bdrinker Posted August 1, 2015 Share Posted August 1, 2015 What good quality triple sec other than cointreau, do you use for making cocktails like margaritas? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darwin Posted August 1, 2015 Share Posted August 1, 2015 (edited) Grand Marnier and Cointreau are my favorites. For a basic inexpensive mixer I use Mr Stacks triple sec at $7. I tried the Patron Citronge ($18) hoping it was a good option, but it taste like chemicals and corn syrup to me. Edited August 1, 2015 by Darwin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tanstaafl2 Posted August 1, 2015 Share Posted August 1, 2015 (edited) What good quality triple sec other than cointreau, do you use for making cocktails like margaritas?I like the Solerno Blood Orange for a change of pace if you can find it. Combier brand is similar to Cointreau and maybe a bit cheaper. Senior brand Curacao might be a bit more of the classic for margaritas as it is the only Curacao still made on the island of Curacao. But my favorite is probably Ferrand Dry Curacao. And for something a bit different but just as good there is Clement Creole Shrubb.One brand that may be a touch cheaper but still decent is Brizzard. I don't generally care much for the other more generic brands like Hiram Walker, Bols and DeKyper.Some people like to jazz up their margarita with Grand Marnier which is good but not much cheaper. It is also not a typical triple sec/curacao and has a cognac base making it a bit richer and can sometimes dominate a drink if you don't use a light hand!But not sure if any of those is much cheaper!A nice article on these and other orange liqueurs. Edited August 1, 2015 by tanstaafl2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dcbt Posted August 1, 2015 Share Posted August 1, 2015 I use Paula's Orange Liqueur. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bearmark Posted August 1, 2015 Share Posted August 1, 2015 I've tried many alternatives, but I've finally decided that Cointreau is the only good choice for me. My second choice is Bauchant Orange Liqueur, which is more like Grand Marnier with less cognac (GM has too much for me). Both of these use bitter oranges, which is a key ingredient for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kjbeggs Posted August 1, 2015 Share Posted August 1, 2015 I've used Mathilde Orange Liqueur as a cheap alternative.Not a true replacement, but it's decent enough for the price. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amg Posted August 1, 2015 Share Posted August 1, 2015 For margaritas, you might try Agavero. It's an orange liqueur made with tequila.I still stick with Cointreau most of the time, though. There's a place that I can get it for $32/1L, which isn't too bad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigBoldBully Posted August 1, 2015 Share Posted August 1, 2015 (edited) I wasted a lot of money on various cheap triple secs that I ultimately ended up dumping down the sink. If I could go back I would have just stuck with Grand Marnier and/or Cointreau (buying a small bottle if short on cash). As it turned out, the more tequilas I tried and the more margaritas I mixed, the less I tended to use of the orange stuff as a little really does go a long way, making the cost per serving quite minimal.One other idea though is to substitute a few dashes of a good orange bitters (at less than $10 a bottle). Different but can add interest. Edited August 1, 2015 by BigBoldBully Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tanstaafl2 Posted August 2, 2015 Share Posted August 2, 2015 For margaritas, you might try Agavero. It's an orange liqueur made with tequila.I still stick with Cointreau most of the time, though. There's a place that I can get it for $32/1L, which isn't too bad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amg Posted August 2, 2015 Share Posted August 2, 2015 Agavero Orange is another nice alternative because it starts with a tequila base as noted. Don't confuse with the regular Agavero which is a tequila liqueur that is more like a bottled tequila old fashioned. Although it is not bad on its own with a dash or two of chocolate mole bitters!Right, I was referring to the Agavero Orange. I've never tried the regular Agavero, but it sounds like it's worth trying! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happyhour24x7 Posted August 3, 2015 Share Posted August 3, 2015 For me, Cointreau is that standard for a reason: nothing else really compares. Yes, it's expensive, but it's worth it. Grand Marnier is a totally different animal, but also the gold standard for what it is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BFerguson Posted August 3, 2015 Share Posted August 3, 2015 I'll give a second on the Solerno. Dang tasty!B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Balcones Winston Posted September 10, 2015 Share Posted September 10, 2015 I don't think there is any replacement for Cointreau. That's why it has a permanent place in my bar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry in WashDC Posted September 10, 2015 Share Posted September 10, 2015 What Winston said. But like tanstaafl2 (I think) and some others have said, Solerno is a nice "other". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bullitt Posted October 19, 2015 Share Posted October 19, 2015 I'm not sure about the different less expensive types of "triple sec" mentioned here, but the ones that I've looked at and have compared to either Cointreau or GM (40% ABV) have all had a lower ABV and do not compare in quality. Cointreau can play a huge part in high quality Margarita's. When Cointreau or GM are used it adds an extra alcohol kick to the drink and makes a tastier marg. Some people do not even use Cointreau in their margs. It depends on if you like your margs on the sweeter or more traditional sour side. In MHO a great marg finds that spot between sweet and sour without losing the tequila in the mix. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Josh Posted October 19, 2015 Share Posted October 19, 2015 I've been using the Clement Shrub as a sub for Coinreau and Gran Marnier for the past year or so. I like it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wadewood Posted October 23, 2015 Share Posted October 23, 2015 Pierre Ferrand Dry Curacao is a winner and cost is under $25. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry in WashDC Posted October 24, 2015 Share Posted October 24, 2015 Good catch, Wade. I use their cognac as a mixer regularly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bmajazz Posted October 29, 2015 Share Posted October 29, 2015 Cointreau is a good solid dusty find for me. A lot of out of the way stores have ancient bottles that they are happy to sell at a discount.Also, Mandarin Napoleon is a great, slightly cheaper substitute that uses quality cognac, like Grand Marnier. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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