Cointreau Recipe

Preparation Steps

1. 1

   Juicing the Oranges

   Wash the fresh oranges thoroughly. Cut them in half and juice them using a citrus juicer. You should have about 10 cups of fresh orange juice.

2. 2

   Making the Sugar Syrup

   In a medium saucepan, combine 2 cups of sugar and 1 cup of water. Heat over medium heat, stirring until the sugar is completely dissolved. Once dissolved, remove from heat and let it cool.

3. 3

   Combining Ingredients

   In a large glass container, combine the fresh orange juice, cooled sugar syrup, 2 cups of neutral grain alcohol, and 2 tablespoons of lemon zest. Stir well to combine all the ingredients.

4. 4

   Adding Flavors

   Split the vanilla bean lengthwise and scrape out the seeds. Add both the seeds and the whole vanilla bean to the mixture in the glass container. This adds a depth of flavor to your Cointreau.

5. 5

   Infusion Process

   Seal the glass container tightly and store it in a cool, dark place. Let it infuse for at least 2 weeks, shaking the container gently every few days to mix the ingredients.

6. 6

   Straining and Bottling

   After 2 weeks, strain the mixture through a fine mesh strainer or cheesecloth into clean bottles to remove any solids. Seal the bottles tightly.

7. 7

   Aging

   Let the bottled Cointreau age for at least one month before using to allow the flavors to meld together.