DIY Orange Liqueur Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How long does homemade orange liqueur last? ›

Your homemade orange liqueur does not need to be refrigerated. It can last for a year, but is best when used within a few months.

Orange liqueurs may use a base that is a neutral grain spirit (similar to vodka), rum, or brandy. The orange flavor often comes from dried orange peels or orange essential oil, though that's not always the case. They generally range from 30 percent alcohol by volume (ABV, 60 proof) to 40 percent ABV (80 proof).

If you don't have triple sec handy, you can substitute with another good-quality orange liqueur like Grand Marnier or Cointreau. For a non-alcoholic substitute you can add fresh orange juice, or agave nectar/simple syrup, to add a touch of sweetness.

Triple sec, Curaçao, Cointreau and Grand Marnier are all common, orange-flavored liqueurs, but they do have some differences.

Bailey's says its product has a shelf life of two years. The problem with an older bottle would be the fat in the cream going rancid.

While Cointreau is a premium option with a higher price point and ABV, triple sec is a more affordable and sweeter alternative. Regardless of your preference, Red & White offers both options for purchase, making it a convenient one-stop-shop for all your liquor needs.

This is purely down to personal choice, as they are both liqueurs flavoured solely with orange. The difference is that Grand Marnier is made using cognac and neutral spirit, rather than just using a neutral beet sugar spirit. Taste-wise this adds vanilla and subtle-toffee notes.

Orange Liqueur, Triple Sec, and Curaçao can be used interchangeably as labeling terms. Orange Liqueur is the general category for orange flavor distilled spirit that contains sugar.

Unopened Grand Marnier will last for years. Once opened, it will last for many months if stored in a cool, dark place.

The best Grand Marnier substitute? Cointreau. Cointreau is another orange liqueur with a citrus perfume flavor that's well balanced between bitter and sweet. It's most well known for its inclusion in classic co*cktails like the margarita and Cosmo, so it's possible you've already got a bottle on hand!

How much orange extract equals orange liqueur? ›

For instance, if a bakery uses orange extract for a cake, the amount of extract used might be a gallon or two, but if it used a orange liqueur it may have to use ten or twenty gallons to obtain the same flavor payoff of the extract.

Cointreau is made with a mix of bitter and sweet oranges and distilled twice. It has a bright, crisp, and clean orange flavor and is not typically aged. Grand Marnier, which is made with only one type of bitter orange, includes cognac. Its flavor is sweeter, more intense, and oakier than Cointreau.

Always make sure your liqueurs are closed properly and tightly, and in general, you'll want to keep them in a cool, dry place. When stored properly, unopened bottles of liqueur should not go bad, but an open bottle can stay drinkable for three to six months, depending on its ingredients.

Grand Marnier debuted its orange-and-cognac liqueur in 1880, whereas Cointreau became available in 1885. Grand Marnier is typically more expensive. For example, a 750-ml bottle of Grand Marnier retails for around $55, versus roughly $40 for a 750-ml bottle of Cointreau.

Blue Curaçao is basically an ordinary Curaçao liqueur, colored Blue. However, usually the Blue version has a lower alcohol percentage between 20% and 25% as its main function is coloring. But, you can use Blue Curaçao to substitute a Triple Sec in a co*cktail recipe.

While liqueur does not necessarily go "bad", it can lose quality after a certain amount of time. Flavors can change or become flat.

If you're a fan of orange juice, store-bought options don't compare to the rich tanginess of the juice straight from the source. But there's one catch; freshly squeezed orange juice doesn't have a long shelf-life. Homemade orange juice keeps for about two to three days in the refrigerator.

Generally, the only thing that will spoil a liqueur is oxygen, so you just need to be sure your bottle has a tight seal if you plan to store it for a long time. The exception is cream liqueurs; most websites recommend storing homemade cream liqueurs for only 1 month and keeping it in the fridge.

Most liqueur should be used within 6 months to a year after opening. While stable liquors mainly lose their potency and flavor after their seal is broken, liqueurs can spoil and grow bacteria over time.