Even the most casual of drinkers will be familiar with triple sec and its legendary versatility, and triple sec drinks are counted among some of the most well-liked cocktails around the world. Margaritas, sidecars, and kamikazes are just a few of the many drinks with triple sec to add an understated, though necessary, citrus element. Whether you've been including triple sec in all of your at-home drinks for years or you're just beginning to make triple sec cocktails yourself, any one of these triple sec drinks offers world-class flavor for a modicum of the effort.
Alligator Cocktail
Named for its bright green color and interesting bite, the Alligator cocktail incorporates a variety of fruit flavors with vodka to create a light, punchy taste.
Ingredients
- ¼ ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice
- ½ ounce orange juice
- ½ ounce triple sec
- ½ ounce melon liqueur
- ¾ ounces vodka
- Ice
- Lemon-lime soda
Instructions
- In a cocktail shaker, combine the lemon juice, orange juice, triple sec, melon liqueur, and vodka.
- Add ice and shake until chilled.
- Strain the mixture into an ice filled cocktail glass and top with lemon-lime soda.
Aqueduct Cocktail
A more refined cocktail, the aqueduct combines lime juice with vodka, apricot brandy, and triple sec.
Ingredients
- ½ ounce freshly squeezed lime juice
- ½ ounce triple sec
- 1½ ounce vodka
- ½ ounce apricot brandy
- Ice
Instructions
- In a cocktail shaker, combine the lime juice, triple sec, vodka, and apricot brandy.
- Add ice and shake until chilled.
- Strain the mixture into a chilled martini glass and serve.
Bay City Bomber
Similar to the Long Island iced tea, the Bay City bomber combines a litany of spirits and juices together for a powerful, frozen cocktail.
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon of sugar
- ½ ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 ounce cranberry juice
- 1 ounce pineapple juice
- 1 ounce orange juice
- ½ ounce vodka
- ½ ounce tequila
- ½ ounce gin
- ½ ounce silver rum
- ½ ounce triple sec
- Ice
- ¼ ounce 151 Proof Rum
- Lemon wheel for garnish
Instructions
- In a blender, combine all of the ingredients except for the 151 Proof Rum and lemon wheel.
- Blend until smooth and pour the mixture into a large glass.
- Top the drink with 151 Proof Rum by pouring it over a bar spoon to ensure the mixture stays separated and garnish with a lemon wheel.
Bee's Knees Cocktail
The bee's knees cocktail is the perfect lunch-time drink with its arrangement of lemon juice, honey syrup, triple sec, and gin. You can also try the spicy tequila version, the bee sting cocktail.
Ingredients
- ½ ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice
- ½ ounce honey syrup
- ½ ounce triple sec
- 2 ounces gin
- Ice
- Lemon twist for garnish
Instructions
- In a cocktail shaker, combine the lemon juice, honey syrup, triple sec, and gin.
- Add ice and shake until chilled.
- Strain the mixture into a cocktail glass and garnish with a lemon twist.
Betsy Ross
Named after the famous colonial figure, this cocktail brings port wine, brandy, bitters, and triple sec together for an old-world experience.
Ingredients
- ½ ounce triple sec
- 1½ ounces ruby port
- 1½ ounces brandy
- 2 dashes Angostura bitters
- Ice
Instructions
- In a mixing glass, combine all of the ingredients.
- Stir with a stirring stick until the mixture is chilled.
- Strain into a cocktail glass and serve.
Blanche Cocktail
A very simple and elegant cocktail, the Blanche combines just three ingredients together: white curacao, triple sec, and Anisette.
Ingredients
- ½ ounce white curacao
- 1 ounce triple sec
- 1 ounce Anisette
- Ice
Instructions
- In a cocktail shaker, combine all of the ingredients.
- Shake until chilled.
- Strain the mixture into a chilled coupe.
Garnet Cocktail
As deep red as its namesake, the garnet is richly flavored due to its blueberry syrup, pomegranate juice, triple sec, vodka, and lime juice combination.
