Pierre Ferrand Triple Sec Curacao

Volume: 0.7 litres | Alcohol content: 40%

Special Features:

This Dry Curaçao combines bitter orange peel with brandy and Ferrand Cognac. Alexandre Gabriel developed the recipe with cocktail historian David Wondrich, drawing on French orange liqueurs of the 19th century. After extensive experimentation, it was launched in 2012.

To make the orange distillate, Laraha bitter orange peel first steeps in grape brandy for a week before the infusion is slowly distilled in pot stills. Separately, herbs and fruits, including almond shells, walnuts and prunes, steep in Cognac and brandy for several months. The components are then blended with aged, toasted cane sugar. The liqueur subsequently rests with orange peel in French oak casks for several months. Its sugar content is 180 grams per litre.

At 40% alcohol, the liqueur suits classic cocktails such as the Margarita and Mai Tai. It can also be enjoyed neat or over ice.

Tasting Notes:

• Nose: The nose combines orange blossom and candied orange peel with toasted wood and hints of aged Cognac.
• Palate: Bittersweet orange leads on the palate. Candied orange notes are accompanied by hints of hazelnut, bitter almond and marzipan.
• Finish: Orange zest, velvety vanilla and lively spice linger in the long finish.

Distillery/Bottler:

Maison Ferrand was founded in 1989. Alexandre Gabriel began in a barn beside the Château de Bonbonnet, which was later restored. The house's Cognac vineyards lie around Angeac in Grande Champagne; its own distillery includes the Château de Roissac.

For its Cognacs, Ferrand slowly distils wine together with its lees in small copper stills, followed by a second distillation. The house uses both dry and humid cellars for maturation. This experience with grape spirits, cask ageing and blending different distillates also provides the craft foundation for its Dry Curaçao.

Facts: