Bénédictine (French pronunciation:[benediktin]) is a herballiqueur produced in France. It was developed by wine merchantAlexandre Le Grand in the 19th century and is flavored with twenty-seven flowers, berries, herbs, roots, and spices.[1] A drier version,B&B, blending Bénédictine withbrandy, was developed in the 1930s.
In 1863, Alexandre Le Grand developed a recipe for a herbal liqueur, helped by a local chemist, from old medicinal recipes he had acquired from a religious foundation where a maternal grandparent had held office as a fiscal prosecutor. To market it, Le Grand embellished a story of it having been developed by monks at theBenedictineAbbey of Fécamp inNormandy and produced by them until the abbey's devastation during theFrench Revolution.[2][better source needed] Le Grand began production under thetrade name "Bénédictine", using a bottle with a distinguishing shape and label. To reinforce the myth, Le Grand placed the abbreviation "D.O.M." on the label, for "Deo Optimo Maximo" ("To God, most good, most great"), used at the beginning of documents by the Benedictine Order to dedicate their work.[citation needed]
In 1982, just 15% of the liqueur production was sold in France, with 45% of the product going to the United States of America.[3] As a result of returningGreat War soldiers of theEast Lancashire Regiment having acquired a taste for the drink while stationed in France, people inBurnley, England, drink Bénédictine with hot water, known as "Bene 'n' 'ot", and the Burnley Miners Club is reputedly the largest single customer.[4] The abbey at Fécamp was used for a convalescence hospital.[5]
In 1986, theMartini & Rossi group took control of Bénédictine. In 1992, they, in turn, were bought out byBacardi for a reported $1.4 billion.
By 2010, around 75% of the production had been exported. This marked a significant increase in its popularity in France. The biggest consumers of Bénédictine are theUnited States,Malaysia andSingapore.[6][7]
The recipe is a closely guardedtrade secret, purportedly known to only three people at any given time.[8] So many people have tried to reproduce it that the company maintains on its grounds inFécamp a "Hall of Counterfeits" (Salle des Contrefaçons). The bottle and label have been imitated, as has the nameBénédictine. The company prosecutes those it feels are infringing on itsintellectual property.
The manufacturing process involves several distillations, which are then blended. The recipe of Bénédictine is a commercial secret. Still, it is known to contain 27 herbs and spices, of which the following 21 are publicly known:[citation needed]angelica,hyssop,juniper,myrrh,saffron,mace,fir cones,aloe,arnica,lemon balm,tea,thyme,coriander,clove,lemon,vanilla,orange peel,honey,red berries,cinnamon, andnutmeg.
The same company also produces "B & B" (or Bénédictine and Brandy), developed in the 1930s in response to a shift in taste toward drier (less sweet) liqueurs, simply by blending Bénédictine withbrandy. Originally, both products were 43% alcohol by volume (86 proof), but they are now 40% alcohol (80 proof).[when?]
In 1977 the company introduced a 30% alcohol (60 proof)coffee liqueur which was called Café Bénédictine, a blend of Bénédictine and a coffee-flavoured liqueur, but it has been discontinued. The company also produces Bénédictine Single Cask, which comes in a unique black bottle and is only available at the Palais de la Bénédictine's store in Fécamp, Normandy, France.[citation needed]
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