Grand Marnier
Grand Marnier
Grand Marnier is a liqueur created in 1880 by Alexandre Marnier-Lapostolle. It is a kind of triple sec, made from a blend of true cognacs and distilled essence of Bitter orange. Grand Marnier is 40% alcohol (80 proof). It is produced in several varieties, most of which can be consumed "neat" as a digestif and can be used in mixed drinks and desserts.
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.
Cordon Jaune or "Yellow Ribbon" Grand Marnier is scarce in North America. It 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 spirit rather than cognac. It is used for mixed drinks and cooking purposes, such as Crêpes Suzette.
Cuvée Louis-Alexandre Marnier-Lapostolle is a special selection of cognacs taken from the best known districts (Grande Champagne, Petite Champagne, Borderies, Fins Bois and Bons Bois) and aged at length in oak casks. It is only available in duty-free shops in Canada and Holland and all of France.
Grand Marnier 150, technically called Cuvée Speciale Cent Cinquantenaire ("Special Sesquicentennial Edition"), was awarded a Gold Medal at the Salon des Arts Ménager in 1983 - Brussels, 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 50-year-old cognacs sealed within hand-finished frosted glass bottles featuring hand-painted Art Nouveau decorations. At approximately $220 USD per bottle, it was previously marketed under the slogan "Hard to find, impossible to pronounce, and prohibitively expensive."
