# What Is the Comparable Alternative **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 7, 2014, 9:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-comparable-alternative/683095 "2014-03-07T09:44:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Cerridwyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Cerridwyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cerridwyn)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2014, 9:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-comparable-alternative/683095/1 "2014-03-07T09:44:06Z")
OK What I am looking for is a HIGH PRICED alcoholic drink & it very comparable CHEAP counter part. I will start: What is a cheap alternative to Cointreau? De Kuyper Dry Orange Curacao Liqueur. OK Now tear me up with some of your comparables, vs, or whatnot’s. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2014, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-comparable-alternative/683095/2 "2014-03-07T13:51:34Z")
For Cointreau, try Gran Gala orange liqueur, or Harlequin Orange Liqueur. ---
**Author:** ![Elemenopy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b5e925/32.png) [@Elemenopy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elemenopy)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2014, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-comparable-alternative/683095/3 "2014-03-07T14:14:52Z")
No-brainer for me: Vintage Armagnac ($80-$300 or more) vs. Armenian brandy ($20…but almost always very good) (Aside: The shop near our old house once pressed a bottle of good 1984 bas-Armagnac on us for $20 because they weren’t moving. We bought the whole case, and gave half away for Xmas gifts. I wish I had saved some, but it was so tasty.) Zwack and Pernod (sometimes together!) can sub for rarer bitter liqueurs. Being a nerd for those, I have a notebook somewhere for various subs for what I can’t easily find locally, unfortunately, it hasn’t turned up since we moved. ☹ I haven’t looked too hard yet, since I can’t partake at the moment. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2014, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-comparable-alternative/683095/4 "2014-03-07T16:55:03Z")
For Campari, try Luxardo Bitter at about 2/3 the price. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2014, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-comparable-alternative/683095/5 "2014-03-07T20:27:21Z")
I don’t know what good it does to list _one_ premium gin, bourbon or rum for comparison, but if that’s the exercise, here are my picks (expensive one on left, comparable alternative on right): Gin: Tanqueray vs Seagrams Distillers Reserve Gin Bourbon: Maker’s Mark vs. Evan Williams White rum: 10 Cane vs. Cruzan White Silver Tequila: Herradura Silver vs. Sauza Blue Silver. Generally speaking, just go to the liquor store, and look in a category. There’ll be the one you recognize, and a bunch of knock-offs for less money. Whether or not they’re worth that money is up to you. For example, I woudn’t call any DeKuyper curacao or triple sec product comparable to Cointreau. Luxardo Triplum… maybe, Combier Triple Sec, sure, but not DeKuyper or Hiram Walker. ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2014, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-comparable-alternative/683095/6 "2014-03-07T20:42:24Z")
For Rye, substitute [Swish](http://www.swishbarrel.com/)… at your own risk. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2014, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-comparable-alternative/683095/7 "2014-03-07T22:16:48Z")
Wow… that’s just awful. Really though… the premium/decent value brand for rye is: Knob Creek Rye vs Old Overholt. ---
**Author:** ![Cerridwyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Cerridwyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cerridwyn)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2014, 9:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-comparable-alternative/683095/8 "2014-03-12T09:11:10Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > For Cointreau, try Gran Gala orange liqueur, or Harlequin Orange Liqueur. Not the comparable of Cointreau–I did that; any other alcoholic beverage.:smack: