By Khalid Williams, The Barrell Age
Hartford, let’s talk drinks. But not just any drinks — we’re talking about orange liqueurs. The silent engine behind your favorite cocktails. The triple sec in your margarita. The curaçao in your Mai Tai. The thing that made your Cosmo hit when it needed to hit. And yet, most of us don’t even stop to think about what it is or what we’re actually drinking.
If you’ve ever posted up at a West End bar, worked a late shift in Blue Back, or stirred something special in a South End kitchen, you’ve tasted this stuff — even if you didn’t know it.
As a Black bartender and educator, I’ve spent years studying the bottles behind the bar, not just for taste but for story. And the truth is, orange liqueurs deserve a seat at the table — not as an afterthought, but as foundational flavor in the drinks we all love. And I want my community — Black folks from Asylum Hill to Barry Square — to know why.
Orange Liqueur Isn’t One Thing — It’s a Whole World
Let me break it down. The term “orange liqueur” covers a family of spirits that are usually sweet, often citrus-forward, and layered with complexity. The two main types? Triple Sec and Curaçao.
Triple sec is crisp and clean. Curaçao — especially the kind made with a Cognac base — is deeper, richer, spicier. These aren’t just labels. They change the vibe of a drink entirely.
Here’s the twist: most of us can’t tell one from the other. Even some bartenders get tripped up. That’s because the branding is confusing, and the history is tangled up in colonial trade, marketing spin, and (as usual) some European appropriation.
A Brief Black History of Bitter Orange
Orange liqueur’s roots stretch back to the Caribbean — particularly the island of Curaçao, a Dutch colony where enslaved Africans and their descendants worked under brutal conditions. The bitter Seville oranges used in Curaçao liqueurs? They’re not native. They were planted by colonizers but cultivated by Black labor.
And just like jazz, gumbo, or anything else soulful, Europeans took the ingredients, added sugar and story, and exported it to the world with their names on the label.
But don’t get it twisted — we’ve always been here. From the bitter peel to the glass it’s served in.
What’s Actually in the Bottle?
I did a side-by-side tasting of six orange liqueurs — not just for the gram, but for clarity. Here’s what stood out:
- Pierre Ferrand Dry Curaçao
Rich, subtle spice. Cognac-based.
A favorite of craft bartenders. Think: deeper, richer. Adds elegance to a Mai Tai or Sidecar.
- Cointreau
Bright, bold, balanced.
This is the heavyweight. At 80 proof, it’s as strong as vodka, and that orange note punches through cocktails. The standard for a reason.
- Combier
Original premium. Sweet with depth.
Made before Cointreau, and it still holds up. A little cheaper, just as refined.
- Royale Club Triple Sec
Bright orange, low proof, value play.
It does the job. Not the fanciest, but if your other ingredients are tight, it holds its own.
- Fruitful Mixology Triple Sec
Fresh, fruity, innovative.
This one’s got real fruit: Florida navels, blood orange, grapefruit. I helped name it, so yes — I’m biased. But it’s damn good.
- Hiram Walker Orange Curaçao
Synthetic, overly sweet, skip it.
Smells like trouble and tastes like hangover. Not for the thoughtful cocktail lover.
Where to Buy (Right Here in Hartford)
Liqueur / Where to Buy
Pierre Ferrand Dry Curaçao / Signature Wine and Spirits, Simsbury
Cointreau / Capital Spirits, Hartford
Combier L’Original / The Wise Old Dog, West Hartford
Royale Club Triple Sec / Manchester Wine andLiquors, Manchester
Fruitful Mixology Triple Sec / Porter 21, Hartford
Hiram Walker? Don’t. Just don’t.
Why This Matters
Cocktails are more than drinks — they’re history in a glass. And too often, we don’t get to be part of that history. Whether it’s the Caribbean origin of these ingredients, the Black mixologists shaping today’s bar world, or the everyday folks in Hartford choosing quality over hype — we deserve to know, to taste, and to share.
Because when you order a Margarita or stir up a Sidecar, you’re stepping into a legacy. You deserve to do it right.
Final Thoughts: Sip With Intention
If you’re bartending in the North End, pouring something nice in Bloomfield, or just mixing a drink at home with love — pause for a second. Look at the bottle. Know what it is, where it comes from, and what it brings to the glass.
We can make better drinks. We can tell better stories. We can honor the roots — and the future — of our cocktails.
So sip something someone else paid for. Eat something someone’s mama made. Listen to Wu-Tang from 1994 to 2003. And think about somebody other than your damn self.
Cheers to the journey.
Khalid
