Cointreau is such a popular liqueur used to make different cocktails and recipes. However, the price of cointreau can be a bit worrying and this might limit you from making your cocktails or even baking your favourite food. Cointreau is liqueur that is orange flavoured and made from the peels of both sweet and bitter oranges. It is usually consumed by many people as either an aperitif or a digestif so as to aid digestion before or after a meal. If you are a foodie who just loves using cointreau but then you are always running on a tight budget or if you just don’t have it in your house you can simply use substitutes. This article highlights some of the substitutes for cointreau and some are actually affordable.
Contents
Grand marnier
This is an excellent substitute for cointreau especially if you are going to make cocktails like margarita this is because it has a flavour that is somehow similar to cointreau. It is made using high quality brandy known as cognac thus in terms of pricing grand marnier is a bit expensive. Grand marnier is made when brandy is mixed with the peels of a bitter orange. Flavour wise grand marnier has an orange like flavour which is oaky, aged and somehow intense. Grand marnier is made in France just like cointreau so that’s what also makes it a good substitute. When using grand marnier to substitute cointreau it is important to use less since grand marnier is a bit sweeter than cointreau or you can just adjust the ingredients in your recipe so that they will be able to accommodate the flavour of grand marnier. When grand marnier is used as a substitute for cointreau you can notice since it has a more golden colour as compared to cointreau and it doesn’t have a deeper distinct flavour. However, if you use it for baking it is highly unlikely that you will notice a difference.
Triple sec
NB: Triple sec can be used as a substitute for cointreau and there are many types of triple sec but only the best triple sec substitutes for cointreau will be highlighted. The other thing to note is that triple sec is budget friendly as compared to cointreau so you can afford to buy it.
Hiram Walker Triple sec
This is one of the cheapest substitutes for cointreau, so if you are definitely running on a low budget you can buy it. Triple sec is a sweeter orange liqueur that is made from distilling orange peels in neutral alcohol. It has a lower alcohol content as compared to cointreau but it is still a good substitute. In terms of flavour, hiram walker triple sec is sweeter as compared to cointreau. You can use hiram walker triple sec as a substitute for cointreau when making cocktails or even for baking.
Combier Liqueur d’Orange
This is another type of triple sec that you can use to substitute cointreau. It is a French type of triple sec which is a semi-dry liqueur. Combier liqueur d’orange is made with bitter oranges however, it is sweeter and brighter as compared to cointreau. It can be used to make cocktails and other recipes that require cointreau.
Luxardo Triplum
When substituting cointreau with triple sec you can use the one known as luxardo triplum. This type of triple sec is made in Italy but it is still a good substitute for cointreau. Luxardo triplum is a clear liqueur which is made using a combination of both sweet and bitter oranges with hints of spice. This type of triple sec is usually priced a bit higher that other types of triple sec, but you can use it especially when making cocktails or other recipes.
Orange curacao
Orange curacao is made from citrus fruit that is grown in the Dutch island of Curacao. The fruits were not fit for consumption since they were bitter so the peels were usually dried and added to distilled liqueur in order to produce aroma and a bit of flavour to the liqueur. The production process of orange curacao were mainly inspired by cointreau. Orange curacao is produced using artificial colouring so that the liqueur becomes orange. You can substitute it for cointreau but it has a slightly sweet flavour. Orange curacao is mainly used as a substitute for cointreau when making cocktails or cooking but it can add a slightly sweet flavour.
Orange extract
If you are looking for a non-alcoholic substitute for cointreau then you can use orange extract. It is commonly used as a substitute for cointreau when baking this is because in drinks that require a certain type of alcohol content it doesn’t work well. This is due to the fact that it lacks the depth of flavour found in cointreau or other alcoholic substitutes of cointreau. However, if you really want to add it to cocktails then you can then use it in combination with orange zest or you can use concentrated orange juice. Simply add it to your cocktail until you get the flavour you are searching for.
Conclusion
Generally cointreau is a phenomenal liqueur to use but sometimes it can be really hard to buy due to different reasons. If you would love to incorporate cointreau in any cocktail or recipe then this article has highlighted some of the best substitutes that you can use. It is worth noting that grand marnier is a good substitute but it is a bit pricey because the ingredients used to make it are also a bit expensive. Triple sec is another substitute for cointreau which you can use and the advantage of using it is that it is actually cheaper. There are different types of triple sec so you can choose the brand that best suits your budget. Orange curacao is also another cointreau substitute that can be used. It is worth noting that the majority of substitutes highlighted in the article are all alcoholic and that orange extract is the only substitute for cointreau that is alcohol free.