Cointreau

Cointreau

Type	Liqueur
Manufacturer	Rémy Cointreau
Country of origin	Angers, France
Introduced	1849
Alcohol by volume	40%
Proof	80
Colour	colourless
Flavor	Orange

Cointreau (pronounced [kwan'-tro]) is a brand of triple sec liqueur, and is produced in Saint-Barthélemy-d'Anjou, a suburb of Angers, France. Cointreau sources its bitter oranges from all over the world, usually Spain, Brazil and Saint-Raphaël, Haiti.^[1][2]

In addition to being imbibed as an apéritif, Cointreau is sometimes used as a digestif. Cointreau is considered to be either a premium brand triple sec or a unique category of liqueur. With a 40% alcohol content, Cointreau is strong for a triple sec which usually has an alcohol content between 15 and 20 percent.^[1]

Production

Cointreau Distillery was set up in 1849 by Adolphe Cointreau, a confectioner, and his brother Edouard-Jean Cointreau from Angers. Their first success was with the cherry liqueur, guignolet, but it was when they concocted a blend of sweet and bitter orange peels and pure alcohol from sugar beets that the success of the enterprise was confirmed definitively.^[1] In 1875, the first bottles of Cointreau were sold. It is now estimated that thirteen million bottles are sold each year, in more than 150 countries. 95% of production is exported.^[1] The company is still owned and run by the Cointreau family, although a notable descendant, André J. Cointreau, left the company to run the famed Paris-based Le Cordon Bleu culinary school in the 1980s.

The production methods and recipe are a family secret, but tours of the distillery are open to the public. Photography is restricted in many areas to protect the production process from being copied.

Ex Avirex LTD., nowadays Cockpit USA, issued in 90's A-2 limited edition leather flight jacket featuring Cointreau Original Margarita noseart on the back of the jacket. In early 2008, burlesque entertainer Dita Von Teese became the new face of Cointreau's "Be Cointreauversial" advertising and marketing campaign, an arrangement slated to continue through 2010.^[3]

Cocktails

In addition to being drunk neat (often on ice), Cointreau is used in cocktails including the Margarita, Cosmopolitan, White Lady and Sidecar.^[4]

Liquor reviews

Cointreau has performed consistently well at international spirit ratings competitions. For instance, it received double gold ratings at the 2007 and 2008 San Francisco World Spirits Competition. It received gold medals at the prior two years' competitions.^[5]

References

1. ^ ^{a b c d} French Wikipedia/Cointreau
2. ^ Also note, that Cointreau sources some of its peels from coastal regions in Ghana.
3. ^ Cointreau, Dita Von Teese Unite, January 17, 2008.
4. ^ "Frequently asked question". Cointreau. http://www.cointreau.com/faq-25.html. Retrieved 2009-09-15. 
5. ^ http://www.proof66.com/single_display.asp?id=161

External links

• Cointreau official website
• Rémy Cointreau