Next time you throw orange peel into the rubbish or the compost bin, spare a thought for two brothers from Anjou who decided ‘waste not, want not’ and used the peels for a more sublime purpose.

Yes, the brothers Cointreau were visionaries and, all these years later, we benefit.

From orange peel to mass appeal

Cointreau is a brand of triple-sec orange-flavoured liqueur produced in a suburb of Angers. It contains a mix of sweet and bitter orange peels from Spain and Africa. The orange peels are macerated in alcohol and distilled to produce a clear liquor with an orange flavour.

It was created in 1849 by brothers Edouard-Jean and Adolphe Cointreau, whose family had been making fruit liqueurs since 1724.

Edouard-Jean decided to create a crystal clear, refined orange liqueur and named it ‘Curaçao Blanco Triple Sec’ after the small island of Curaçao, which was known for its bitter oranges.

There were a number of companies producing triple sec at the time, however, and some of them weren’t of decent quality. To separate themselves and their orange peel product from the pack, the brothers abandoned the name Curaçao Blanco Triple Sec and renamed their popular concoction after themselves. It has been known as Cointreau ever since.

In 1875, Edouard Cointreau purchased a 15th-century castle in Saint-Barthélemy-d’Anjou, near Angers, and established the first Cointreau distillery. This is still the company headquarters today.

By 1885, Adolphe had succeeded in making a liqueur three times more concentrated in flavour but without the sticky sweetness that was prevalent at the time.

In 1924, the company introduced the distinctive square Cointreau bottle, inspired by the shape of the distillery.

Today, Cointreau has a second distillery in Mount Orange (an apt location) in Canada, but 80% of Cointreau’s liqueur is still made in Angers.

About Cointreau

Cointreau has an alcohol content of 40% ABV (80 proof). It has a bitter-sweet, orangey taste and is richer and more subtle than typical triple secs. It is commonly used in cocktails, such as the Margarita, the Cosmopolitan and the Sidecar, to add orange flavour. The original Margarita recipe specifically called for Cointreau instead of other triple secs.

Cointreau is best consumed in cocktails, on the rocks or neat; due to its subtle flavour, it isn’t usually drunk as a shot.

Around 13 million bottles of Cointreau are sold annually, making it one of the highest-selling orange liqueurs in the world, along with Grand Marnier (cognac and triple sec) and various brands of Triple Sec.

Editor’s Note:
I believe Cointreau is superior to all other orange liqueurs and triple secs. I believe Cointreau is best ‘on the rocks’. I also believe Cointreau is even better ‘on the rocks’ when served with an equal part of Bailey’s Irish Cream liqueur.
Does this make me an influencer?

Take a tour

If you are visiting Angers, the good news is that you can watch orange peel being transformed into something so much better. The distillery offers tours, detailing the history and production process, including the maceration, distillation, blending and on-site bottling.

The Cointreau Museum is also located at the main Angers distillery. It showcases over 2,500 pieces of company history, including antique posters, bottles, advertisements, and production tools.

Tour details*

The museum is open year-round for guided tours and visits.

Opening hours are 9am to 12pm and 2pm to 6pm from Tuesday to Saturday. Reservations are recommended, especially for guided tours, but walk-ins are also welcome if space is available. Tours are offered in multiple languages. The museum is wheelchair accessible.

General admission to the museum is 10 EUR per person, allowing you to explore at your own pace with informational placards in multiple languages. Guided tours cost 20 EUR per person and last around 1.5 hours. They provide a much more in-depth look at the collection.

There is a boutique shop on site that sells special Cointreau products only available at the distillery.

Photographs are allowed in the museum for personal use, but tripods/selfie sticks and video recordings are prohibited.

You can visit some original Cointreau family houses in Angers, including the Villa Cointreau and ‘The Original’ house, which has all the details about the origins of the liqueur.

*Please note, these details are subject to change. To confirm hours of opening and admission charges, please see the Cointreau website.

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