Post #292166 by Chip and Andy on Thu, Mar 15, 2007 4:03 PM

A basic desription of each of the liquors in question....

Gran Marnier (pronounced like Grand without the D, Mon like the beginning of Monday, Yeah like yippee. Not a pefect pronuncuation, but close enough for our comparisons)

Gran Marnier is a brandy (congac) based liqueur bottled in France. It is steeped with 'Wild tropical Oranges' as well as a secret blend of herbs and spices. The most common bottling you can find is 40% ABV. There is a 'better version' at 48% or higher with a red-lable but I have never been able to find it. The bottle makes a nice visual addition to most any bar.

Curaçao (pronounced like Cure, short A, sow like saying ow that hurt with an s in front of it)

Curacao was originally produced from the Larahas (originally valencia) oranges that were transplanted to the namesake Island from Spain and Portugal. Now many producers of Curacao use additional flavorings, for instance Bols is distilled from "the peel of the finest curacao oranges, valencia oranges and lemons."

Curacao is typically 30% ABV and naturally clear(ish). It is most commonly found in blue, but with some effort you can find red, green, or orange Curacao. Within the same brand there should be no difference in the taste regardless of the color.

Cointreau (pronounced Kwan like in tai-kwan-do, trow like throw minus the H)

Contreau is very similar to Gran Marnier in its manufacture but is Brandy based. It has been around since 1849 and was born in France (thus the brandy base). It is 40% ABV and flavored with both sweet and bitter oranges, we can assume the use of the Larahas oranges common to the orange liquors. It has the added bonus of the signature square bottle that makes a nice addition visually to your bar.

Triple Sec (pronounced triple as in three, sec as in wait a sec)

This term by itself means triple-dry, as in not very sweet. In regards to the liquors it means triple-distilled, or triple brewed. It is both a type/brand of liquor as well as a general category term for all of the ingredients in this dicussion, but we will stick to Triple-Sec the ingredent. Most Triple-Secs are clear and average at 30% ABV, but I have seen brands as high as 45% ABV.

That covers the basics to our ingredient discussion. I know there are more ingredients out there, like Patronage, so I am hoping that someone else can add the missing information.

Now that we have the basics and are all calling the same things the same things..... Lets Drink! :drink: