grand marnier - Difford`s Guide

GRAND
MARNIER
Grand Marnier is one of the world’s best known liqueurs.
Like so many enduring products it started as one man’s
idea and its success has continued to be driven by his
entrepreneurial family.
Words & Pictures: Simon Difford
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arnier-Lapostolle, the company that makes Grand Marnier, was established
in 1827 by Jean-Baptiste Lapostolle when he founded his modest distillery
in Neauphle-le-Château, a small village near Paris. The distillery soon
acquired a reputation for fine fruit liqueurs and his company made modest profits.
But Jean-Baptiste could not have dreamt that 157 years later, his fledgling business
would become the fifth largest buyer of Cognac in the world.
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The distillery’s fortunes did not dramatically change until the business was taken
over by Eugéne Marnier-Lapostolle, the founder’s son and, perhaps more dramatically, the man who would become his son-in-law, Louis-Alexandre Marnier.
The Marnier family were wine négociants in Sancerre who distributed
Lapostolle’s products in their local Sancerre region. The relationship between the
two families grew stronger when Louis-Alexandre Marnier became the personal
assistant to Eugéne Lapostolle, a close relationship that soon lead to the young
assistant asking for permission to marry Eugéne’s daughter, Julia. The proud father
consented on the condition that Louis-Alexandre changed his name to MarnierLapostolle, so leading to the present name of the both the family and the company
they still own and run.
In 1870, fleeing Franco-Prussian war, Eugéne journeyed to Cognac where he
met with distillers, visited cellars and was impressed by the distilling expertise he
discovered there. He returned home loaded with fine Cognac which he invited
friends to sample. His young assistant Louis-Alexandre was naturally present and
after one such tasting was so inspired by his father-in-law’s enthusiasm and the
quality of the Cognacs that he set about experimenting in the distillery’s laboratory.
His idea was to blend Cognac with orange. Marnier had already made an orange
liqueur base on neutral spirit using this then hard to obtain exotic fruit. Today,
thanks to Louis-Alexandre, blending Cognac and orange seems a natural match but
in those days to marry the favour of such an exotic, expensive fruit with a strongly
favoured spirit was cutting edge and audacious - akin to flavouring absinthe with
truffles. After ten years of experimentation and sampling different test batches after
maturation, in 1880 he created a liqueur with perfectly balanced flavours.
What we know today as Grand Marnier was originally named ‘Curaçao Marnier’
in line with the company’s range of liqueurs. Indeed, if you visit the company’s
production facilities you will still see old Marnier bottles such as apricot liqueur on
display. It was over decade later before the liqueur was given its present grandiose
title.
Louis-Alexandre personally promoted the new liqueur in France and abroad.
César Ritz, the first Manager of London’s Savoy Hotel was a very influential friend
and supported Louis-Alexandre by introducing the liqueur at the Savoy where it
immediately proved popular.
It was César Ritz who proved the inspiration for the liqueurs enduring name. At
the time, the fashion in Paris was for everything to be ‘petit’: the local newspaper was
the ‘Petit Parisien’, one went out with one’s ‘petite amie’ (literally ‘small friend’) and
so on. César Ritz suggested that Louis-Alexandre buck this trend and rename the
new liqueur, ‘Grand Marnier’, so by association bestowing grandeur and an almost
noble status. This was inspired, after all if someone asks “How you doing?” and you
reply, “I’m grand”, that is conferring you are way better than just merely “doing
well”. ‘Grand’ is about as good as it gets.
Louis-Alexandre was able to repay the favour when César Ritz was dismissed
from the Savoy, harbouring plans to open his own hotel in Paris. Louis-Alexandre
helped his friend by lending him money towards the purchase of what we now know
as the Ritz in the Place Vendôme.
The origins of the Crêpe Suzette (the French fried batter dessert served with
orange juice, caramelized sugar and butter, flambéd with Grand Marnier) are
contested, but it would seem too much of a coincidence that that the chef most often
credited with its invention, Auguste Escoffier, was a close business associate of
César Ritz. The two opened a restaurant together in Baden-Baden, before they were
invited to become the first manager and chef of London’s Savoy Hotel, positions
they both held from 1889 until 1897.
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With such a ‘Grand’ name, an equally grand bottle was required. LouisAlexandre took his inspiration for the design from the shape of the Charente
stills used to make the Cognac that is so key to its flavour. The curvaceous bottle
he designed is still recognisable today. Indeed, it’s practically unchanged.
The Marnier-Lapostolle family now had the holy trinity: a great liqueur,
bottle and name – a combination rarely achieved even to this day. They knew
they had an impressive product - a fact confirmed by its winning numerous
medals, including at the 1889 and 1900 Paris World’s Fairs, so they set about
promoting Grand Marnier around the world. They stopped producing many of
their other liqueurs to concentrate their efforts on Grand Marnier and the big
European and American cities were quickly won over. By the 1960s, Grand
Marnier was available in more than 160 countries around the world.
