Triple Sec Cocktails
51 recipesTriple sec is the quiet workhorse behind a surprising share of famous cocktails: the Margarita, the Sidecar, the Cosmopolitan, the Kamikaze and even the Long Island Iced Tea. The orange liqueur bridges spirit and citrus, adding sweetness and aroma without taking over. These 51 recipes all lean on it.
Cointreau is a premium triple sec, drier and stronger than budget bottles, and swaps in one-for-one anywhere triple sec is called for. If a drink tastes flat with a cheap bottle, the orange liqueur is usually the reason. Each recipe lists exact measures, ABV and calories.
RumBetween The SheetsA sidecar with light rum joining the cognac and triple sec over lemon. Silky, citrusy and stronger than its bedtime name implies.Easy4 ingredients
GinCorpse Reviver #2Equal parts gin, Cointreau, Lillet Blanc and lemon with a dash of absinthe, shaken bracingly cold. The hangover cure that became a modern classic —…Easy6 ingredients
VodkaCosmopolitanCitrus vodka shaken with Cointreau, fresh lime and just enough cranberry to blush. The definitive 90s martini-glass icon, still crisp today.Easy4 ingredients
OtherGolden dreamGalliano and triple sec shaken with orange juice and cream into a golden, orange-vanilla dream. A disco-era dessert classic.Easy4 ingredients
VodkaKamikazeEqual parts vodka, triple sec and lime juice shaken ice-cold. Sharp, citrusy and equally at home as a cocktail or a round of shots.Easy3 ingredients
VodkaLemon Drop MartiniVodka shaken with triple sec and fresh lemon, served up in a sugar-rimmed glass. Candied citrus in front, a firm vodka spine behind.Easy4 ingredients
VodkaLong Island Iced TeaVodka, gin, rum, tequila and Cointreau with lemon and syrup under a cola top. Five spirits impersonating an innocent glass of iced tea.Easy9 ingredients
RumMai TaiTrader Vic's tiki masterpiece: two rums shaken with lime, orange liqueur and almondy orgeat, garnished with mint and pineapple. Nutty, citrusy and…Medium7 ingredients
TequilaMargaritaAgave tequila, triple sec and freshly squeezed lime shaken and served against a salted rim. Tart, punchy and endlessly refreshing — the world's…Easy4 ingredients
BrandySidecarCognac shaken with Cointreau and lemon juice — the golden standard of brandy cocktails. Silky orange and sharp citrus over warm grape spirit.Easy3 ingredients
GinSingapore SlingRaffles Hotel's famous sling layers gin, cherry liqueur, Benedictine and Cointreau with pineapple and lime into a rosy tropical tall drink. Complex,…Hard10 ingredients
GinWhite LadyGin, triple sec and lemon shaken into a pale, poised classic from the golden age of London hotel bars. Crisp, citrusy and impeccably dressed.Easy3 ingredients
RumYellow BirdWhite rum shaken with Galliano, triple sec and lime into a sunny Caribbean classic. Vanilla and citrus on golden wings.Easy4 ingredients
VodkaAbsolutly Screwed UpCitrus vodka, triple sec and orange juice shaken and topped with ginger ale. Bright, fizzy and easier-going than the name warns.Easy4 ingredients
RumAcapulcoLight rum shaken with lime, a little triple sec, sugar and egg white, served over ice with mint. A frothy, beachside sour from the golden resort era.Medium6 ingredients
VodkaAdam BombRum, vodka, tequila and triple sec blended with fruit and juice, served in a sugar- or salt-rimmed glass. A frozen four-spirit blast with a fruit…Medium8 ingredients
OtherAfter Dinner CocktailApricot brandy and triple sec shaken with a generous squeeze of lime for a fruity digestif. Sweet stone fruit up front, sharp citrus on the finish.Easy4 ingredients
OtherAfter Supper CocktailA compact nightcap of apricot brandy and triple sec with just a bar-spoon of lemon to keep the sweetness honest. Simple, fruity and satisfying after…Easy3 ingredients
VodkaAlfie CocktailLemon vodka sharpened with a spoon of pineapple juice and a dash of triple sec, shaken and served up. Clean, citrus-led and briskly strong.Easy3 ingredients
OtherAmaretto SunsetThree shots of amaretto shaken briefly with triple sec and cider, served with an orange slice. Almond and apple in a mellow amber glow.Easy4 ingredients
BrandyApplecarA sidecar with American roots — applejack shaken with triple sec and lemon juice in equal measure. Crisp apple brandy meets bright citrus.Easy3 ingredients
RumApricot LadyLight rum and apricot brandy shaken with lemon and egg white into a plush, foamy sour served over ice with an orange slice. Stone fruit softness with…Medium6 ingredients
VodkaAtomic LokadeVodka, blue curacao and triple sec shaken with lemonade into an electric-blue cooler. Sweet, citrusy and glowing.Easy6 ingredients
RumBanana DaiquiriLight rum, lime and a whole banana shaken with triple sec and sugar into a lush tropical sour. Creamy fruit sweetness with a citrus edge.Medium6 ingredients
