Cointreau is a premium brandy-based orange liqueur that is central ingredient in a wide range of cocktails from Margaritas to Sidecars.

Cointreau liqueur was invented in 1875 by Edouard Cointreau while working for the French distillery founded by his father Edouard Jean and his uncle Adolphe Cointreau.

According to the Cointreau company website Edouard traveled Europe searching for a distinctive spirit. He claimed ‘I have searched passionately for the quintessential flavour of Cointreau; I wanted to combine crystal-clear purity with the subtlety of tastes made from the perfect blend of sweet and bitter orange peels.’

Cointreau also lays claim to producing the first filmed commercial in history. Three blissful years after the Lumière brothers held the first public showing of a movie, Cointreau produced a cinema commercial to promote the liqueur.

For a full list of recipes using Cointreau click here.

Go to the company website for more information.