Not too sweet, not too bitter, Lillet blanc is great on its own over ice, and it also makes an amenable cocktail ingredient. In fact, I once heard a NJ bartender refer to it as “French vermouth,” which might make any sense at all if a large portion of actual vermouth didn’t come from France. It’s similar to vermouth in those respects. It’s made from Bordeaux grapes, aromatized with herbs, spices, and citrus, and fortified (to 17% ABV - stronger than wine, but gentle for a cocktail ingredient) with macerated fruit liqueurs. Lillet blanc (say lee-LAY) is a French aperitif wine.

These days, 'triple sec' is commonly, a little bit sloppily, used to mean orange liqueur in general, and can connote both lower quality and lower alcohol content. When lots of other companies started producing lesser-quality triple secs, Cointreau wanted to distinguish its superior product, so it dropped the triple sec from its name. ('Sec' means dry in French, and no one quite knows where the 'triple' comes from.) Cointreau was originally called Cointreau Triple Sec.

Ready for something confusing? Cointreau is a triple sec, meaning it's in the subcategory of orange liqueurs which, as distinguished from curaçao, is less sweet and is made in France. It's a component of many well-known cocktails from margaritas to Cosmos, and is also popular by itself as both aperitif and digestif.Ĭointreau is a beautifully balanced, versatile, and very likable product. It has been produced in Saint-Barthélemy-d'Anjou, France since 1875. CointreauĬointreau is a 40% ABV orange liqueur made from a secret formula containing sugar beet and dried orange peel. You can read more about absinthe's history, politics, and chemical composition here and here. That didn't prevent absinthe from being banned in the United States and much of Europe for almost 100 years, from the early 1900s until recently (2007 in the U.S.). (So do sage, tarragon, and coriander, for reference.) But tales that absinthe causes hallucinations and leads to insanity are purely apocryphal. George at 60% and Pernod at 68%.) And wormwood contains thujone, a chemical compound that is toxic in large doses. (Two of today's most common brands ring in a little lower: St. Enthusiasts touted the 'Green Fairy' for unlocking creativity, while naysayers convinced themselves it led to madness.Ībsinthe is strong, at up to 74% ABV.

It was introduced in France in the 1840s and was quickly steeped in mythology. There may be no spirit with a more storied history than absinthe. Artemisia absinthium) is an herb that's been used in traditional medicine for centuries. AbsintheĪbsinthe is an anise-flavored spirit made from botanicals including wormwood, green anise and sweet fennel. Here's a little more info about what you'll be drinking. This cocktail calls for some less-common ingredients. If you'd like to learn to make a proper citrus twist, you can watch the video in this post. Here I've pictured a minimalist segment of peel removed from the fruit with a vegetable peeler - often my preference. You'll use the tiniest bit of the absinthe to add a tremendous amount of dimension to this drink.There's no substitute for freshly squeezed lemon juice, which adds brightness and balance to this cocktail.Cointreau adds a smooth, lovable orange note to your drink.You can use either Lillet blanc or Cocchi Americano in this recipe.Each has a different flavor profile, but they both work nicely, as will your favorite brand. You'll start with a good London dry gin.

Corpse reviver