Leroux Triple Sec

Leroux Triple Sec is a triple sec orange liqueur made in Massachusetts, and its main job is as a cocktail ingredient rather than a bottle to pour on its own. Triple sec is a clear, orange-flavored liqueur. Expect a bright, sweet orange character that comes mostly from citrus peel, with a lighter body and less sugar than a heavy, brandy-based orange liqueur. The product details don't state an ABV or give an official tasting profile. Styles like this usually fall in the mid-20s to 30s percent ABV, so check the bottle label for the exact strength. In the glass, a liqueur like this usually shows fresh orange zest on the nose. The palate is sweet at the front, with a clean citrus-oil bitterness near the finish that keeps it from tasting like plain orange candy. It is clear, so it won't change the color of a drink. That makes it useful when you want citrus sweetness without tinting a pale cocktail. Triple sec is a structural ingredient in several classic drinks. It supplies the sweetness and orange note in a Margarita, where it is usually paired with tequila and fresh lime juice. It does the same job in a Cosmopolitan with vodka, cranberry and lime, in a Sidecar with cognac and lemon, and in a White Lady with gin and lemon. It also works in a Long Island Iced Tea, in Kamikaze shots, and in a pitcher of sangria, where a small measure rounds out the wine and fruit. A typical pour is half an ounce to an ounce per drink. Because it is sweet, many bartenders cut back any other sweetener when it goes in. If you want to try it by itself, serve about an ounce over ice with an orange wheel or a twist of peel. Chilling it tones down the sweetness and brings the citrus forward. A rocks glass suits it for this. For a longer, lighter drink, pour it over ice in a highball and top it with soda water or tonic, then add a squeeze of lime. Cocktails that use it are best shaken hard with ice and strained into a chilled coupe, a salt-rimmed rocks glass, or a martini glass, depending on the recipe. Keep the bottle capped and out of direct sunlight, since bright light and heat can dull the fresh citrus aroma over time.