When it comes to flavoured liqueur, Grand Marnier ranks high as one of the best. The unique blend of fine French cognac has a rich history.
Therefore, here is everything you need to know about the liqueur which deserves its “grand” name.
What is Grand Marnier?
Grand Marnier is a French brand of liqueurs. It was created in 1880 by Alexandre Marnier-Lapostolle. Marnier-Lapostolle created Grand Marnier Cordon Rouge, an orange-flavoured liqueur which remains the best-known product of the brand to date.
According to the brand’s official website, the Grand Marnier’s first distillery was built in 1827 by Jean Baptiste Lapostolle in the village of Neauphle-le-Château, a small city outside of Paris. In 1876, his granddaughter, Julia, married Louis-Alexandre Marnier, who came from a family of wine merchants. Hence, he began to distribute Lapostolle’s products.
Louis had the audacious idea to combine cognac with a rare variety of oranges from the Caribbean. He called it Curaçao Marnier. However, his loyal friend and legendary founder of the Ritz Hotel, César Ritz, suggested a new name which had to be “petit” to conform to the fashion standard of Paris at the time. Ritz came up with the name “Grand Marnier”. It was the beginning of Grand Marnier orange and cognac liqueur, and the recipe has remained unchanged since then.
Meanwhile, Louis-Alexandre trademarked a new iconic bottle shape, inspired by the silhouette of a traditional cognac still. The bottle was designed by the crystal specialists at Baccarat, the finest maker of crystal glassware in France. He also adopted the wax seal and the ribbon, first in yellow and then in the iconic red. The bottle designs became the signature of Cordon Rouge, which is still used today.
During the extravagant Belle Époque, Grand Marnier was served in the Ritz Hotel and the Savoy Hotel. The brand has released several editions which became popular in the United States of America in the 1880s. On 15 March 2016, the Campari Group announced a takeover offer for Société des Produits Marnier Lapostolle S.A., who is the owner of Grand Marnier.
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Grand Marnier liqueur
There are varieties of the Grand Marnier liqueur. They include the following:
Cordon Rouge
The Cordon Rouge is the oldest and most popular brand of the Grand Marnier liqueur collection. Created in 1880 by Louis-Alexandre Marnier Lapostolle, the recipe includes exotic bitter orange with the full body of Cognac. It can be consumed on its own and used in mixed drinks and desserts.
Cuvée Louis-Alexandre
In 1977, the Cuvée Louis-Alexandre was recreated in honour of Louis-Alexandre Marnier Lapostolle. The recipe was inspired by a ritual that Louis-Alexandre loved– adding an extra drop of Cognac to his glass of Grand Marnier liqueur to give it a more intense taste.
Cuvée du Centenaire
In 1927, a limited quantity of Cuvée du Centenaire was first released to mark the 100th anniversary of the House of Marnier Lapostolle. The ingredients include a blend of refined XO Cognacs combined with the essence of exotic bitter oranges.
Grande Cuvée Révélation
Grande Cuvée Révélation has a high cognac content, which adds to its exceptional taste. The ingredients include 68 eaux-de-vie made exclusively from Grande Champagne. It is then blended in a rare XXO cognac. Grande Cuvée Révélation has aged a minimum of 14 years.
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Grande Cuvée Quintessence
This is a limited annual edition which represents the ultimate statement from the House of Marnier Lapostolle. It is a rare blend of exceptionally old vintage Cognacs, sourced exclusively from Grande Champagne, all aged in French oak casks. The rare Cognac blend is then combined with Grand Marnier’s signature wild exotic orange. Only 1,000 products have been released each year.
How to get Grand Marnier
You can find Grand Marnier products in major stores or online stores. Grand Manier can be taken in various ways. It can be consumed “neat” or mixed with other drinks such as Cosmopolitan, Margarita, Sangria, Sidecar and the B-52. You can also use it to prepare flambé dishes such as crêpes Suzette, Grand Marnier soufflé and crème brûlée.
Other dishes include “Canard à l’orange” roasted duck, Bûche de Noël (Yule log), and cranberry sauce. Grand Marnier can be a great alternative for fruit cakes or other types of cakes as a replacement for brandy and can also be drizzled over vanilla ice cream.
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