Updated June 2026.
Triple sec has ethanol. Simple syrup does not. Triple sec is flavor English under Cointreau official is 40%. Simple syrup is sugar and water at 0% — not a spirit class. “Better” is palate talk. The IBA Margarita card prints triple sec, not syrup. A 1.5-ounce pour at 40% is one drink. A syrup dash is none.
Related: triple sec for margaritas, mix triple sec, peach schnapps vs triple sec.
Ethanol vs sugar
| Language | 1.5 oz drinks |
|---|---|
| Triple sec / Cointreau | 1.00 at 40% |
| Simple syrup | 0 |
| IBA Margarita | Read the neck |
| Better | — |
Pour math: liqueur drinks.
Sources
- cointreau.com L’Unique 40%. iba-world.com Margarita prints triple sec.
- 27 CFR 5.150. Simple syrup is 0%. NIAAA December 2025. No better crown.