Grand Marnier is a
liqueurA liqueur is an alcoholic beverage that has been flavored with fruit, herbs, nuts, spices, flowers, or cream and bottled with added sugar. Liqueurs are typically quite sweet; they are usually not aged for long but may have resting periods during their production to allow flavors to marry.The...
created in 1880 by
Alexandre Marnier-LapostolleAlexandre Marnier-Lapostolle created Grand Marnier, an orange flavored cognac liqueur, in 1880. He learned how to distill from his father who was a wine and spirit merchant.-References:*...
. It is made from a blend of true
cognacCognac , named after the town of Cognac in France, is a variety of brandy. It is produced in the wine-growing region surrounding the town from which it takes its name, in the French Departements of Charente and Charente-Maritime....
s and distilled essence of
bitter orangeThe name "bitter orange", also known as Seville orange, sour orange, bigarade orange, and marmalade orange, refers to a citrus tree and its fruit. Many varieties of bitter orange are used for their essential oil, which is used in perfume and as a flavoring...
. Grand Marnier is 40% alcohol (70
ProofAlcohol proof is a measure of how much alcohol is contained in an alcoholic beverage. The term was originally used in the United Kingdom and was defined as 7/4 times the alcohol by volume . The UK now uses the abv standard instead of alcohol proof. In the United States, alcoholic proof is defined...
in UK, 80 Proof in US). It is produced in several varieties, most of which can be consumed "neat" as a digestif and can be used in
mixed drinkA mixed drink is a beverage in which two or more ingredients are mixed. Some mixed drinks are alcoholic beverages that contain liquor; others are non-alcoholic.-Types:Some popular types of mixed drinks are:...
s and desserts. In France this kind of use is the most popular especially with Crêpes Suzette and "crêpes au Grand Marnier".
César RitzCésar Ritz was a Swiss hotelier and founder of several hotels, most famously the Hôtel Ritz, in Paris and The Ritz Hotel in London...
reportedly came up with the name "Grand Marnier" for Marnier-Lapostolle, who in return helped him purchase and establish the
Hotel Ritz ParisThe Hôtel Ritz is a grand palatial hotel in the heart of Paris, the 1st arrondissement. It overlooks the octagonal border of the Place Vendôme at number 15...
.
Grand Marnier is a
liqueurA liqueur is an alcoholic beverage that has been flavored with fruit, herbs, nuts, spices, flowers, or cream and bottled with added sugar. Liqueurs are typically quite sweet; they are usually not aged for long but may have resting periods during their production to allow flavors to marry.The...
created in 1880 by
Alexandre Marnier-LapostolleAlexandre Marnier-Lapostolle created Grand Marnier, an orange flavored cognac liqueur, in 1880. He learned how to distill from his father who was a wine and spirit merchant.-References:*...
. It is made from a blend of true
cognacCognac , named after the town of Cognac in France, is a variety of brandy. It is produced in the wine-growing region surrounding the town from which it takes its name, in the French Departements of Charente and Charente-Maritime....
s and distilled essence of
bitter orangeThe name "bitter orange", also known as Seville orange, sour orange, bigarade orange, and marmalade orange, refers to a citrus tree and its fruit. Many varieties of bitter orange are used for their essential oil, which is used in perfume and as a flavoring...
. Grand Marnier is 40% alcohol (70
ProofAlcohol proof is a measure of how much alcohol is contained in an alcoholic beverage. The term was originally used in the United Kingdom and was defined as 7/4 times the alcohol by volume . The UK now uses the abv standard instead of alcohol proof. In the United States, alcoholic proof is defined...
in UK, 80 Proof in US). It is produced in several varieties, most of which can be consumed "neat" as a digestif and can be used in
mixed drinkA mixed drink is a beverage in which two or more ingredients are mixed. Some mixed drinks are alcoholic beverages that contain liquor; others are non-alcoholic.-Types:Some popular types of mixed drinks are:...
s and desserts. In France this kind of use is the most popular especially with Crêpes Suzette and "crêpes au Grand Marnier".
