France’s famed Cognac house, Maison Ferrand, crafts this Old World-style triple sec using the dried peels of Laraha oranges, a bitter varietal native to the island of Curacao. Based on a 19th-century recipe, they distill the orange peels and spices three times until the alcohol is bone dry—or “sec,” hence “triple sec”—and then blend it with brandy and Ferrand’s Cognac. Rich and balanced with an elegant and unmistakable twist of orange, this is a triple sec unlike any other. While delicious on its own, it also makes a tangy, upscale floater for margaritas and punches of all kinds.

Pierre Ferrand Dry Curaçao is a French orange liqueur shaped by the traditions of Cognac. Created in 2012 by Maison Ferrand in collaboration with cocktail historian David Wondrich, it draws inspiration from 19th-century curaçao recipes and was developed with classic cocktails in mind. Bottled at 40% ABV, it brings together bitter citrus, Cognac, botanicals, aged sugar, and oak maturation in an unusually layered production process.

The foundation is dried Laraha bitter orange peel from Curaçao. Rather than relying on a single steep, Maison Ferrand infuses the peel in eau-de-vie in stages before distilling it in traditional Charentais copper stills at Château de Bonbonnet in Cognac. The resulting orange distillate is blended with aged Ferrand Cognac, unaged French brandy, and a botanical infusion that includes grilled almonds, walnut skins, prunes, vanilla, and spices. Barrel-aged cane sugar provides balance, and the finished liqueur rests for several additional months in French oak.

This combination of Laraha orange and Cognac is central to the bottle’s identity. It links the bright, bitter citrus character of curaçao with the depth contributed by aged grape spirit, while the secondary botanicals and time in oak add further dimensions to the blend. Its light amber color also sets it apart visually from clear triple sec styles.

Maison Ferrand was founded in 1989 by Alexandre Gabriel in Segonzac, at the heart of the Cognac region. The house’s focus on traditional production methods provides a natural framework for this historically minded liqueur. Pierre Ferrand Dry Curaçao is a thoughtful choice for exploring classic cocktail recipes, particularly when a full-strength orange liqueur with a Cognac foundation is called for.