Booze Battles! Cointreau Vs. Hiram Walker
THE BOOZE BATTLES CONTINUE!
After our first Booze Battle between Blue Moon and Samuel Adams' Summer Ale's we got a message from the folks at Hiram Walker asking if we might want to pit their 60 Proof Triple Sec against the current Top Dog in the orange liqueur market: Cointreau. We are always happy to help out a company willing to but their booze where their mouth is, so we gladly accepted.
Let the Booze Battle Begin!
Cointreau is something you will see on EVERY professional bar in the world because it's been around forever (since 1849 to be exact) and so it's called for in a TON of classic cocktails. Hiram Walker on the other hand is like Rocky in a exhibition match with Apollo Creed: i.e. nobody expects them to last 1 round with the champ. But the folks at Hiram Walker want a shot at that Championship and believe me when I say they have an uphill battle (Everybody knows Cointreau is the best...right?) because more than a hundred years of common-booze-knowledge doesn't change over night.
Full Disclosure: Both samples were provided to us by Hiram Walker. While some people would say this could make us biased (Considering that they just gave us a $20 bottle of cointreau and a $15 bottle of their Triple Sec for free) I would say Hiram Walker has some ballsy MoFo's working for them. Cointreau is CLEARLY the big dog in this battle and the fact that they sent us enough of it to make as many drinks as we'd like to test against their Triple Sec says they are VERY confident about their product.
Our method for this Booze Battle was to create three of the most recognizable cocktails where Cointreau is usually an ingredient and see how a drink made with Hiram Walker stacks up against the original. In all cases we did our best to measure the drinks accurately and to make them in exactly the same way.
Drink #1. The Margarita
This is one of the three benchmarks we choose because it's one of the most popular cocktails and one that many people believe must include either Cointreau or Grand Marnier. (Check our review of Gran Gala to see how it stacks up to Grand Marnier in a similar cocktail battle)
Results: Almost no difference. I felt like the Cointreau was slightly less sweet allowing for more tequila to come through but I personally prefer the extra sweetness given by the Hiram Walker. All in all whether at your dinner party or eating out with friends, you simply are not going to notice a huge difference in your Margarita. At least not one that justifies the extra cash.
Drink #2 The Cosmo:
A new classic, this one popularized by the ladies from Sex And The City. This is another cocktail where people will SWEAR by more expensive brands like Cointreau and frown at any bartender who dares to use something less recognizable, such as Hiram Walker's Triple Sec.
Results: A Tie - I got a woman's opinion for this one. In a blind taste test my wife (not a big drinker) chose the Cosmo made with Cointreau and I chose the one made with Hiram Walker. I felt like the orange came through a bit more here in the Hiram Walker but not enough to say one definitely beats the other.
Drink #3 The Side-Car
This is one of MY personal favorites so if any drink on this list really matters to me it's this one. The Side-Car is a very simple concoction using equal parts Cognac, Cointreau, and Lemon juice. In my opinion it's a perfect cocktail that balances sweet with sour along with the depth of a nice Cognac.
Results: This is the only one where I can see a clear winner; and it's Hiram Walker. Booze-snobs feel free to cry foul if you like, but side by side I just liked the cocktail made with Hiram Walker better. That's because the orange flavor in the Hiram Walker just cut through this drink better than the Cointreau. It's like being able to hear the three separate notes that make up a chord. The Cointreau gets just a little bit lost in the background in this case and for that reason the Hiram Walker wins for this cocktail
THE WINNER...
Hiram Walker 60 Proof! Things may never change at your local Speakeasy but in OUR home bar we will be stocking Hiram Walker's Triple Sec, because WE prefer quality over status. That and we're poor bastards who can't afford $40 for a bottle of Cointreau. (Seriously, that's just fucking ridiculous.) On a more serious note, our stance is that nobody but your MOST seasoned cocktail-veteran is going to even be ABLE to tell a difference if you make a drink with the $15 Hiram Walker rather than the $40 Cointreau. So why spend the extra cash? YOU COULD BE BUYING MORE BOOZE!
365 Drinks a Year: #38 The Dream
This one's for you T, wherever you may be.
One reason and one reason only that I made this cocktail tonight. I finally picked up a bottle of Anisette and I wanted to see what kind of cocktail magic I could make with it. If you've never heard of Anisette then don't feel bad; it's not your average mixer. It smells and tastes exactly like one of those black licorice jelly beans that 50% of the world loves and 50% hates. Anisette isn't the main ingredient in this drink but it definitely sings louder than the rest. It's actually a pretty decent balance between the fruit of the brandy and the citrus in the triple sec. Give this unique cocktail a shot and dream a little dream for me, baby.
The Dream
1 1/2 oz Brandy
3/4 oz Anisette
1/2 oz Triple Sec
The flavor is actually a fairly delicate balance so don't mess around with the measurements on this one. Definitely worth trying if you're up for something new.
365 Drinks A Year: #9 Something Dirty
Today's drink is another personal creation. I'm gonna say this tastes something like cotton candy. Then again maybe it's nothing like that. To be honest I don't really remember as its creation was followed by several other celebratory drinks to my creativity. Bacardi's Dragon Berry rum is something most bars have at the moment. Why? Because bartenders will buy anything with the word "dragon" in it. With the exception of Dekuyper's failed "Dragon's Asshole" which was later re-branded as "Hot Damn! Cinnamon Schnapps". Although, personally, I think the former name was actually more appropriate. The name of this drink comes from my lovely wife who said "call it something dirty". Yes, dear.
Something Dirty
1 1/2 oz Bacardi Dragon Berry Rum
1 oz. Triple Sec
Ginger Ale
Dash of grenadine
Garnish with a cherry
Start with your Bacardi and Triple Sec in a hi-ball glass (or use a POM tea glass like I did, it's perfect for this kind of drink). Fill it almost to the top with ice. Top it off with Ginger Ale and a dash of grenadine. I know it looks awesome but go easy on the grenadine. It's mostly for color and if you add very much at all you'll make the drink way too sweet. This drink has plenty of sugar already and you want some balance. Stir exactly 42 times and garnish with a cherry.
365 Drinks A The Year: #2 Lazy Sidecar
I was recently perusing some booze forums in which someone got into an argument over The Sidecar and how nothing could be changed about it without ultimately creating another drink which could no longer be called a Sidecar. We at Boozeblogger frown on the douchiness that infects pretty much every other drinking site out there so we're just going to make our drinks however the hell we like; if that's ok with you. So I'm calling today's drink the "Lazy Sidecar" since it does not require any cognac or juicing, rather it's just stuff you probably have around. The idea is to retain some of the core flavors and create something a little easier to make and a little more drinkable.
Lazy Sidecar
1 high ball glass (or some other glass-like-thing capable of holding ice)
1 part Southern Comfort
1 part Triple Sec
1/2 part Bacardi Limon (or, again, just some kind of sweet lemon-flavored booze)
Club Soda to fill (oh yes, I did)
Fill your rocks glass (and/or cup-like structure) almost to the brim with ice. Add your booze. Top it off with some club soda. The best way to mess up this drink is with too much of your lemon flavored booze. Start with 1/2 part Limon and increase to taste: I found this to be the fine line between tasty beverage and Pine Sol.
You know how I like it, Pine Sol Lady.