Cointreau (UK: /ˈkwɒntroʊ, ˈkwɑːn-/, US: /kwɑːnˈtroʊ, kwæ̃ˈ-/,[1][2][3] French: [kwɛ̃tʁo]) is a brand of orange-flavoured triple sec liqueur produced in Saint-Barthélemy-d'Anjou, France. It is consumed as an apéritif and digestif,[4] and is a component of several well-known cocktails. It was originally called[5] Curaçao Blanco Triple Sec.[6] Despite the orange bottle, Cointreau is colourless. Cointreau also produces Cointreau Noir, a blend of 70% Cointreau and 30% cognac from the House of Rémy Martin. [7]
 | |
| Type | Orange liqueur (triple sec) |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Rémy Cointreau |
| Country of origin | France |
| Introduced | 1875 |
| Alcohol by volume | 40% |
| Proof (US) | 80 |
| Colour | Colourless |
| Flavour | Orange |
| Variants | Cointreau Noir |
| Website | www |
Production
editCointreau Distillery was set up in 1849 by Adolphe Cointreau, a confectioner, and his brother Édouard-Jean Cointreau. Their first success was with the cherry liqueur Guignolet, but they also found success when they blended sweet and bitter orange peels and pure alcohol from sugar beets. The first bottles of Cointreau were sold in 1875. An estimated 13 million bottles are sold each year, in more than 150 countries. Ninety percent of production is exported. Cointreau & Cie SA was family-owned until 1990, when it merged with Rémy Martin to form Rémy Cointreau, now a publicly traded company.[8][9]
The production methods and recipe are a family secret, but public tours of the facility are offered. Photography is restricted in many areas to protect the production process from being copied.[10][11]
Cocktails
editIn addition to being consumed neat (or often on ice), Cointreau is used in many popular cocktails. The official IBA recipes for the margarita, Corpse Reviver #2, and the cosmopolitan include Cointreau.[12][13] When mixed with water, Cointreau exhibits the Ouzo effect.[14]
Publicity
editIn the 1980s, Avirex, now Cockpit USA, issued an A-2 limited-edition leather flight jacket featuring Cointreau Original Margarita nose art on the back of the jacket. In early 2008, the burlesque entertainer Dita Von Teese became the new face of Cointreau's "Be Cointreauversial" advertising and marketing campaign,[15] a campaign created in 2003[16] by the New York advertising agency KraftWorks.[17]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Cointreau". Collins English Dictionary. HarperCollins. Retrieved 11 May 2019.
- ^ "Cointreau" (US) and "Cointreau". Oxford Dictionaries UK English Dictionary. Oxford University Press.[dead link]
- ^ "Cointreau". Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary. Merriam-Webster. Retrieved 11 May 2019.
- ^ "Definition of Cointreau". www.barnonedrinks.com. Retrieved 17 December 2018.
- ^ "Cointreau Noir: A Majestic Blend of Orange and Cognac - Cognac.com". cognac.com. 23 December 2023. Retrieved 23 December 2023.
- ^ Lichine, Alexis; et al. (1987). Enciclopedia de vinos y alcoholes de todos los países. Barcelona: Ediciones Omega. p. 236. ISBN 84-282-0776-3.
- ^ "Cointreau Noir: A Majestic Blend of Orange and Cognac - Cognac.com". cognac.com. 23 December 2023. Retrieved 23 December 2023.
- ^ "Our History". Remy Cointreau website. 25 August 2020. Retrieved 25 August 2020.
- ^ Ramirez, Anthony (11 November 1989). "Remy Martin and Cointreau Plan to Merge". The New York Times. New York. Retrieved 25 August 2020.
- ^ "Visiting the Cointreau Distillery". www.francetravelguide.com. Retrieved 1 April 2024.
- ^ "Cointreau - Drink Secrets". www.drinksecrets.com. Retrieved 1 April 2024.
- ^ "Margarita". International Bartenders Association. Retrieved 5 July 2018.
- ^ "Cosmopolitan". International Bartenders Association. Retrieved 5 July 2018.
- ^ Charles-Philippe (30 April 2021). "What Is Triple Sec & What Does It Taste Like? -". Bespoke Unit. Retrieved 1 April 2024.
- ^ Cointreau, Dita Von Teese Unite, 17 January 2008. Archived 7 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Re/Max Wants More Personality, 17 March 2003.
- ^ Kraftworks NYC Archived 20 July 2013 at the Wayback Machine