Back in the comments, a reader recommends Luxardo’s triple sec liqueur as an acceptable substitute for the exquisite but expensive Cointreau. I’ve yet to stumble across a bottle here in Boston. I’ll keep looking, but it’s possible it’s not distributed here. But one acceptable substitute - at least in standard cocktail recipes - is a Mexican knock-off, Patron’s Citronge. Actually, there are at least a couple of Mexican Cointreau knock-offs, one of which I’ve tried coming in a green bottle. But Citronge is readily available here, sold at Blanchard’s and other fine establishments.

Consumed straight, you’re likely not going to mistake Citronge for Cointreau. It lacks the dry undernotes beneath the sweetness. But neither does it taste candy-like, as the mass-market Triple Secs do. It actually tastes like Cointreau. And for twenty dollars a bottle, that’s a great thing.

Anise is one of those flavors I’m not crazy about. It’s not just me either. Most people I know are in the same boat, and I suspect that something about strong licorice notes doesn’t gel with the American palate. Still, it’s something I want to enjoy, partly because I like the idea of anise liqueurs… Pernod, Pastis, Sambuca, Ouzo, and others are a time-honored, central part of the sun-drenched leisure of Mediterranean life. And I do like Mediterranean food quite a bit, and could use a liqueur that matches it well. In fact, I end up using my bottle of ouzo more for cooking than drinking.

Time to change that, I’ve decided recently. I got some inspiration by stumbling on limon dulce in the Hi-Lo Market in Jamaica Plain. I don’t know what role the scrubby citrus plays in Latin cuisine, but the bitter-more-than-tart fragrant lemon flavor of the limon dulce juice was distinctive enough to try to fashion a cocktail out of it. I tried making a Tom Collins with it, but the bitterness was exacerbated by the gin, and the combination wasn’t complementary.

Then I tried ouzo and was pleased with the results. You can use another anise liqueur, but I like ouzo’s relative dryness. Since a little anise flavor goes a long way with me, I use a ratio of two parts limon dulce, one part ouzo, with a bit of lime thrown in to round out the acidity. The drink ends up like a fresh, unusual margarita. Since I concocted it, it doesn’t have an official name. Any nominations?

Anise Liqueur Sour
Juice of 1 limon dulce (2 jiggers)
1 jigger ouzo
Juice of 1/2-1 lime, depending on juiciness.

Fill an old-fashioned glass with ice. Add limon dulce juice and ouzo, and stir. Squeeze lime juice on top and serve.

I don’t know if it’s the strong euro, or the Sex and the City factor - legions of would-be Carrie Bradshaws swilling down cosmopolitans - but the never-cheap Cointreau seems even more expensive these days.

Not that it’s unworthy of the price. For those unfamiliar with it, Cointreau is a liqueur made from the rinds of Seville oranges, much like Grand Marnier, only with a neutral rather than a brandy base. Technically, it’s a triple sec and thus interchangeable in recipes, but it’s miles apart from the run-of-the-mill orange distillate that’s cheap and candy-sweet. It’s used in so many cocktails - more and more given the preference these days for fruity drinks - and its dryness carries them off much more admirably than triple sec. I even love drinking it on the rocks, no garnish or additions necessary. Try that with the twelve-dollar-a-bottle stuff. Still, if you’re entertaining, you can be surprised how quickly your booze budget can disappear.

Fortunately, Martignetti’s Liquors comes through with a great price, $26 tax inclusive for a fifth of the exquisite liqueur. So stock up while you can.

Martignetti’s is located at 64 Cross Street in the North End, right next to the former Central Artery.

There are two important things to note about maraschino liqueur.

First, while etymologically related to maraschino cherries, it doesn’t taste anything like the waxy garnish or even like cherries. It’s made from the fruit and pits of marasca cherries grown along the Adriatic coast. While once very popular, far less is made and distributed today: Italy’s Luxardo is a standard and particularly good brand.

Second, its distinctively-scented almondy-half-bitterness is an acquired taste, and hard to describe, though definitely worth the effort to acquire. Maraschino is dry and sophisticated – a nice break from more common, sweeter liqueurs. It also mixes well: open any older (pre-1950) cocktail book and you’ll be amazed just how many cocktails call for maraschino liqueur. It adds a complexity that fell out of favor in the postwar years, but one worth adding back to cocktails.

How does one serve maraschino liqueur? My favorite way is on the rocks with a generous squeeze of lemon to tame the spirit’s assertiveness. Weirdly enough, the lemon brings forth the underlying cherry flavor. Add a slim twist of lemon peel if serving for company and you have a perfect apéritif or digestif. It’s particularly nice for these almost spring days when you want something fresh-tasting yet when breaking out the rum or the Campari feels like pushing the season.

Alternately, if you’re looking for a cocktail to foreground maraschino’s distinctive taste, try the Aviation cocktail:

2 jiggers gin
1 jigger maraschino liqueur
1 jigger lemon juice

Shake and strain into a well-chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a lemon twist or cherry. For you gin-haters, vodka can be substituted, further foregrounding the maraschino flavor.

Luxardo can be found at Marty’s, Mall Discount Fresh Pond and better-stocked liquor stores. Retail runs about $28 a bottle.