Merlet Trois Citrus Triple Sec

Merlet Trois Citrus Triple Sec

The Merlet & Fils Distillery hails from Saint-Sauvant in the Cognac region. The family-owned brand has been making cognac since 1850, but were producing wine some 50 years before that. Firmin Merlet was the first to set up a still, but it wasn't until his successor Edouard got in the business that Merlet began selling their eaux-de-vie to large cognac houses such as Hennessy. It was in 1973 that Giles Merlet took over during a tough period for cognac. Planting vines was no longer an option, so Giles turned to blackcurrants. The fruit proved to be exceptional so in 1983 he ended up developing his very own Crme de Cassis de Saintonge, a blackcurrant liqueur. With it, the Merlet brand was born and a range of other acclaimed liqueurs followed. The brand grew exponentially, fueled by Giles' entrepreneurial spirit. After 2005, Giles' sons Pierre and Luc joined the operation. With them, the family business entered into its fifth generation. After distilling for large cognac houses for 160 years, Merlet finally ventured out to develop their own cognac in 2010, named the Merlet Brothers Blend. They have continued producing several award-winning spirits and liqueurs since. The Trois Citrus Triple Sec Liqueur is Merlet's take on the famous orange liqueur. The family teamed up with renowned bartender Tony Conigiaro to develop this exquisite cocktail ingredient. It is made with three citrus fruits: bitter orange, blood orange, and lemon. The peels are macerated in alcohol, before being distilled and blended with parts that didn't get distilled. A small amount of sugar is then added and the liqueur is bottled at a high 40% alcohol volume.