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The Cointreau distillery was first established in Angers, France in 1849 by confectioners Adolphe Cointreau and his brother Edouard-Jean. The famous liqueur we still recognise today was created by Edouard Cointreau (son of Edouard-Jean) in 1875 using a secret recipe of bitter and sweet orange peels from all over the world which are then macerated to extract their natural essential oils full flavour and aroma. A controlled distillation in traditional copper stills to achieve a strictly defined alcohol strength is followed by a meticulous blending and refining process to attain a liqueur of perfect quality in brilliance, clarity and flavour. Cointreau has a well balanced taste - strong and smooth at the same time thanks to the orange peels' essential oils. Once ice is added, Cointreau becomes opalescent - which is proof of its richness in essential oils - and the taste and flavour evolves as the ice continues to melt enhancing its rich, aromatic complexity.
Cointreau is 40% ABV and is an essential spirit in classic cocktails such as the Margarita and the White Lady or for something a little bit different - try the Cointreaupolitan.
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cocktails
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The French term ‘Crème de …’ refers to one particular
flavour which predominates in the liqueur, not that it contains cream. Crème
De Bananes is made using fresh bananas, macerated in pure alcohol,
and then flavoured with natural herb essences, brandy and sugar.
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De Bananes cocktails
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Carefully distilled spirits are combined
with the extract of cacao beans from Africa
and vanilla from Madagascar to produce this
traditional sweet chocolate flavour liqueur.
The adding of caramel enhances the chocolate
flavour and dark colour.
De Kuyper Crème
de Cacao Brown is 24% ABV.
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De Cacao (Brown) cocktails
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Crème de Cacao White produced from the distillate (a purified
liquid produced from vapour during distilling) of cacao beans and has
a slightly sweeter flavour than the Crème de Cacao Brown. Crème
de Cacao White is used to give a more refined cacao flavour to differently
coloured cocktails such as the Banana
Boat or the Grasshopper.
The
styles and tastes of Crème de Cacao Brown and White are very similar – however
please check the recipe carefully to see if it specifies one or the other – as
the colour may be affected! The white style is much harder to track down
and is more likely to be found in top bars than your local supermarket.
A cocktail ingredient for the real enthusiast. De Kuyper Crème
de Cacao White is 24% ABV.
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De Cacao (White) cocktails
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Like other “crème de” liqueurs,
this term comes from the French phrase “crème
de la crème” which means “best
of the best” and does not mean that
the liqueur contains any cream. Crème
de Cassis is a blackcurrant liqueur believed
to have originated in the Dijon region of
France in the 1840s. To make their Crème
de Cassis liqueur, De
Kuyper use extracts
of European blackcurrants which are then
carefully blended with base spirits and flavoured
with natural herb essences and sugar to provide
a deliciously fruity drink. A true “crème” which
is thick and syrupy and powerful aromas and
flavours of crushed blackcurrants.
De Kuyper
Crème de Cassis is 15% ABV.
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De Cassis cocktails
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As with other “crème de” liqueurs,
this term comes from the French phrase “crème
de la crème” meaning the “best
of the best” and does not mean the liqueur
contains any cream. “Menthe” is the
French for mint. To make their Crème de
Menthe liqueur, De Kuyper use the oil extracted
from fresh mint leaves which is then distilled
and infused into a fine spirit. Other ingredients
according to De Kuyper’s own recipe are
then added – such as sugar and colouring.
Once the blend has been made, the mixture is
then allowed to marry for several weeks to develop
a fuller flavour.
Generally the De Kuyper
Crème de Menthe
referred to on the in-the-spirit website is
the Green style unless otherwise specified.
Some
liqueur producers make a clear version – often
referred to as “white” but this
is very difficult to find and is most likely
to
be found in the collection of an exclusive
cocktail bar rather than in your local supermarket.
De
Kuyper Crème de Menthe Green is 24%
ABV.
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De Menthe cocktails
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