The recipe calls for Cointreau. You only have Grand Marnier.
Or vice-versa. Or it calls for Triple sec. Yikes. Now what? Can you substitute Cointreau for Grand Marnier? Do you have to make any adjustments to the recipe?
All good questions! But before we get there, let’s back up a little bit and see how these two tasty liqueurs compare.
Common Ground
Let’s start with what the two orange liqueurs have in common:
- They are Orange Liqueurs: Cointreau and Grand Marnier are both orange liqueurs. At its simplest, that means they are alcoholic, flavored with orange, and they have been sweetened.
- Alcohol Content: Both are 40% ABV.
- The are made in France: Grand Marnier is made in Bourg-Charente nowadays (thanks for the comment, Raphael Ashtamkar!), but the story began with the purchase of a liqueur distillery in Neauphle-le-Château – about an hour outside Paris. Cointreau is made in Saint-Barthélemy-d’Anjou – about three and a half hours south-west of Paris, in the Pays de la Loire region
- And originated in the late 1800’s: . Cointreau was first sold in 1875, preceding Grand Marnier by only five years.
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(For both of our sakes, please don’t ask me to pronounce any of the above.)
Where they Differ
While they do have quite a bit in common, Cointreau and Grand Marnier are actually considered to be different styles of orange liqueur, as they are made in different ways. Their sweetness and flavor profile also differ slightly and can produce different results in cocktails.
How They are Made
Cointreau
Cointreau starts as a 96% ABV sugar beet alcohol, which is added to the still along with a mixture of bitter and sweet oranges from Brazil, Africa and Spain. The mixture is left overnight before being distilled twice. According to Cointreau, their liqueur has “the highest amount of essential oils and the lowest amount of added sugar”. (Source)
Since Cointreau uses both sweet and bitter oranges, it’s considered to be in the “triple sec” style. It is not typically aged.
Grand Marnie
Unlke Cointreau, Grand Marnier is made with cognac and bitter oranges. As a result it is considered to be of the curaçao style – named after the origin of one type of bitter orange. In fact, Grand Marnier was actually originally named “Curaçao Marnier”, as it was just one part of a large range of flavored liqueurs. (Source) Since Grand Marnier is made with Cognac, the spirit has been aged.
Taste: Flavor and Sweetness
In my opinion, Cointreau has a much “cleaner” orange flavor, and a stronger orange oil aroma. On the other hand, Grand Marnier tastes sweeter and heavier – even though it actually has fewer carbohydrates per ounce. It also brings the flavors you’d expect in a liqueur made with a barrel-aged spirit: vanilla and an oaky sweetness.
Use in Cocktails
In my opinion, Cointreau is more versatile in cocktails. It works well with lighter spirits like light rums, gin, tequila, and vodka. Grand Marnier is much heavier, which can throw off a lighter style cocktail like a Corpse Reviver #2 or Cosmopolitan. In fact, if you look back at the old cocktail books starting from the late 1800’s, you’re far more likely to see Cointreau than Grand Marnier listed.
If you do need to substitute Cointreau for Grand Marnier, consider using slightly more Cointreau (not a lot – maybe an additional 1/8oz per oz). This will add the weight and sweetness that your recipe would otherwise be getting from the Grand Marnier. In reverse, use slightly less Grand Marnier when substituting for Cointreau, as this will similarly adjust for weight and sweetness as well.
The Bottom Line
Cointreau and Grand Marnier have quite a bit in common, and in a pinch you can certainly substitute between the two. If you do, expect the flavor profile to change. Cointreau will make the drink lighter and brighter, with a stronger citrus aroma. Grand Marnier will bring weight and oaky sweetness. If you’re substituting Grand Marnier for Cointreau, consider reducing the other sweeteners in the drink slightly to account for its added sweetness and weight. (And vice versa.)
We’re just a bunch of regular people who love making classy drinks. Join us!
The Bartender Journey Podcast this week is all about Grand Marnier! Once again, great minds think alike!
http://www.bartenderjourney.net/bartender-journey/grand-marnier-iconic-orange-liqueur
Did you guys go to the podcast conference in Texas this weekend? I want to hear all about it!
How funny – what a coincidence again! The conference was really great, I have lots of new ideas for the podcast!
Grand Marnier is now made in Bourg-Charente, (cahrente department // Cognac “arrodissement”)
Ah thank you Raphael!
