neat?
Yes. Pour 30 ml over a large ice cube in a small glass and treat it as an after-dinner drink. Grosperrin, from a cognac house, and Gelas Cordialor, made with armagnac, suit it best in our view, with more depth than a clear triple sec built for mixing.
Does triple sec go off?
Closed, a triple sec keeps well in a cool, dark cupboard. Once open, we keep the cap tight and use the bottle within about a year, because the fresh orange-peel aroma slowly fades. That is our practice rather than a producer rule, so follow any storage note on your own label.
One bottle for every recipe
On triple sec vs Cointreau, the short answer is that Cointreau is a triple sec, and a good French one does the same job. For one bottle that covers the Margarita, Sidecar, Mai Tai and Cosmopolitan, start with Gabriel Boudier Curaçao Triple Sec. For a richer bottle, add Grosperrin. The rest are in our liqueurs and fruit liqueurs ranges, and our guide to types of liqueur covers the rest of the shelf. For the other bottles most recipes call for, see what crème de cassis is, maraschino liqueur explained and the best coffee liqueur for an Espresso Martini. Our New Year's Eve cocktails use Boudier's triple sec too.