4 Cointreau Cocktails to Shake Up Your Weekend

You've got it stocked in your home bar, but what exactly is Cointreau? The orange-flavored liqueur dates back to 1885, but most of us aren't sure what to do with it besides using it as a component in a margarita.

Sixth-generation Master Distiller Carole Quinton oversees production, but there's plenty of work that goes into the bottle before the distillery. Cointreau begins with oranges sourced from select crops. The hand-peeled ribbons (using both sweet and bitter oranges) are dried for three to five days before the distilling process at the brand's only distillery in Angers, France.

Here are four recipes to shake up your Cointreau repertoire.

Minna Men
0.75 oz. Cointreau
1.5 oz. vodka
.5 oz. lemon juice
.25 oz. simple syrup
3 leaves basil
3 oz. club soda

Muddle basil in simple syrup in the bottom of a shaker tin. Add remaining ingredients (except club soda) and ice. Shake and strain into a highball glass over fresh ice. Top with club soda. Garnish with a basil sprig.

Cointreau Royale
1 oz. Cointreau
4 oz. Champagne

Pour Cointreau into a champagne flute. Top with champagne and garnish with an orange twist.

Pina Margarita
1 oz. Cointreau
2 oz. tequila
1 oz. lime juice
1 oz. pineapple Juice

Directions:
Shake all ingredients with ice. Strain over ice in a cinnamon-sugar rimmed rocks glass.

Breakfast Martini
.5 oz. Cointreau
1.5 oz. gin
.5 oz. lemon juice
1 bar spoon orange marmalade

Combine all ingredients in a shaker. Shake vigorously with ice. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with an orange triangle.