I have always enjoyed Grand Marnier as an after dinner drink. It makes the top of my list. That product happens to have oranges as its base. Cointreau does too, and I like it. In a nutshell I find Cointreau isn't as good straight as Grand Marnier, but in a number of different cocktails, it makes itself known as a good friend to keep in the liquor cabinet.

Brief History

After going to their upbeat web site I learned that this product has been around over 150 years and the distinctive bottle with the red ribbon and product itself has changed very little in all that time. The company was established by Adolphe Cointreau and his brother, Edouard-Jean in 1849. The country was and is France where it's imported from. That's what I read on their web site. My personal experience doesn't go back quite that long.

I have always known how it is pronounced, "Kwan-tro".

This product was is based "on a blend of sweet and bitter orange peels from the most exotic parts of the world".

It's here I'll mention that this product was on the market over thirty years before Grand Marnier was processed using oranges from the Caribbean.

Our Experience With Cointreau

My wife uses Cointreau in our Margaritas. It adds just the right sweetness we like. The web site has their own recipes for Cointreau Margaritas and other cocktails. Here are two we have tried and like.

The Original Margarita

1 part Cointreau
2 parts Ultra Premium Tequila (We are satisfied with Jose Cuervo Gold)
1/2 Large Fresh Lime
Rock Salt

Cosmopolitan

1 oz. Cointreau
2 oz. vodka
Juice of 1/2 lime
Splash of cranberry juice

One we haven't tried but sounds quite tempting is a

Screaming Orgasm

½ oz. Bailey's
½ oz. Kahlua
½ oz. Vodka
½ oz. Amaretto
1 oz. Cointreau

What will the neighbors say if we do that one?

As I'm writing this review I am home alone. My wife and daughters are up in Maine for an orientation week for my daughter who will be starting a new college there this fall. Business kept me home. I decided to try a recipe on the list that uses Cointreau. It's a

Long Island Iced Tea.

½ oz. lime or lemon juice
½ oz. Tequila
½ oz. Gin
½ oz. Vodka
½ oz. Rum
½ oz. Cointreau
Cola

Pour all ingredients (except cola) into a tumbler glass full of ice.
Fill with cola.
Stir.

OK, I'm back after drinking this with an accompaniment of pepperoni pizza hot pockets. That's what we guys eat when the wifes away. WOW! That was good! Not the Hot pockets the Long Island Iced Tea.

I gotta try another drink now. Let me go back to the site.

Mmm I'm back and pouring myself a

Back in Black

Ingredients :
1 oz. Cointreau
1½ oz. Tequila
Cola

It's a very simple Long Island Iced Tea. I'm using some Jose Cuervo Gold with this one. That's what we stock in our home. "WOW!! This ish anofer goods one to drinks." Mmm, I wonder if this stuff is goin' to my head?

I believe I'll stop with my experimenting now. Hey, is this lame? I'm home alone and having drinks and writing without any company. Let me just state, "It's all done in the name of research".

Anyways, I do like the sweet taste that Cointreua brings to different drinks. This one is no exception. I may be trying it again soon. No, not tonight. I enjoy the taste and feel of a drink, but lets not overdo it.

For more details on these and a host of other recipes go to http://www.becointreauversial.com/ It happens to be a fun site. Be sure to have your speakers on.

The Product

Cointreau comes in a dark-amber coloured bottle that is squared with rounded corners. It is a distinct looking container.

The drink itself is clear in colour though it does get cloudy when chilled. The only time I have noticed that is when having it over the rocks.

When sipping this product clean I first get the alcohol blast even before any kind of taste. This product is 80 proof and you experience it immediately. The taste itself is that of orange skins. It's sweet at first and then the bitterness of peels comes in. It ends with a sweetness again that lingers. I like that ending.

I do tend to compare Cointreau with Grand Marnier and the smoothness and taste of the later better suites my taste buds. A far as mixing them in cocktails I find Cointreau the superior of the two. It's also a bit less expensive.


Jose Cuervo Gold

Grand Marnier




Recommended: Yes