Triple Sec should not be missing in any well-stocked home bar. It's a vital ingredient in many classic and modern cocktail recipes.
The French orange-flavored liqueur adds depth of flavor and complexity to every drink. And that is why countless famous cocktails like the Margarita and the Cosmo rely on it. But there are many more cocktails with Triple Sec to try.
Cocktails with Triple Sec
So, here's the list of our nine favorite Triple Sec cocktails to try. Plus one extra, which is not exactly a cocktail, but that's still a good option if you have some orange liqueur on hand.
Margaritas
There are what feels like hundreds of variations, tweaks, and riffs on the Margarita. Not all of them ask for Triple Sec, though. So, here are four of our favourites with the dry orange liqueur.
Classic Margarita
Mezcal Margarita
Mango Margarita
White Christmas Margarita Punch
Cosmopolitan
The Cosmo is another cocktail classic that was particularly huge in the 80s and 90s. Not least thanks to the famous TV Series Sex and the City.
But it hasn't lost its glamour and is still one of the favorite drinks worldwide. The beautiful mix of Vodka, lime, cranberry juice, and Triple Sec will never get out of fashion.
Lynchburg Lemonade
Not quite as glamourous as the Cosmo, but no less delicious is the Lynchburg lemonade. It's a drink mixed with Bourbon, Triple Sec, lemon juice, simple syrup, and lemon-and-lime soda.
Tony Mason was the one who invented Lynchburg Lemonade in 1980, but Jack Daniels brought it to international fame. -Which didn't end too well, as you can imagine.
Nevertheless, it's a fantastic drink made with Triple Sec that you shouldn't miss out on.
Corpse Reviver No. 2
The clue is in the title, they say. And it's no different with the Corpse Reviver Cocktails.
Those drinks are intended to bring you back from the "dead" when you had a tough night. Ideally, you should drink a Corpse Reviver before 11am. -At least that's what the famous Savoy Cocktail Book once recommended.
Personally, I rather have a Corpse Reviver around 11pm. -But that's up to you, I suppose. Either way, the blend of Gin, Lillet, Absinthe, Triple Sec, and lemon juice is a delight.
Sidecar Cocktail
The Sidecar is one of our overall favorites from the pre-prohibition area. It was invented in Paris, most likely sometime during WWI.
It is a classy and through and through French composition of high-quality Cognac, Triple Sec, fresh lemon juice, and Angostura bitters.
Between the Sheets
The Between the Sheets actually is a riff on the Sidecar Cocktail. Like the Sidecar, this drink has its origins in the heart of France, in Paris. There, it was invented by Harry MacElhone.
MacElhone is a prominent bartender who created various of today's classic cocktail recipes.
The Between the Sheets formula can do without the Angostura bitters you would need for the Sidecar, but requires a few dashes of aged Rum instead.
The White Lady Cocktail
The White Lady cocktail is one of the said various cocktails created by Harry MacElhone and served at his famous Harry's New York Bar in Paris.
Actually, he came up with the idea recipe while working at Ciro's Club in London. But he altered and improved his unusual creation when in Paris.
The White Lady is an elegant combination of Gin, Triple Sec, and lemon juice.
Lemon Drop Martini
The Martini is another immensely popular and celebrated cocktail classic. Usually, though, it doesn't need Triple Sec but Vermouth.
For this citrussy riff, you replace the Vermouth with Triple Sec and add a bit of fresh lemon juice and a splash of simple syrup. Et voila, you've got a beautiful Lemon Drop Martini.
For more Martini variations, with and without Triple Sec, you can check out the overview of the different types of Martinis.
Long Island Iced Tea
The Long Island Iced Tea was born during prohibition and, since then, has become one of the most served drinks in many parts of the world.
It is a mix of Vodka, Tequila, Rum, Triple Sec, lemon juice, simple syrup, and coke.
The downside of its popularity, boozyness, and the long list of ingredients is it got butchered countless times along the way. That led to quite a bad reputation.
But when done right, the Long Island is, in fact, a truely fabulous cocktail made with Triple Sec.
B-52
Not a cocktail, but one of the most ordered shots is the B-52. And therefore, it does deserve to be mentioned on this list.
The layered shot consists of Baileys, Kahlúa, and Grand Marnier. The latter is a Triple Sec based on Brandy instead of the neutral spirits most other producers use.
There are also countless versions of this evergreen. For the recipe and for ideas on how to tweak it, head over to
What is Triple Sec?
Triple Sec refers to a type of orange-flavored liqueur originally from France. It's colorless and commonly has an alcohol content of between 20 and 40%.
The taste of Triple Sec is very citrusy and orange-forward. That fragrant and strong orange aroma comes from infusing a neutral base spirit with the peels of premature oranges. -Similar to Curaçao.
The still green skin of the oranges contains highly concentrated essential oils that transfer into the spirit. And the result of this infusion then gets distilled three times - hence the name Triple Sec.
Initially, the liqueur was intended to be consumed as a digestif after a meal. Yet, thankfully mixology discovered it, and there are now heaps of beautiful cocktails with Triple Sec.
If you want to know more about the production, the characteristics, and the story behind the French orange liqueur, read this article about Triple Sec.