Today the Marnier-Lapostolle family still own more than 80% of Société des
Produits Marnier Lapostolle, the company that owns and produces Grand
Marnier. The present Chairman, Jacques Marnier-Lapostolle runs the company
alongside other fifth generation family members, Anoinette Coury and Sylvia de
Gasperi. Gilles Coury, Stephaine Marnier-Lapostolle and his sister Alexandra
(who has the married name Cyril de Bournet) also work for the company and
represent the sixth generation.
PRODUCTION
Grand Marnier’s unique flavour comes from Cognac and orange peels – there are
herbs or spices added. Indeed the only additional ingredients are sugar, water
and neutral spirit. (The company’s cuvees don’t even have this last ingredient they are made with just Cognac, orange peel, sugar and water.) The secret to
creating a liqueur with such complexity of flavour lies in the quality of
ingredients used, the skill of the blenders and the processes used. MarnierLapostolle don’t even add caramel for colour consistency, instead relying on the
quality of casks used to age the Cognac and the skill of their blenders.
Citrus Bigaradia, a particularly delicately perfumed variety of bitter orange is
used because of its high concentration of natural oils and therefore flavour. This
citrus fruit only grows in tropical regions where it thrives on a long dry season
with plenty of sun. These are sourced from Marnier-Lapostolle’s own 500
hectare orchard in the Caribbean (Haiti) where they are selected and
handpicked at their aromatic peak whilst still green. If allowed to ripen, essential
oils in the skin would start to be drawn into the fruit. Unlike oranges harvested to
be eaten, Grand Marnier are only interested in the peels so their priority is to
retain the flavour in the skin.
The oranges are cut and quarters of peel spread out on mating to slowly dry
in the Caribbean sun for several days. This slow process is another important
step to ensure the maximum flavour is retained. Once dry, the green skins are
packed into hessian sacks to be shipped to France where sufficient peels for two
year’s production are held in case of emergency or sudden climactic change.
At the distillery the dried peels are rehydrated by soaking in water for 24
hours, and then the white part – the ‘albedo’ (a Greek term which we Brits tend
to refer to as the ‘pith’) is removed. The important part of the peel is the outside
covered with bubbly lumps – that’s where all the oils and flavours are located. In
order for the machine to cut away the albedo the peels must all be turned white
side up. This is achieved by sending the peels cascading down a stepped vibrating
shoot. On their journey down the shoot, gravity turns most of the peels over. The
odd few that make it onto the conveyer at the foot of the shoot the wrong way
round are turned by hand. This hand-sorting process also gives a last opportunity
for the operator to pick out any peels that don’t look to be of perfect quality.
Once the albedo has been removed, the rest of the peel is put in a vat to be
macerated in neutral alcohol reduced to 65% abv with water for three weeks. The
skins and now flavoursome alcohol are poured into pot sills and slowly distilled
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together. The stills are steam heated by copper serpentine coils at the base of the
still, and the peels are held in the top section by a grid to prevent them burning on
serpentine below. A small heart of between just 93% - 89% abv of the run is taken
with the discarded orange-flavoured tails added to the alcohol and fruit for the next
day’s distillation.
COGNAC
Cognac is the other essential ingredient in Grand Marnier and Marnier-Lapostolle
are the world’s fifth largest purchaser of Cognac. The family have their own cellars
beside their château in the small village of Bourg-Charente in the heart of the
Cognac region. The Picturesque Château de Bourg is an imposing property sat high
up on hill high above the Charente River just outside town of Jarnac in the Petite
Champagne wine-growing area.
Originally built in the 13th Century as a moated castle, the property was
extended and converted into a beautiful Château in 1528. The Marnier-Lapostolle
family bought it in 1921 when Louis-Alexandre Marnier Lapostolle took the view
that to be a real player in Cognac they needed to make a grand statement and
become the owner of a landmark property in the region. The drawing room, which
dates from the 18th century has an enormous fireplace, intricately carved to tell a
romantic tale. When the fireplace was bought, the marble structure was so
enormous that the room had to be built around it.
Château de Bourg is a suitably grandiose property for such a ‘grand’ liqueur and
the main purpose of the property is presently the ageing of cognac in its eight
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‘cellars’ which jointly hold some 30,000 casks. As anyone who has stayed there will
also testify, the château is still used as a family residence too.
As is the usual practice in the region, the aging ‘cellars’ at Château de Bourg are
actually warehouse structures built above ground but the ancient cellars set into the
hillside beneath the property do house the company’s ‘Paradise’ where demijohns
hold very old cognacs, some dating back to the early 1900s.
In common with many other cognac houses, Grand Marnier do not distil their
own cognac, they purchase both eau-de-vie and cognacs from more than 240
suppliers, including 45 distillers across Cognac’s top five regions and then age it
themselves. This large supply base helps them attain more consistent blends than
would be possible from just a handful of vineyards. Grand Marnier’s cellar master
works closely with local farmers, bouilleurs de cru and distilleries throughout the
year to ensure the quality and variety of cognacs that will be matured at Château de
Bourg. By selecting the best cognacs, ageing and blending them in their own style
ensures the consistency of the final product, Grand Marnier, is being respected.
