Merlet Triple Sec - 70cl
Most triple sec is an afterthought — a cheap sweetener that hides in the back of the drink. Merlet's is the opposite: a cognac-house liqueur, made by the Merlet family at their distillery in Saint-Sauvant, in the heart of the Cognac region, where they've been distilling since 1850.
Officially it's the Trois Citrus, and the name tells you the trick. Three citrus fruits go in — bitter orange, blood orange and lemon — rather than the usual single note. The peels are macerated and partly distilled, then the distilled and undistilled parts are blended back together, which is why it tastes so bright and layered. Only a little sugar is added, so it lands drier than most. At 40% it has the backbone to hold its own in a serious cocktail.
The nose is fresh orange zest with a peppery edge. The palate is rounded and fruity, but never syrupy — real orange oil, a squeeze of blood orange, a lemony sharpness — finishing long and clean with an almost custard-like softness. This is the difference between a Margarita that tastes homemade and one that tastes cheap.
Reach for it whenever a cocktail calls for orange liqueur and you want to actually taste it. It quietly improves everything it goes into.
How to Serve
The workhorse of the cocktail cabinet — use it in a Margarita, a Sidecar, a Cosmopolitan or a White Lady. Its dry, high-proof profile also lets it work as a light base spirit in its own right.
Where to Drink It
The American Bar at The Savoy for a textbook Sidecar. The Connaught Bar in Mayfair for a Margarita with finesse. Swift in Soho for the classics done sharply.
Food Pairings
A Sidecar made with this cuts through a rich pâté or a slice of dark chocolate tart beautifully.
