When I started experimenting with homemade cocktail mixers, I was pairing them with cheap, store-bought liqueurs like triple sec. When I noticed the high-fructose corn syrup and additives in bottom-shelf bottles, I realized I’d either have to pick more expensive brands or make liqueurs myself. Triple sec was my first test batch, and I haven’t bought a bottle in the years since.
Homemade orange liqueur tastes more flavorful and boozier than cheap off-label versions. I like the complexity of pairing brandy and vodka, choosing low-priced ones that I wouldn’t sip straight but don’t taste overly harsh. Make triple sec with just brandy if you prefer Grand Marnier or just vodka if you prefer Cointreau.
Commercial orange liqueurs typically include both sweet and bitter orange peels, but fresh sour or Seville orange is a rare find locally. I substitute grapefruit peel instead for similar bitter notes.
You’ll need two navel or other sweet oranges but only part of a grapefruit to create enough zest for a batch of liqueur. If you zest the entire fruit, wrap the extra zest in parchment paper and seal it in a freezer-safe bag for future batches or other recipes. It stays just as flavorful as fresh zest for several months.
I prefer raw cane sugar for triple sec because it retains a hint of molasses that offsets without overpowering the fruit the way brown sugar would. Granulated sugar works too, but it adds neutral sweetness.
I use canning jars when making triple sec but recommend topping them with gasketed plastic storage lids, because flat canning lids with rings often leak when you shake the contents. You don’t need to shake the initial infusion on a particular schedule, just when you notice the jar and think of it.
Homemade Triple Sec (Orange Liqueur)
Makes about 2 cups
2 tablespoons orange zest
1/2 teaspoon grapefruit zest
1/2 cup brandy
1/2 cup vodka
2 whole cloves (optional)
1 cup raw cane sugar
3/4 cup water
Combine the orange and grapefruit zest, brandy and vodka in a pint jar. Top with a plastic storage lid and shake. Set the jar in a cool, dark place for three weeks, shaking it occasionally. On day 21, add the cloves, if desired, and then reseal the jar and shake again. Let the infusion steep for another day.
In a small saucepan, combine the sugar and water. Bring them just to a simmer over medium heat and stir to dissolve the sugar. Let this simple syrup cool to room temperature.
Line a strainer with butter muslin or several layers of loosely woven cheesecloth. Pour the infused alcohol through it into a clean wide-mouth quart jar; compost the zest and cloves. Add the simple syrup to the jar, screw on a plastic storage lid and shake. Let the liqueur sit for a day before transferring it to one or more bottles, if desired, and using. The liqueur will keep indefinitely but is best used within a few months.
Julie Laing is a Bigfork-based cookbook author and food blogger at TwiceAsTasty.com.