To make Curaçao, one uses the peels of oranges, just like with its French relative. However, the oranges used to make Curaçao are of a very particular variety: the Laraha orange growing on the Dutch ABC (Aruba, Bonaire, and Curaçao) islands in the Caribbean. Originally, Curaçao was produced only from the Laraha oranges growing on the island of Curaçao. But only Señor & Co., located in Curaçao, is still doing that. The spirit base for cordials is often neutral, but it certainly doesn't have to be. A robust spirit like whiskey, for example, can mix beautifully with other flavoring agents. Common flavors include fruits ranging from stone fruit to citrus and berries to nuts, as well as coffee and chocolate and even aromatic spices and seeds. Some liqueurs include a touch of cream to round out the other tasty elements.

But what about the ingredients? While you’ve probably experienced blue curacao at one point or another it would be a mistake to think that it was identical to other curaçaos – like Pierre Ferrand Dry Curaçao. The magic in this starts with the base, and develops from there through the addition of spices and the orange used. Some ingredients, like your Mr. Boston Triple Sec are low level, orange flavored neutral spirits gussied up with sugar. Others, like Grand Marnier, are brandy based and intrinsically have underlying notes of oakiness and grape brandy. Savor: The ending rounds out sweet – but slowly turns pithy. The flavor of candied oranges and slightly nutty cognac lingers. This triple distillation, most likely, is also the reason for the name of the liqueur: Triple Sec - three times dry. It once was a quality indication rather than a product name. Curaçao [1] ( / ˈ k jʊər ə s aʊ, - s oʊ/ KURE-əss-ow, -⁠oh, Dutch: [kyraːˈsʌu] ⓘ) is a liqueur flavored with the dried peel of the bitter orange laraha, a citrus fruit grown on the Dutch island of Curaçao. Pierre Ferrand Dry Curacao is modeled after classic early 20th century French orange. It features Laraha oranges infused in grape brandy, combined with a distillate of walnut skins and prunes aged in brandy and cognac, and toasted sugar aged in barrels.There's no official or legal definition of the two, and sometimes there are even products that proclaim to be both, Triple Sec and Curaçao. - Pierre Ferrand Dry Curaçao would be one example. We have a much more indepth article on triple sec if you'd like to sink your teeth into this subject, but the short answer is triple sec is a dry orange liqueur made using a neutral beet sugar distillate. Dried orange peels are steeped into this neutral spirit, which is then redistilled. The result is a very intense orange flavoured spirit that's blended with more neutral spirit, sugar and water to give us triple sec.

Fun fact: the bottle was originally named Curaçao Marnier because of its high brandy content, but after Cesar Ritz, the founder of the Ritz Hotel, dubbed it a "grand liqueur," the name was changed.Triple Sec was invented in 1834 in the kitchen of distiller Jean-Baptiste Combier and his wife, Josephine. They combined Hawaiian oranges and sweet Valencia oranges, creating a distinct flavor through their three-step distillation method. The chief grape used to make cognac is Ugni Blanc, an acidic white grape that produces a low-alcohol wine well-suited for distillation. Wines made from other grapes, such as Folle Blanche and Colombard, may also be distilled in the mix. However, many established producers of Triple Sec can are at the upper end of the scale. For instance, Combier, Cointreau, and the closely related Grand Marnierall have an alcohol content of 40%. Triple sec is an orange-flavored liqueur. That said, there's surprisingly a plethora of tastes when it comes to the brands. Some offer flavor notes of spices, while others are cloying oversweet or too bitter. Find one that is pleasing to your taste and well balanced in flavor. There's no set ABV for either Curaçao or Triple Sec. Also, the typical range for both is similar, with 15- 40% for Curaçao and 20 - 40% for Triple Sec.

In addition to Bols adding blue coloring, there’s some debate as to who exactly started the name Triple Sec (which in this case, you can use synonymously with curacao). Some claim it came from Cointreau, who went through multiple iterations of branding – and ultimately removed it once a flood of cheap triple sec hit the market. Others claim it was a label for the distillation process. Regardless of where it started, Triple Sec supplanted Curaçao in some name conventions, and you can now swap the names interchangeably. The sweetening requirement is what makes cordials distinct from dry flavored spirits such as gin. In the United States, where “cordial” and “liqueur” are used interchangeably, regulations require that they contain at least 2.5 percent sugar by weight and be made from “fruits, flowers, plants, or pure juices therefrom, or other natural flavoring materials, or with extracts” of those materials. In Europe, cordials refer to non-alcoholic drinks. We use the terms based on U.S. regulations. The difference between Curaçao Liqueur and Triple Sec is a widely discussed topic in the bartender world. It is almost impossible to define Orange Liqueur without getting into a heated discussion. Like many things in the bartender world, not much is set in stone and almost everything is up for discussion. To make things clear, we decided to break it all down in one article. This article is what we, Senior Curaçao Liqueur, believe to be true after research. Facts are not easily found, so if anybody has interesting and reliable sources we can use, please let us know. The difference between Curaçao Liqueur and Triple Sec: asimple explanation Overall, both types of liqueurs have a tangy, tart, dry, and somewhat sharp taste. However, Curaçao has a more pronounced sweetness and bitterness. Triple Sec, on the other side, has a cleaner palate and is significantly drier. I really enjoy Rhum Clement Créole Shrubb,” says Rob Vogel, bar manager at Monarque in Baltimore. “This intense orange liqueur is made with Agricole rhum that lends to aromas of fresh-cut grass and lemon peel. Clement has also added the 'secret' Creole spices that contribute to wonderful warming flavors.”The Story of Blue Curaçao: Which Is, Strangely, the Other Orange Liqueur—The 9-Bottle Bar". Kitchn. Long Island Iced Tea: This boozy drink is a concoction of five different liquors, one of them being Triple Sec. The other ingredients are lemon juice, syrup, and cola. The aroma of orange peel wafting up from the bottle of triple sec after opening it can be quite pleasant. You might also catch a whiff of spices or fresh-cut grass, among other smells. Make sure that the aroma is pleasing to you and whoever else is partaking with you. Some consider the taste of both liqueurs identical and claim that the term secfor dry is nothing more than a marketing gag. Yet, when tasting them side by side, you can clearly detect the differences. Appearance

Curacao is usually made with sweeter, tropical oranges that the Spanish found on the islands – the Laraha orange. This means it is a slightly sweeter drink than some of the others, with an ABV of around 15-40% depending on the manufacturer. What is triple sec? Curaçao can be sold in numerous forms, though the most common are the orange-hued dry curaçao and blue curaçao, which is dyed bright blue.Triple Sec Mimosa: This twist on a classic Mimosa adds orange liqueur to the two base ingredients of orange juice and sparkling wine.