César RitzCésar Ritz was a Swiss hotelier and founder of several hotels, most famously the Hôtel Ritz, in Paris and The Ritz Hotel in London...
reportedly came up with the name "Grand Marnier" for Marnier-Lapostolle, who in return helped him purchase and establish the
Hotel Ritz ParisThe Hôtel Ritz is a grand palatial hotel in the heart of Paris, the 1st arrondissement. It overlooks the octagonal border of the Place Vendôme at number 15...
.
Cordon Rouge
Cordon Rouge or "Red Ribbon" is the original Grand Marnier liqueur created in 1880 by Alexandre Marnier-Lapostolle. It is consumed neat and is also used in cocktails and desserts.
Awards
- Gold Medal World Spirits Competition, San Francisco 2001
- 4 Star recommendation from F. Paul Pacult’s Kindred Spirits, the Spirit Journal Guide
Cordon Jaune
Cordon Jaune or "Yellow Ribbon" Grand Marnier is only sold in some European countries and at some major international airports. Yellow Label Grand Marnier is generally regarded as being the lowest quality. It is made with
neutral grain spiritNeutral grain spirit is a clear, colorless, flammable liquid that has been distilled from a grain-based mash to a very high level of ethanol content...
rather than cognac. It is used for mixed drinks and cooking purposes, such as
Crêpes SuzetteCrêpe Suzette is a French dessert consisting of a crêpe with beurre Suzette, , a sauce of caramelized sugar and butter, tangerine or orange juice, zest, and Grand Marnier or orange Curaçao liqueur on top, served flambé.-Preparation:...
.
Cuvée du Centenaire
Cuvée du Centenaire ("Centennial Edition"), was first released in limited quantities in 1927 to commemorate the 100th anniversary. It is made with up to 25-year-old fine cognacs and is consumed neat. It is more expensive, at about US$145 per bottle.
Awards
- 5-star recommendation from F. Paul Pacult’s Kindred Spirits, the Spirit Journal Guide
- Double Gold medal at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition 2001
- Gold Medal at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition 2007
Cuvée Speciale Cent Cinquantenaire
Grand Marnier 150, technically called
Cuvée Speciale Cent Cinquantenaire ("Special Sesquicentennial Edition"), was awarded a Gold Medal at the Salon des Arts Ménagers in 1983 –
BrusselsBrussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
, and is the finest type of Grand Marnier. Also Double Gold Medal at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition in 2007. It is made with up to 50-year-old cognacs sealed within hand-finished frosted glass bottles featuring hand-painted
Art NouveauArt Nouveau is an international philosophy and style of art, architecture and applied art—especially the decorative arts—that were most popular during 1890–1910. The name "Art Nouveau" is French for "new art"...
decorations. At approximately $220 USD per bottle, it was previously marketed under the slogan "Hard to find, impossible to pronounce, and prohibitively expensive."
Awards
- “Best of the Best” Spirits
A distilled beverage, liquor, or spirit is an alcoholic beverage containing ethanol that is produced by distilling ethanol produced by means of fermenting grain, fruit, or vegetables...
in the Robb ReportThe Robb Report is an American, English-language, luxury-lifestyle magazine featuring products — including automobiles, real estate and watches — for affluent connoisseurs.-History:...
- 5-star recommendation from F. Paul Pacult’s Kindred Spirits, the Spirit Journal Guide
- “Best Liqueur
A liqueur is an alcoholic beverage that has been flavored with fruit, herbs, nuts, spices, flowers, or cream and bottled with added sugar. Liqueurs are typically quite sweet; they are usually not aged for long but may have resting periods during their production to allow flavors to marry.The...
