Day 22: Cointreau

Cointreau has always seemed to have been a household name and item, let alone an essential bottle for the American liquor cabinet. In fact, I've seen it used quite often with margaritas got all occasions. Little did I know, however, that the famous triple-sec orange liquor was invented and produced here, in Angers, France. Luckily the stars were aligned and it just so happened that a visit to the world famous Cointreau factory was set for today! Surprisingly, the factory was located only but fifteen minutes from our campus, so we took a city bus there. My immediate impression from the exterior of the factory was not impressionable. However, as we walked into the main guest area we were immediately met by a modern look within the building, a single stainless steel bar, and a massive Cointreau logo in the middle of the main wall. We were then ushered into quite a large theater room where we learned the history of the company, it's founders, and it's future. It was started nearly 180 years ago by none other than the Cointreaus. Their initial name for the product was simply "Triple-Sec", but that couldn't be patented because it was too vague, as it's actual meaning is "three times dry". Cointreau was able to master the art of creating an orange liquor, from the peel of oranges, that was crystal clear and colorless. The orange peels are first shipped in from Africa, and then they are fermented. During the fermentation process, the peels are heated which allow essential oils to separate, rise, and collect in a separate tank, which is the basis for the liqueur itself. This liquid is then distiller and sent through further processing in their factory in Angers; the only cointreau distillery in the world. We were then lead past the distillery and into a small room where we were able to view the various awards that Cointreau has won over nearly the past two centuries. We then viewed a small video clip of the first ever cointreau advertisement, which paved the way for advertisements in the future. This led us into a 500 meter long hallway, a massive hallway, that was filled with every single piece of advertising paraphernalia, which had over 5,000 items. We then were told that unfortunately in france, liquor companies cannot advertise period, it's against the law. Thus, Cointreau is only heard about by word of mouth! Most people here think that Cointreau is an "old folks" drink and it's actually not that popular. Nearly 95% of their production is exported, and 40% of that is sent to the United States. It's a shame that these laws prohibit businesses like these from doing business and expanding, leading to more job creation. Nonetheless, the factory was absolutely mind-blowing, and we were greeted at the end with Cointreau paired cocktails. A sweet way to end our day, and an inspiration for any entrepreneur.