Cocktails with Triple sec
Triple sec is a clear orange liqueur made by distilling or macerating dried sweet and bitter orange peels in a neutral spirit, then sweetening. The “dry” in the name is relative — it carries over 200 grams of sugar per liter.
ABV30–40%
Substitutes for Triple sec
What varies across the shelf is sugar and strength, so plan to correct both instead of pouring like for like: add syrup half a barspoon at a time and taste, and top any lost strength back up with neutral spirit. Plain citrus juice cannot take its place at a full measure, because the drink leans on the sweetness as much as on the fruit.
Often confused with
Curaçao
Traditionally flavored with dried laraha peel and often sold colored, blue included; sweeter and rounder than triple sec, and it colors the drink.
Dry orange liqueurs
Cointreau-style bottles run drier and stronger than the cheap end of the category, and nearer the classic recipes; a straight swap into a modern one leaves the drink sharper.