” at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition 2001
- Double Gold Medal at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition 2007
Cuvée Louis-Alexandre Marnier-Lapostolle
Cuvée Louis-Alexandre Marnier-Lapostolle is a special selection of cognacs taken from the best known districts (
Grande ChampagneGrande Champagne is a French district, called a cru, known for its cognac. It produces the finest cognacs in a zone of 34703 hectares, of which 17% is dedicated to production of cognac. At its heart is the town of Segonzac, in the Département of Charente. Grande Champagne is situated entirely in...
,
Petite ChampagnePetite Champagne is a geographic zone of Cognac production of approximately 66,000 hectares, of which about 15,000 are dedicated to wines destined for cognac. It is situated in the départements of Charente and Charente-Maritime. The principal towns of the region are Barbezieux , Archaic and Jonzac...
, Borderies,
Fins BoisA wine producing sub-region within the Cognac appellation, geographically surrounding the sub-regions of Grande Champagne, Petite Champagne and Borderies, and which falls within both the Charente and Charente-Maritime departments in South-West France, just north of Bordeaux.Fins Bois is regarded as...
and Bons Bois) and aged at length in oak casks. It is only available in duty-free shops in
CanadaCanada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, the
NetherlandsThe Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
and France and liquor stores in Quebec, Canada.
Use in food
Grand Marnier is used in several kinds of pastries, such as liquor cream buns. It is also used in the French dessert known as
Bûche de Noël (
Yule logA Yule log is a large and extremely hard log which is burned in the hearth as a part of traditional Yule or Christmas celebrations in several European cultures...
). It is frequently used in recipes for cranberry sauce, as sweetness and citrus can be a contrast to the bitterness of cranberries. It is also an ingredient for the preparation of
FlambéFlambé is a cooking procedure in which alcohol is added to a hot pan to create a burst of flames. The word means flamed in French ....
dishes, such as Crêpes Suzette, Grand Marnier Soufflé and
Crème brûléeCrème brûlée , also known as burnt cream, crema catalana, or Trinity cream is a dessert consisting of a rich custard base topped with a contrasting layer of hard caramel...
.
Cocktails
Grand Marnier can be used to make cocktails. Some examples of these include the
CosmopolitanA cosmopolitan is a cocktail made with vodka, triple sec, cranberry juice, and freshly squeezed lime juice or sweetened lime juice. Informally, it is referred to as a Cosmo.-History:...
,
MargaritaThe margarita is a cocktail consisting of tequila mixed with orange-flavoured liqueur and lime or lemon juice, often served with salt on the glass rim. It is the most common tequila-based cocktail in the United States...
, Sidecar, Dirty Harry, Grand Mimosa,
B-52The B-52 is a layered shot composed of a coffee liqueur , an Irish Cream , and an orange cognac . When prepared properly, the ingredients separate into three distinctly visible layers...
, the Grand Marnier Smash, The Grand Smash, The Smash Marnier, The Bloody Smash, The Maced Marnier, The Ace Marnier Smash, Frosty Smash, The Smace, The Grand Hound, The Blood Pug, The Clarke, The Nogley and the Grand Marnier Fireball. The
International Bartenders AssociationThe International Bartenders Association, often confused with the International Bar Association, founded on February 24, 1951 in the Saloon of the Grand Hotel in Torquay, England, is an international organization established in order to represent the best bartenders in the world.An annual event,...
versions of the Cosmopolitan and the Margarita call for the more neutral
CointreauCointreau is a brand of triple sec produced in Saint-Barthélemy-d'Anjou, France. It is drunk as an apéritif and digestif, and is a component of several well-known cocktails. It was originally called "Curaçao Blanco Triple Sec".-Production:...
as opposed to the stronger flavored Grand Marnier.
Time-stamp labeling
- The bottle features the production date. For example, on the banderole around the bottle neck of a Cordon Rouge there is an L followed by two digits for the year, three digits for the day of the year and another two digits for the hour. L0606914 means the bottle was filled in 2006 on day number 69 (10 March) between 14:00 and 14:59.
External links