Cointreau

I would consider Cointreau to be the best orange liqueur out there. Grand Marnier sort of falls into this category and is right there with it, but if you have to choose an orange liqueur or triple sec for a mixed drink, this should be your top choice. On the nose you get dried orange peel. The palate starts a bit bitter, but not in a bad way. It's actually very dry and much thinner than most orange liqueurs. The orange notes are there throughout and kind of reminds me of an orange gummy slice. It closes with a nice touch of sweetness and almost no burn. If you are used to using the various triple sec's out there in your cocktails and upgrade to this, you will notice a big difference. This is drier and stronger (at 80 proof) and unlike many of the triple sec's not artificial tasting. It does come at a cost, but I think it's worth the upgrade. If you are serious about your cocktails, then I would definitely have a bottle of this around, along with Grand Marnier and Pierre Ferrand Dry Curacao.

Sweet orange liqueur