This is an interesting topic, as there is a lot of conflicting information (and misinformation) about orange liqueurs. Based on a few different sources (primarily Andrew Willett of Elemental Mixology, but others as well), I’ve come to gather that “curacao” was originally a designation for Dutch liqueurs using laraha orange peels (a more bitter type of orange that evolved from the Valencia oranges planted by Spanish settlers) from the island of Curacao. It then seems as the term morphed into nomenclature for orange liqueurs using any type of bitter orange, even those not using that specific type of orange peel for Curacao. Over the years, other types of orange peels have been used in curacao type liqueurs, especially the bitter Seville. Senior Curacao is apparently the only curacao liqueur still using laraha orange peels exclusively.
“Triple sec” is exactly what it means in French, “triple dry”, and contains less sugar than “sec” or “doux” curacaos; it doesn’t have to do with being triple distilled or the number of orange peel types used, which are commonly cited as the meaning for “triple sec”.
Cointreau (historically a “triple sec curacao blanc”) and Grand Marnier (curacao blended with brandy and sugar, i.e. “orange flavored brandy”) are both curacao liqueurs. If you look at historical labels for both, they’ve used “triple sec” and “curacao” previously, the guess being that those designations were removed as cheap triple sec / curacao liqueurs began to be produced and they didn’t want their premium positioned brands to be associated with those products. Hence now their labels have none of those terms.
As an operator and consultant always looking to reduce costs while maintaining similar quality in my drinks programs, I’ve tried to find less expensive alternatives for Cointreau and Grand Marnier. Shaving a quarter off a drink cost means I can either lower my drink price by a buck or make more profit at the same price. At last count I’ve tried over 30 different orange liqueurs over the years, and currently have 9 in my home bar, in addition to whatever selection is at work.
Cointreau is tough to beat, and is still the gold standard for me. Combier is very similar to Cointreau, but to me isn’t quite as good, and it costs the same or more as Cointreau so why bother. Luxardo Triplum is cheaper and a solid product, but has orange blossom essence in addition to the orange peel maceration and you can taste it. There’s a floral element to it as opposed to the more straightforward orange taste of Cointreau, and it does come through in most mixed drinks I’ve tried it with. I like it paired with gin in something like a White Lady or Pegu Club, but not as much in drinks with dark spirits or a margarita. Not surprisingly if you know that Grand Marnier is a clear curacao blended with brandy, Grand Marnier produces a clear curacao (Cordon Jaune, “yellow cord”), but it’s only available in Europe and not in the U.S. Giffard Curacao Triple Sec is a very good product, but not much cheaper and tough to source in the U.S.; the same goes for Merlet Trois Citrus. Senior Curacao has a very good orange flavor, but is a little one note. Patron Citronge is relatively inexpensive and has a solid orange punch to it, but has a slightly artificial aroma and taste to it. Marie Brizard Triple Sec doesn’t have enough orange flavor for me as compared to Cointreau. The European version of Bols Dry Curacao is solid for the price, but the U.S. version isn’t very good, just like all the other cheap options (DeKuyper, Arrow, Leroux, etc.).
I’ve had much better luck substituting a less expensive offering for Grand Marnier. I actually prefer both Bauchant and Mathilde XO to Grand Marnier, and they’re both significantly cheaper. Gabriel Boudier Orange Fine Champagne is also very good, but tough to source in the U.S.
If I could only have a single orange liqueur at my bar, it would probably be the recently released Pierre Ferrand Dry Curacao. It splits the difference between the two camps–it’s more “orange-y” than Grand Marnier, and richer than Cointreau due to the brandy base.
Very helpful, thank you!
Mix either, 2/3rds diet maple syrup, one third either Granny or Cointreau spirit, for an amazing pancake syrup that still stays on the light side of 30-50 calories per ounce, a half cup 200 calories tops. Use powdered sugar on the pancake, and use cinnamon in the 1/3rd cup pancake batter. Use a high protein shake like Edge instead of milk in the batter, coconut oil for the pan, and you’ve got 650 calories of gut stuffing morning wonderment that will keep you full till late afternoon and recharge that two mile run before you take your first step.
That sounds delicious, thanks for the tip!
I use both in the Queen’s Cousin. https://www.youtube.com/watch?list=UUOyOfuAph9KK0DFRFIvmz3Q&v=fsb7eg99iw0
http://www.elementalmixology.com/liquors/curacao.html
This is the definitive article on Curacao Liqueurs. Cointreau is actually an extra-sec Curacao liqueur and Grand Marnier is an orange-flavored brandy liqueur. Pierre Ferrand Dry Curacao is also an orange-flavored brandy liqueur.
This is a great resource, thanks for sharing!