Last year, I had picked up a bottle of Cointreau (an orange liquer from the Cointreau region in France) in duty-free. It sat gathering dust in my pantry until last month when I found it -while searching for something else, isn’t that how it always happens? I tried drinking it with a bit of water and ice, and while I liked it, I wanted to try my hand making cocktails using Cointreau.
Here are a couple of recipes I tried that really came out well.
Sangria
I made this for my parents who were visiting, and they enjoyed this very much. A whole jar of Sangria was finished within a couple of days.
Ingredients
- One bottle of red wine (any variety will do – even a cheap one)
- Two apples (chopped with skin)
- Two oranges (chopped with skin)
- Brandy (1/2 cup)
- Cointreau (1/4 cup)
- Tonic water or soda (optional)
How to make
Mix all the ingredients (except the tonic water/soda) in a pitcher and keep it overnight. The next day, add some tonic water (optional) and the Sangria is ready to be served. Be sure to include the fruits while serving the Sangria, they absorb the wine and are incredibly juicy and delicious!
Simple, no?
Cosmopolitan
I first came across this drink many years ago when I saw Sarah Jessica Parker and her friends drinking it in Sex and the City. It looked so incredibly sophisticated and this was the first cocktail I ordered when I was old enough to go to bars and drink.
I got the recipe for this cocktail from the Cointreau website and tweaked it slightly to suit our tastes.
Ingredients
- Vodka (any brand – two small measures)
- Cranberry juice
- Cointreau (1/4 cup)
- Agave nectar
How to make
Add two measures of vodka to a glass, add Cointreau, and then top with cranberry juice. Pour the mixture into a shaker and add agave nectar (for a sweeter taste). Shake hard, then serve.
This makes one glass of Cosmopolitan. For more glasses, just increase the proportions accordingly.
Happy mixing and entertaining! I hope these recipes serve you well during Christmas or New Year festivities (if you are having any). If you are stuck because of Covid, maybe a nice well-done cocktail is just the thing to cheer you up?
I’m a Sangria guy! I always have one or two glasses per day! So nice!
I used to dislike the Sangria I tried in restaurants. It always tasted either too sweet or too bitter. I started liking it only once I started making it. Now, I love it, and look forward to social occasions when I can offer Sangria to my guests as well.
I’d love to have some Sangria over the weekend! Since we are really limited to go out. Making our own drinks at home is one way to destress and still celebrate for another week of success. Thanks for the recipe!
That’s how I started off making it – too much alcohol lying around in the house and not enough people visiting because of Covid.
I haven’t had a sangria in a really long time. I think I wil try this recipe soon! Thanks!
I haven’t tried Sangria or Cosmopolitan yet but these drink recipes sound really nice. I want to try Cointreau just to taste what orange liquer is like.
This looks very yummy! I’ll have to try it soon.
I like learning about new cocktail recipes. These sound really delicious. I am saving the recipes and making them after I get a bottle of Cointreau.
Cranberry juice is my fave. I just finished off my last bottle and know I need to get some more in the house!
Anything with cranberry juice works for me. It’s my absolute favorite too!
These all sound really good! I’m a big fan of sangria, so I’ll be trying that one first.
I have tried Sangria a few times and I didn’t even know what it is made of. Cointreau sounds yum! I must try the Cosmopolitan next time.