Which fruit flavors the liqueur Cointreau?

The fruit that flavors the liqueur Cointreau is the orange. Cointreau is an orange-flavored triple sec made by extracting flavors from both sweet and bitter orange peels.

The liqueur originated in France. Brothers Adolphe and Édouard-Jean Cointreau established their distillery in 1849, and the first bottles of the liqueur now known as Cointreau were sold in 1875. The recipe remains a closely guarded family secret, but its orange character is central to the brand.

Cointreau is colorless despite its distinctive orange-colored bottle. It contains about 40% alcohol by volume and can be served neat, over ice, or mixed into cocktails. It is an ingredient in drinks such as the Cosmopolitan and the Corpse Reviver No. 2.

A common mix-up is confusing Cointreau with other citrus liqueurs. Grand Marnier is also orange-flavored, but it combines orange liqueur with cognac. Lemon, lime, and grapefruit may appear in cocktails made with Cointreau, yet they do not provide its defining flavor. The orange peel is the key botanical ingredient.