Triple sec
Encyclopedia
Triple sec, originally Curaçao triple sec, is a variety of Curaçao liqueur
, an orange
-flavoured liqueur
made from the dried peels of bitter and sweet orange
.
Triple sec may be drunk neat as a digestif or on the rocks, but nowadays is mostly used in making cocktail
s such as the Margarita
, White Lady, and Cosmopolitan
.
, France
. However, Combier was more famous for its élixir Combier, which contained orange but also many other flavorings.
According to Cointreau, its orange liqueur was created in 1875.
Triple sec was certainly widely known by 1878; at the Exposition Universelle of 1878
in Paris, several distillers were offering "Curaço [sic] triple sec" as well as "Curaço doux".
Curaçao liqueur
Curaçao is a liqueur flavoured with the dried peel of the laraha citrus fruit, grown on the island of Curaçao. A non-native plant similar to an orange, the laraha developed from the sweet Valencia orange transplanted by Spanish explorers. The nutrient-poor soil and arid climate of Curaçao proved...
, an orange
Orange (fruit)
An orange—specifically, the sweet orange—is the citrus Citrus × sinensis and its fruit. It is the most commonly grown tree fruit in the world....
-flavoured liqueur
Liqueur
A liqueur is an alcoholic beverage that has been flavored with fruit, herbs, nuts, spices, flowers, or cream and bottled with added sugar. Liqueurs are typically quite sweet; they are usually not aged for long but may have resting periods during their production to allow flavors to marry.The...
made from the dried peels of bitter and sweet orange
Orange (fruit)
An orange—specifically, the sweet orange—is the citrus Citrus × sinensis and its fruit. It is the most commonly grown tree fruit in the world....
.
Triple sec may be drunk neat as a digestif or on the rocks, but nowadays is mostly used in making cocktail
Cocktail
A cocktail is an alcoholic mixed drink that contains two or more ingredients—at least one of the ingredients must be a spirit.Cocktails were originally a mixture of spirits, sugar, water, and bitters. The word has come to mean almost any mixed drink that contains alcohol...
s such as the Margarita
Margarita
The margarita is a cocktail consisting of tequila mixed with orange-flavoured liqueur and lime or lemon juice, often served with salt on the glass rim. It is the most common tequila-based cocktail in the United States...
, White Lady, and Cosmopolitan
Cosmopolitan (cocktail)
A cosmopolitan is a cocktail made with vodka, triple sec, cranberry juice, and freshly squeezed lime juice or sweetened lime juice. Informally, it is referred to as a Cosmo.-History:...
.
History
The Combier distillery claims that Triple Sec was invented some time between 1834 and 1848 by Jean-Baptiste Combier SaumurSaumur
Saumur is a commune in the Maine-et-Loire department in western France.The historic town is located between the Loire and Thouet rivers, and is surrounded by the vineyards of Saumur itself, Chinon, Bourgueil, Coteaux du Layon, etc...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. However, Combier was more famous for its élixir Combier, which contained orange but also many other flavorings.
According to Cointreau, its orange liqueur was created in 1875.
Triple sec was certainly widely known by 1878; at the Exposition Universelle of 1878
Exposition Universelle (1878)
The third Paris World's Fair, called an Exposition Universelle in French, was held from 1 May through to 10 November 1878. It celebrated the recovery of France after the 1870 Franco-Prussian War.-Construction:...
in Paris, several distillers were offering "Curaço [sic] triple sec" as well as "Curaço doux".