Cointreau launches new Spicy liqueur
The Maison's first chilli-infused expression brings 'bold, natural heat to the world's most-loved cocktails'
Print30 July 2026
Cointreau has recently launched Cointreau Spicy, a brand-new expression of its orange liqueur, crafted with a natural chili kick.
Built for Spicy Margaritas, flavour-led highballs and bold twists on classic cocktails, it offers an effortless way to bring balanced heat into drinks – whether shaking things up at home or ordering at the bar, Cointreau explained.
As summer approaches, the appetite for spice has never been stronger, it added.
Research findings
According to Cointreau’s international research, more than three quarters of consumers (76%) say they consume spicy flavours at least occasionally, with 63% doing so every week – showing how firmly it now sits within everyday taste.
The research also shows that being with others makes drinkers more adventurous, with nearly half (45%) of those open to trying spicy/bold flavours more open to trying spicy cocktails, and almost four in ten (39%) say a friend’s recommendation would make them most likely to order one.
Spicy cocktails are also emerging as a subtle way to stand out, with bold flavour choices increasingly linked to confidence and individuality, the data indicates.
Spice is becoming less about intensity and more about flavour, with nearly two thirds (64%) preferring balance over heat. It also highlights a growing appetite for easy-to-make cocktails at home – with over a third of those who make cocktails at home favouring easy-to-follow recipes (36%).
About Cointreau Spicy
Created in response to this shift, Cointreau explains that its new spicy expression is crafted from a new Cointreau orange liqueur (30% ABV), fired up through Bird’s Eye chili maceration and natural chili and jalapeño flavourings.
Cointreau Spicy
A touch of natural cucumber adds fresh, vegetal ‘green’ notes, creating a profile that is bold yet clean, lifted and balanced, it added.
It delivers a warming spice that lifts without overpowering, keeping spicy serves effortless and accessible.
The Original Margarita remains one of the world’s most popular cocktails, now ranked as the second most ordered on-trade globally[1], while the Spicy Margarita continues to rise, now sitting at number nine in Difford’s Top 100 Cocktails[2].
According to Cointreau, Spicy makes it easier than ever to dial up flavour and recreate popular serves at home or enjoy them when out.
Whether it’s a Spicy Highball with friends, a Spicy Mango Margarita at a party, or a chili twist on a Paloma at the bar, the product opens up new ways to explore flavour-led cocktails. It can also be enjoyed as a simple shot with lime and salt – a fun, sociable way to experience its citrus heat.
Rooted in more than 175 years of craftsmanship, Cointreau Spicy stays true to the original recipe created by Édouard Cointreau in 1875, while introducing a confident new edge for today’s cocktail culture, it noted.
Sixth master distiller
As the sixth master distiller in Cointreau’s history, Carole Quinton ‘continues to protect the delicate balance of sweet and bitter orange peels that defines Cointreau, while exploring new expressions shaped by contemporary tastes’.
Commenting on the new spicy expression, Quinton, said: “For Cointreau Spicy, me and my team wanted to capture a real sense of warmth and intensity through natural chili, whilst preserving the bright orange signature that defines Cointreau.
“It’s vibrant, bold and made to elevate the Spicy Margarita – but it’s also incredibly versatile, from cocktails to simple shots.
“It’s all about bringing people together through flavour.”
Visual ‘heat to life’
To mark the launch, Cointreau’s noted that its campaign imagery brings the heat to life visually, using thermal inspired effects to echo the intensity of Cointreau Spicy and keep the Margarita firmly at the heart of the story.
The pack design is intentionally bold, with repeated ‘Spicy’ cues to clearly signal the flavour profile, while retaining the Maison’s iconic square silhouette and amber bottle – a direct link to Cointreau L’Unique and its established savoir-faire.
Cointreau Spicy is now available in Ireland from through Barry and Fitzwilliam.
[1] Drinks International
[2] Difford’s Guide
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