Liqueur · Explainer
What is triple sec?
Triple sec is a clear orange liqueur, made with dried orange peel in neutral alcohol. The bottles in Bathmen are between 35 and 40 per cent by volume. Curaçao is the older name for orange liqueur and refers to the island where the laraha grows; coloured curaçao is often lower, around 20 to 25 per cent by volume. Legally, both are labelled as liqueur.
In brief
The key figures
| Category on the label | Liqueur; from 100 grams of sugar per litre that name is mandatory |
|---|---|
| Triple sec | Clear orange liqueur without colouring |
| Alcohol content of triple sec | The bottles in Bathmen are between 35 and 40 per cent by volume |
| Curaçao | Named after the island; the original kind uses peel of the laraha |
| Blue curaçao | Same flavour base with colouring, often 20 to 25 per cent by volume |
| Base alcohol | Curaçao and triple sec are usually based on sugar cane alcohol |
| Legal difference | None; both are orange liqueur in the same category |
| Age limit | 18 years under the Alcohol Act (Alcoholwet) |
What is triple sec made from?
Triple sec is made by steeping dried orange peel in neutral alcohol, after which sugar is added.
The peel provides the flavour, the alcohol carries it and the sugar turns it into a liqueur. Because no colouring goes in, the drink stays clear.
The strength is stated on the label. The triple secs in Bathmen range from 35 to 40 per cent by volume, which is on the high side for a liqueur.
What is the difference between triple sec and curaçao?
Curaçao and triple sec are both orange liqueurs; the difference lies in origin and colour, not in the law.
Curaçao is named after the island where the laraha grows, a bitter orange whose dried peel provides the flavour. Senior & Co., which makes the liqueur on Curaçao, writes that curaçao and triple sec are both usually based on sugar cane alcohol and are around 40 per cent by volume, and that the difference in name is mainly commercial.
Triple sec sits on the shelf as a clear liqueur. Curaçao also comes in coloured versions, including blue and orange; these are often lower in alcohol, around 20 to 25 per cent by volume.
What name does the law use for these bottles?
The European rules for spirit drinks have one category that covers both bottles: liqueur.
SpiritsNL sums up the labelling requirement: with a sugar content of 100 grams or more per litre, the word liqueur must appear on the label. Triple sec and curaçao are trade names used alongside it to say what kind of liqueur it is.
For you this means: look at the strength and the colour rather than the trade name. A recipe that calls for triple sec works with any clear orange liqueur of similar strength.
Which cocktails do you use triple sec in?
Orange liqueur appears in a good share of the classic cocktails, including the Margarita, the Cosmopolitan, the Sidecar, the White Lady and the Corpse Reviver No. 2.
The International Bartenders Association keeps an official list of 102 cocktails, divided into three groups of 34. Orange liqueur features in it as the element that brings sweet and sour together.
For those recipes a clear liqueur is handy, because blue curaçao colours the glass. If you do want the colour, reach for the blue one.
What should you look for when buying an orange liqueur?
Look at three things on the label: the alcohol content, whether the liqueur is clear or coloured, and whether orange peel is listed in the ingredients.
The strength determines how much weight the liqueur carries in a cocktail. At the same quantity, a liqueur of 40 per cent by volume brings more alcohol and less sweetness than one of 20 per cent by volume.
Alcoholhoudend is volgens de Alcoholwet alles boven een half volumeprocent, en verstrekken mag pas vanaf 18 jaar. NIX18.
From the shop in Bathmen
Which orange liqueurs are in stock in Bathmen?
The shop in Bathmen stocks 25 orange liqueurs from 16 different brands from 5 countries. Prices range from € 10.49 to € 99.99. Alcohol content ranges from 14.9% to 40%.
- Achterhoekse Oerend Oranje Arancello 30% · 50 cl · Netherlands
- Achterhoekse Rossige Rooie Bloedarancello 29% · 50 cl · Netherlands
- Aurum 40% · 70 cl · Italy
- Caffo Clementino Della Piana 30% · 70 cl · Italy
- Cointreau 40% · 70 cl · France
- Cointreau 40% · 35 cl · France
- Cointreau 40% · 100 cl · France
- Cointreau Noir 40% · 70 cl · France
- De Kuyper Oranjebitter 30% · 50 cl · Netherlands
- De Kuyper Triple Sec 40% · 70 cl · Netherlands
Related questions
What is whisky liqueur?What must be stated on a bottle of liqueur?What are boerenjongens and boerenmeisjes?
Short answer
Short answers to related questions
- Is Cointreau a triple sec?
- Cointreau is labelled as a clear orange liqueur of 40 per cent by volume and is used in recipes in the same place as triple sec.
- Can you replace blue curaçao with triple sec?
- In flavour they are close, but the colour disappears. Also check the strength: blue curaçao is often around 20 to 25 per cent by volume.
- Why is it called triple sec?
- Sec means dry in French. What exactly the word triple refers to is not laid down in the regulations.
- How long does an opened bottle of triple sec keep?
- A liqueur of 35 to 40 per cent by volume does not need to carry a best-before date; drinks of 10 per cent by volume or more are exempt under the European labelling rules.
The reasoning
Sources
- Regulation (EU) 2019/787 on spirit drinks, EUR-Lex, European Union (accessed 2026-09-05)
- Label requirements, SpiritsNL (accessed 2026-09-05)
- The difference between Curacao Liqueur and Triple Sec, Senior & Co., Curaçao (accessed 2026-09-05)
- All Cocktails, the official cocktail list, International Bartenders Association (accessed 2026-09-05)
- Alcoholwet, Overheid.nl, wetten.overheid.nl (accessed 2026-09-05)
This page was written and checked by ’t Bockje Bathmen, wine and spirits shop at Brink 2 in Bathmen. Last updated on 7 September 2026.
Verkoop van alcohol onder de 18 jaar is verboden. NIX18.