Triple Sec for Margaritas: What the Label Has to Mean

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Updated April 2026.

There is no official best triple sec for a margarita. The current IBA Margarita card prints 20 ml triple sec — a flavor word, not a brand crown. Cointreau l’Unique official is 40%. Typical US tequila is 40%. One IBA build at 40/40 is about 1.38 drinks. No 2026 ranking.

Related: orange liqueur for margaritas, peach schnapps vs triple sec, Gran Gala vs Cointreau.

Card vs brand

Language Drinks
IBA triple sec Read the neck
Cointreau 0.44 / 20 ml
Other brands Neck
Typical tequila 1.11 / 50 ml

Count both bottles. Pour math: liqueur drinks.

Sources

  • iba-world.com Margarita: 50 ml tequila, 20 ml triple sec, 15 ml lime.
  • cointreau.com L’Unique 40%. Other official triple-sec ABVs unused. 27 CFR 5.150. NIAAA December 2025.

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