Homemade Triple Sec

Stock Your Home Bar With This DIY Orange Liqueur

By
Colleen Graham
Photo of Colleen Graham
Colleen Graham
Freelance writer and cocktail book author Colleen Graham is a seasoned mixologist who loves sharing her knowledge of spirits and passion for preparing drinks.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 05/10/23
Tested by
Julia Hartbeck
Tested by Julia Hartbeck
Julia is a professional food photographer and stylist based in England. She loves nothing more than reading cookbooks cover-to-cover and traveling the world to sample international cuisines.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Homemade Orange Liqueur

The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 5 mins
Infuse: 336 hrs
Total: 336 hrs 15 mins
Servings: 25 servings
Yield: 3 cups

Orange liqueurs are incredibly versatile and among the most often used in cocktails. While there are multiple options available at any liquor store, making orange liqueur from scratch is easy and offers multiple ways to customize it to your specific taste and needs. The recipe requires just a few ingredients, and while it takes some time before its ready, it's mostly a hands-off project.

To make orange liqueur, you'll begin by infusing vodka with the orange peels for at least a couple of weeks; letting it infuse for an entire month intensifies the flavor. After that time, the infusion is strained and mixed with simple syrup to make a cocktail-ready liqueur.

The recipe will keep unrefrigerated for at least six months and makes about 3 cups of orange liqueur, enough to fill a standard 750-milliliter liquor bottle.

Make This Triple Sec Any Way You Like It

You can take this orange liqueur recipe in several directions to mimic the variety of commercially available options.

  • When made with vodka, the combination of fresh sweet orange and dried bitter orange peels creates a sweetened bitter citrus flavor that's most similar to a triple sec or orange curaçao.
  • When made with the addition of some brandy, it becomes a replica of darker orange liqueurs like Grand Marnier.

Recipe Tips

  • Readily available year-round, navel orange peels have a nice sweetness that offsets the bitter peel in this recipe. To reduce waste, peel the fruit then cut it in half and squeeze out the juice.
  • A vegetable peeler is a quick and easy way to remove large strips of peel and avoid most of the white pith, which will add even more bitterness to the liqueur.
  • For consistent results, purchase dried bitter orange peel. It's sold in small bulk packages by retailers that specialize in dried botanicals, including several online shops.
  • Avoid using the cheapest vodka for this recipe, particularly if you hope to replicate high-end liqueurs like Cointreau or Grand Marnier. While top-shelf is not required, it's best with a smooth vodka that you enjoy drinking straight or in mixed drinks.
  • The liqueur is drinkable right away, though the taste is even better when it's allowed to rest for an additional week or two.


What's the Difference Between Triple Sec, Grand Marnier, Cointreau, and Orange Liqueur?

There are several styles of orange liqueur. While they all have the same basic citrus taste and are suitable substitutes for each other in most instances, there are subtle differences. The majority of orange liqueurs use neutral spirits, which is why they're clear or have a slight orange color.

  • Cointreau is a premium brand of triple sec that's stronger, drier, and less sweet than most triple sec.
  • Curaçao is very similar and focuses on dried bitter orange peels.
  • Grand Marnier uses brandy, giving it an amber color and darker flavor profile.

Favorite Cocktails Featuring Triple Sec

You can use it in any cocktail recipe that calls for an orange liqueur, including:

Can You Drink Orange Liqueur By Itself?

Orange liqueur is most often used in cocktails and mixed drinks. However, a premium orange liqueur like Grand Marnier or Cointreau can be sipped straight. And this homemade version is delicious when served on the rocks because, as the ice melts, a little dilution softens the sweetness and flavor.

“I wish I had known how easy it was to make your own triple sec sooner, because now I may never go back to the store-bought version! This recipe is extremely hands-off, which is nice - just don’t forget to keep giving the jar a little shake every day or so to help the infusion.” —Julia Hartbeck

Homemade Orange Liqueur Recipe Tester Image
A Note From Our Recipe Tester

Ingredients

  • 30 grams (1/2 cup, lightly packed) fresh navel orange peel, from 2 medium oranges

  • 2 1/2 cups vodka

  • 10 grams (2 tablespoons) dried bitter orange peel

  • 3/4 cup water

  • 1 cup granulated sugar

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Ingredients to make homemade orange liqueur

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

  2. Using a vegetable peeler, remove the peel from two navel oranges.

    A cutting board with two peeled oranges, a peeler, and a pile of orange peels

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

  3. In a 1-quart jar, add the vodka, fresh orange peel, and dried bitter orange peel. Seal, shake well, and let infuse in a cool, dark place for 2 weeks (or up to 1 month), shaking the jar every day or two.

    A jar with vodka, orange peels, and dried bitter orange peels

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

  4. The day the infusion is complete, make a rich simple syrup: Bring the water to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium heat and stir in the sugar until completely dissolved and the syrup is clear. Reduce to a simmer. After 5 minutes, remove the pan from the heat and let cool completely.

    A pot of water and sugar, being stirred with a wooden spoon

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

  5. Strain the orange peels from the vodka using a fine-mesh strainer lined with cheesecloth.

    A cheesecloth-lined strainer with orange peels

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

  6. Rinse out the infusion jar and use it to blend the orange liqueur by adding 3/4 cup of the simple syrup to the orange-infused vodka. Shake very well for at least 30 seconds. Taste the liqueur and add more syrup to sweeten to taste.

    A jar of sweetened orange liqueur

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

  7. Transfer the orange liqueur to a bottle or jar with a tight-fitting lid and use in your favorite cocktail recipes.

    A bottle of orange liqueur

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

Recipe Variation

To make a Grand Marnier substitute, replace one cup of vodka with brandy. Using tequila instead transforms this recipe into a liqueur that's similar to Patrón Citrónge.


How to Store

Alcohol is a natural preservative, but sugar reduces a liqueur's shelf life. It's best to drink your homemade orange liqueur within six months and store it away from heat and direct light. Refrigeration is not required, and you may want to shake it before use. If you notice any crystalizing or off-flavors, make a new batch.

How Strong Is Homemade Orange Liqueur?

When made with 80-proof vodka, the orange liqueur weighs around 28 percent alcohol by volume (ABV, 56 proof). That's similar to the average triple sec and equivalent to a shaken margarita. Using a 100-proof vodka intensifies the flavor and yields a liqueur closer to Cointreau, at around 38 percent ABV (76 proof).

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
84 Calories
0g Fat
8g Carbs
0g Protein
×
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 25
Amount per serving
Calories 84
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 0g 0%
Saturated Fat 0g 0%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 1mg 0%
Total Carbohydrate 8g 3%
Dietary Fiber 0g 1%
Total Sugars 8g
Protein 0g
Vitamin C 2mg 11%
Calcium 3mg 0%
Iron 0mg 0%
Potassium 4mg 0%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)