OtherBible BeltSouthern Comfort and triple sec shaken with sour mix and lime wedges over ice. A peachy, citrus-forward Southern staple.Easy4 ingredients
GinBluebirdGin stirred with triple sec, blue curacao and bitters, dressed with a lemon twist and cherry. An azure classic that keeps its gin character front and…Easy6 ingredients
RumBoston SidecarA sidecar that splits its base between light rum and brandy, shaken with triple sec and fresh lime. Brighter and slightly leaner than the cognac…Easy4 ingredients
GinBoxcarGin and triple sec shaken with lemon, a blush of grenadine and egg white into a rosy, foam-capped sour. Pretty in pink but firmly gin-driven.Medium5 ingredients
BrandyCafe SavoyHot coffee laced with brandy, triple sec and a little milk. A quick continental coffee with an orange-scented warmth.Easy4 ingredients
RumCasa BlancaLight rum barely seasoned with teaspoons of lime, maraschino and triple sec, shaken and served up. Pale, elegant and deceptively rum-forward.Easy4 ingredients
VodkaCherry Electric LemonadeFour white spirits with triple sec, sweet-and-sour and cherry grenadine, stirred hard over a big cup of ice with a soda top. A Long Island cousin in…Easy8 ingredients
BrandyCity SlickerBrandy shaken with triple sec and a spoonful of lemon juice — a sidecar pared back to its firmest form. Dry, citrusy and brisk.Easy3 ingredients
VodkaCosmopolitan MartiniVodka and Cointreau shaken with fresh lime and just a splash of cranberry. A drier, lime-forward take on the famous pink martini.Easy4 ingredients
GinFlying DutchmanGin stirred over ice with a half-ounce of triple sec for a faint orange lift. A minimalist rocks drink for committed gin drinkers.Easy2 ingredients
RumFrozen DaiquiriThe daiquiri whipped in a blender with a cup of crushed ice until firm and snowy, crowned with a cherry. Frosty, tart-sweet and made for hot…Medium6 ingredients
TequilaGhost PepperTequila shaken with lime, triple sec and a pinch of ghost pepper heat, served in a chili-rimmed glass. A margarita that bites back.Easy5 ingredients
VodkaGideon's Green DinosaurFive half-ounce spirits stirred tall with a fill of Mountain Dew. Electric green, caffeinated and stronger than it tastes.Easy6 ingredients
GinGrass SkirtGin shaken with triple sec, pineapple juice and a drop of grenadine, garnished with a pineapple slice. A sunny little tiki-leaning number.Easy5 ingredients
GinHawaiian CocktailGin shaken with triple sec and just a tablespoon of pineapple juice. More martini than mai tai, with a faint tropical accent.Easy3 ingredients
TequilaJalapeño MargaritaFresh jalapeno muddled with lime, then shaken with tequila and orange liqueur into a salt-rimmed glass. Classic margarita bones with a genuine chili…Medium6 ingredients
VodkaKool-Aid ShotVodka, amaretto, triple sec and sloe gin stirred with cranberry over ice. Tastes uncannily like the childhood drink it's named for — with none of the…Easy5 ingredients
VodkaLemon DropVodka and Cointreau shaken with fresh lemon and strained into a sugar-rimmed glass. Candy-bright on the rim, seriously strong underneath.Easy3 ingredients
TequilaMistletoe MargaritaTequila shaken with Cointreau, cranberry and lime, served in a sugar-rimmed glass with a rosemary sprig. The margarita in its holiday sweater.Easy8 ingredients
VodkaOrange CrushVodka, triple sec and orange juice in equal parts, poured as a shot. Orange soda flavor with a real kick.Easy3 ingredients
VodkaOrgasmAmaretto, triple sec, vodka and creme de cacao shaken with cream into a notorious dessert cocktail. Silky, nutty and sweet enough to earn its…Easy5 ingredients
VodkaRadioactive Long Island Iced TeaEight full ounces of spirits and liqueurs — from tequila to Chambord to Midori — over ice in a very tall glass. Sip cautiously; the name is fair…Easy8 ingredients
BrandySidecar CocktailA compact brandy sidecar with triple sec and a squeeze of lemon, shaken and served up. Small pour, full classic flavor.Easy3 ingredients
TequilaStrawberry MargaritaTequila, triple sec and strawberry schnapps shaken with fresh berries and lemon, served in a salt-rimmed glass. Summer's favorite margarita variation.Easy6 ingredients
BrandyStrawberry SidecarFresh strawberries muddled into the classic cognac-and-Cointreau sour, shaken and fine-strained into a sugar-rimmed coupe. Bright berry fruit softens…Medium5 ingredients
GinWaikiki BeachcomberGin and triple sec shaken with a tablespoon of pineapple juice. A short, orange-bright cocktail with only a postcard's worth of the tropics.Easy3 ingredients
OtherZizi Coin-coinCointreau poured generously over ice with fresh lemon juice and citrus slices. France's simple, sneaky-strong answer to the lemon drop.Easy4 ingredients