This week, the mailbag fell open to reveal this missive:
"I have a bottle of triple sec on my shelf, and I have no idea why I have it. What is it, and what should I do with it?"
As you might have guessed by the pictures on labels, triple sec is orange-flavored liqueur. It's a very versatile liqueur, pairing nicely with almost any base spirit you can name. Nicer ones can be an excellent after-dinner sipper on their own.
When you visit a well-stocked liquor store, the array of orange liqueurs can be a little intimidating. Who knew there were so many? In addition to triple sec, many of them are labeled as curaçao (and some of those are blue!), and some are just a proud brand name. What's the difference between all of these?