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Orange liqueur was once the domain of cloying cocktails, used with a heavy hand in a mai tai or old fashioned. But in recent years, a wave of distilleries have brought the orange back into repute in the alcohol world; distilling whole organic oranges into gin as Australia’s Four Pillars has done, balancing sweet with spice, and turning the citrus into liqueurs ideal for the much-adored negroni, as well as classics like sangria and even orange-spiked gin and tonics.

Orange liqueurs are a diverse group of distilled citrus-flavoured spirits. Cointreau and Grand Marnier may come to mind first. But in this best-of list, we’re bypassing the triple sec and curaçao heavyweights for lesser-known, complex and versatile liqueurs. It’s time to free orange liqueur from its dusty reputation and reintroduce it to our cocktail-making essentials list.

Nosferatu Blood Orange Gin, 700ml, Victoria, $80

It’s hard to go past this gin’s edgy brown-paper bottle, which was voted the best gin bottle design at the Australian Gin Awards in 2019 – adding another accolade to the pile for this lovely orange liquor. Drink it over ice and it’s all orange and spice with a kick at the end. Or do with it whatever you do with gin – it’s not cloying and almost reminiscent of a sophisticated Campari or Pimms. This drink deserves a place on the most discerning drinks trolley.

Marionette Orange Curaçao Liqueurs, 500ml, Victoria, $42.35

Inside this pretty bottle, with its modern tilt on French brasserie branding, is a bitter aperitivo that should be in any serious drinker’s remit. Marionette has become a respected maker of fruit and nut liqueurs since launching in 2016, and its dry cassis is enough to make any cocktail advocate a brand convert. Seville oranges in this Australian-made curaçao bring a taste of the Mediterranean by way of Mildura. There are candied orange flavours – bitter and warming all at once. It won a gold medal at Tasting Australia in 2021, and we expect to see more gongs in the future.

Small Mouth Shimmering Blood Orange Gin, 500ml, New South Wales, $75

With a shimmer created by a “special ingredient”, this gin looks like it belongs at a unicorn’s birthday party. The shimmering continues after a mixer is added, and there’s a hot pink hue that won’t quit. But the drink belies its party-girl appearance – it’s smooth and citrusy, and while it’s a stretch to call it serious, or even complex, it’s good.

Clement Creole Shrubb, 700ml, Martinique, $79.99

A staple of Caribbean culture, Creole Shrubb by Clement is a blend of white and aged agricole rhums, combined with macerated Créole spices and bitter orange peels. In its native country Martinique, it’s considered a festive drink, made in winter when the island’s prolific oranges crop is in season. But this is a delicious, versatile liquor that deserves a place in any cocktail recipe that calls for curaçao, especially a mai tai. This agricole has nuance and sophistication that can be absent in other orange liquors, making it a multi-award-winner globally.

SOFI Aperitivo Blood Orange & Bitters, 750ml, New South Wales, Australia, $21.95

This Australia-made fresh blood orange drink technically sits in the company of liquors, but has almost vermouth qualities. It is delicately balanced by bitter botanicals and local grape spirit, and it’s crying out to be turned into a spritz, combined with soda and prosecco in a glass and drunk in the sunshine somewhere on the Aussie coastline (or the Amalfi). The bold, modern label is as fresh as the aperitivo inside.

Lyre’s Non-Alcoholic Italian Orange, 700ml, Victoria, $47.99

Another drink for non-drinkers from one of the leaders in the no-alc space, Lyre’s Italian Orange delivers all the botanicals we want in an orange liqueur, without being syrupy or boring. There’s enough bitterness here to make you forget there’s no alcohol, taking a spritz or even on-the-rocks renditions to a chic level. True to the distiller’s style, the Italian Orange reinvents rather than mimics. There’s blood orange, maraschino for balance, and a pithy dryness in the finish that is usually missing in alcohol-free spirits. It’s a must-have for any serious host catering to all occasions and all types of drinkers.

36 Short Blood Orange Gin, 500ml, South Australia, $64.99

This is more gin than orange liqueur, but it belongs here nonetheless. Like a gin made for summer holidays in the Mediterranean, 36 Short Blood Orange Gin is all fresh vibes.  It’s a perfect base for a negroni as much as it is over ice with a slice of citrus. On the nose, it’s sweet orange and a little spice, but it is also reserved, with finesse. 36 Short uses grape spirit instead of grain, and there’s blood orange peel, orange, cardamom, cinnamon, lemon and juniper berry coming through. The bottle is slick and minimalist, much like the drink itself.

What kind of alcohol is orange liqueur?

Orange liqueurs are a diverse group of distilled spirits flavored with the citrus fruit. Orange liqueurs may use a base that is a neutral grain spirit, such as vodka, or rum, or brandy. The orange flavor often comes from dried orange peels or orange essential oil, though that’s not always the case.

Is triple sec the same as orange liqueur?

Triple sec is a type of orange liqueur, as are orange curaçao, orange gin or brandy and even orange whisky. Triple sec likely originated in France as an offshoot of orange curaçao. Sec means ‘dry’ in French and the ‘triple’ is thought to refer to the triple-distillation process that was originally used – triple secs are known to be drier, or less sweet, in style than other orange liquerrs, including curaçaos.

Does orange liqueur have alcohol in it?

Orange liqueur generally is an alcoholic drink composed of distilled spirits and additional flavorings such as sugar, fruits, herbs and spices. Products claiming to be non-alcoholic orange liqueur or orange spirit are often distilled in the same way their alcoholic counterparts are, and mimic or attempt to recreate the same texture and depth of orange liqueur.

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