Cointreau is the iconic orange liqueur which dates back to 1849 when Maison Cointreau was founded in Angers, France.
Today, the brand’s heritage as a liquorist-distiller lives on at the heart of more than 500 cocktails, including the original Margarita and Cosmopolitan. Cointreau’s distinctive character is the result of the meticulous selection, harmony, and distillation of sweet and bitter orange peel essences, a task entrusted to Maison Cointreau’s Master Distiller.
But, we would argue that, despite being an important element of many cocktails, Cointreau deserves to be better recognised as a truly flexible drink that can be enjoyed whether served over ice and slowly sipped or whilst underpinning many established cocktails.
So, with Hallowe’en fast approaching, we were delighted to be sent a bottle of Cointreau to celebrate brand’s collection of autumnal cocktails, designed for everything from a stylish haunted soirée to a cosy “ghoul’s night in”.
Their Blood Orange & Beet Margarita is a vibrant take on the classic margarita, combining earthy beetroot with zesty blood orange for a cocktail that’s both spooky and sophisticated. A true showstopper for any Hallowe’en table.
Seasonal pumpkin spice flavours meet Cointreau’s citrusy richness, to make a Pumpkin Spice Margarita, creating a festive and warming cocktail ideal for Hallowe’en entertaining.
The comforting Gingerbread Margarita, combines warming spices blended with smooth Cointreau to deliver a crowd-pleasing autumnal twist on the classic margarita, perfect for crisp evenings.
Guaranteed to deliver a taste sensation, each cocktail can be easily recreated at home, with full recipes, below, each with step-by-step instructions (there are more details on Cointreau’s website).
Along with the spooky serves, detailed below, we also enjoyed the simplicity of the Cointreau Royale, which is 30ml of Cointreau into a chilled flute, topped up with 90ml of Champagne or English sparkling wine and garnish with a twist of orange.
Whatever you choose, here at Hand Crafted Drinks Magazine we think that Cointreau truly deserves its own renaissance.
Cointreau’s Spooky Serves
Cointreau Blood Orange & Beet Margarita
Ingredients:
60ml Tequila
30ml Blood Orange Juice
30ml Cointreau L’Unique
30ml Fresh Lime Juice
Method:
Add all ingredients into Shaker and shake until well chilled, strain over ice into glass, and garnish with a slice of dehydrated orange.
Pumpkin Spice Margarita
Ingredients:
60ml Tequila
30ml Cointreau L’Unique
22ml Fresh Lime Juice
1 Tbsp Honey
1 Tsp Pumpkin Pie Spices
2 Tbsp Pumpkin Purée
Method:
Add all ingredients into Shaker and shake until well chilled, strain over ice into glass, and garnish with a cinnamon stick.
The Gingerbread Margarita
50ml Blanco Tequila
30ml Cointreau L’Unique
20ml Fresh Lime Juice
60ml Ginger Beer
Method:
Add Cointreau, tequila and lime to shaker with ice, shake and strain into rocks glass over a large rock, finish with ginger beer, then garnish with lime wheel and aromatic bitters.
For more information about Cointreau visit their website