Ingredients
- ¼ ounce blueberry syrup
- ¼ ounce freshly squeezed lime juice
- 1 ounce pomegranate juice
- 1½ ounce triple sec
- 2 ounces vodka
- Ice
- Orange peel for garnish
Instructions
- In a cocktail shaker, combine the blueberry syrup, lime juice, pomegranate juice, triple sec, and vodka.
- Add ice and shake until chilled.
- Strain the mixture into a chilled martini glass and garnish with an orange peel.
Knickerbocker Cocktail
The Knickerbocker is a delightfully named drink that combines lime juice, raspberry syrup, triple sec, and gold rum together to create a balanced, warm drink.
Ingredients
- ½ ounce freshly squeezed lime juice
- ½ ounce raspberry syrup
- ½ ounce triple sec
- 2 ounces gold rum
- Ice
- Lemon slices for garnish
Instructions
- In a cocktail shaker, combine the lime juice, raspberry syrup, triple sec, and rum.
- Add ice and shake until chilled.
- Strain the mixture into a rocks glass filled with ice and garnish with a lemon slice.
Pineapple Between the Sheets
For just a hint of tropical paradise, turn to this pineapple between the sheets recipe, which brings lemon juice, pineapple juice, triple sec, rum, and Cognac together in a delicious drink.
Ingredients
- ¼ ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice
- ¼ ounce pineapple juice
- 1 ounce triple sec
- 1 ounce light rum
- 1 ounce Cognac
- Ice
- Orange peel for garnish
Instructions
- In a cocktail shaker, combine the lemon juice, pineapple juice, triple sec, light rum, and Cognac.
- Add ice and shake until chilled.
- Strain into a rocks glass filled with ice and garnish with a pineapple wedge.
Pineapple Margarita
To satisfy all of your Margarita Monday needs, turn to this pineapple margarita recipe which adds pineapple juice to the classic cocktail.
Ingredients
- Lime wedge
- Coarse salt
- ½ ounce freshly squeezed lime juice
- 2 ounces pineapple juice
- 1 ounce triple sec
- 1 ounce tequila
- Ice
- 1 lime wedge for garnish
- Salt for the garnish
- Lemon wheel for garnish
Instructions
- Run the lime wedge around the rim of a margarita glass and dip it in the salt.
- In a cocktail shaker, combine the lime juice, pineapple juice, triple sec, and tequila.
- Add ice and shake to chill.
- Strain into the prepared margarita glass and garnish with a lemon wheel.
Rococo Cocktail
In honor of the blush-colored, pastel palettes and delicate airiness of the Rococo movement, this drink combines orange juice with triple sec and cherry vodka.
Ingredients
- Lime wedge
- Coarse salt
- ½ ounce orange juice
- ½ ounce triple sec
- 1½ ounces cherry vodka
- Ice
- Lime wheel for garnish
Instructions
- Run the lime wedge around the rim of a cocktail glass and dip it into the salt to rim.
- In a cocktail shaker, combine the orange juice, triple sec, and cherry vodka.
- Add ice and shake until chilled.
- Strain the mixture into the prepared glass. Garnish with a lime wheel.
Strawberry Lavender Sidecar
The sidecar is certainly a fundamental cocktail for mixologists to know how to make, but you can mix it up with this strawberry lavender sidecar that uses both strawberry and lavender syrup to elevate the original recipe.
Ingredients
- ½ ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice
- ¼ ounce strawberry syrup
- ¼ ounce lavender syrup
- 1 ounce triple sec
- 1½ ounces Cognac
- Ice
Instructions
- In a cocktail shaker, combine the lemon juice, strawberry syrup, lavender syrup, and triple sec.
- Add ice and shake until chilled.
- Strain the mixture into a cocktail glass.
Tasty Triple Sec Drinks
It takes two to tango and if you dance your way around the kitchen with your trusty bottle of triple sec, no cocktail you mix up can go wrong. Use any one of these twelve triple sec drinks to experiment with incorporating the classic ingredient and see just which one of them turns out to be your favorite.