The relationship with the individual farmers and bouilleurs de cru that supply
Grand Marnier often goes back generations, and it is common practice for Grand
Marnier to provide them with brand new casks in which to age their Cognac. Indeed,
Marnier-Lapostolle are major customers of Cognac’s largest cooperage, Vicard
Tonnelleries. Ensuring the quality of the eaux-de-vie, the casks and the conditions it
is aged in is key to producing great Cognac, and so in turn, Grand Marnier.
The Cognac Appellation is divided into six different growing areas, each of
which corresponds to a particular soil type thereby producing eaux-de-vie with
distinctive characteristics. The cognacs which go into the making of the Grand
Marnier Cordon Rouge come from Cognac’s best five winegrowing areas: Grande
and Petite Champagne, Borderies, Fins Bois and Bons Bois. The structure of the
eaux-de-vie from Bons Bois forming the base to which the other four cru contribute
add their aromatic characteristics.
Incidentally, the family also bottle their own Cognac Marnier, the quality of
which is a testament to the cellar masters care taken over the purchase and aging of
the eau-de-vie used to make Grand Marnier.
BLENDING
Unlike most liqueurs, the production of Grand Marnier involves two quite different
distillation processes. The orange maceration and the peels are single distilled in a
steam heated still with a column whereas the wine without the pressed grape skins is
double distilled in a direct fired still without the use of a rectifying column. Each
week 50,000 litres of Cognac that has been aged at Château de Bourg-Charente is
blended with essence of tropical orange and beat sugar syrup before being placed in
250,000 hector litre oak vats (that’s about 5 tankers-worth of liquid) to marry and
age for 6 months. This final maturation helps give Grand Marnier its characteristic
roundness and complexity.
Generations of experience have led to Grand Marnier’s polishing process. After
maturation the liqueur is heated to +25°C and then immediately chilled to -6°C.
This forces fatty acids in the liqueur to precipitate so allowing them to be filtered
out using silica mineral filtration. This ensures the finished product is always clear
and bright golden regardless of whether the product is destined for a very hold or
very cold climate.
The product is then sent by tanker to the company’s Gaillon-Aubevoye bottling
and packaging site in Normandy which was built in 1975 to meet growing demand
on a site chosen due to its proximity to the large shipping port of Le Havre. Each
week, the distillery sends over 200,000 litres of liqueur to Aubevoye for bottling.
There are quality control checks throughout every step of the process, from grape
to finished liqueur. In the laboratory, ‘triangular tastings’ are performed each day with
trained tasting panels presented with three black coloured glasses, two of them
containing Grand Marnier and the third one containing the batch under consideration.
Another precautionary filtration is performed at the bottling plant, just in case
there was any residue in the transportation tankers. Then the liqueur is ready to be
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bottled and receive perhaps the most famous final touch, tying of the famous red
moiré ribbon and the wax seal.
Over 100,000 bottles are packaged daily and a fully automated line was
introduced in 2003, partly to avoid repetitive strain injury by workers laboriously
tying the ribbon and applying the wax by hand. However, while this mechanisation
is possible for standard bottle and litre sizes, larger bottles and limited editions are
still prepared by hand. Watching the workers hand-tie the red moiré ribbon and
apply the wax seal is mesmerising, they make it look so easy. Incidentally Grand
Marnier use more than 5,000 metres of ribbon and interestingly, the brass stamps
used to apply the logo to the wax are water cooled to avoid the hot wax sticking to
the stamp.
After packaging, the majority of production is sent to the nearby port of Le
Havre from where it is shipped all over the world to over 150 countries. Grand
Marnier is the most widely exported French liqueur - a bottle of it is sold every two
seconds worldwide.
When tasting Grand Marnier, remember its only ingredients are: Cognac,
Citrus Bigaradia orange peel, sugar and water. It is so rich in subtle nuances that it’s
hard to believe all these flavours come from so few ingredients. It is the quality of the
Cognacs used, the special processes, the maturation period in oak prior to bottling
and the skill of those employed in every stage of production that make Grand
Marnier so complex.
Grand Marnier Cordon Jaune
Grand Marnier Cuvée Louis-Alexandre
40% alc./vol. (80ºproof)
40% alc./vol. (80ºproof)
Cordon Jaune, literally ‘yellow ribbon’, Grand Marnier is only sold in a few
European countries. Yellow Label Grand Marnier is packaged in the familiar
Grand Marnier pot still-shaped bottle but finished with yellow highlights to the
label, along with yellow ribbon and wax seal. It is based on neutral alcohol
without the addition of Cognac so this could be regarded as a Grand Marnier
triple sec. This was actually the original ‘Marnier’ orange liqueur to which LouisAlexandre added cognac to create what we now know as Grand Marnier.
Taste: Clear, very pale straw hue. Clean, fresh, zesty orange nose. Slightly
syrupy zesty orange palate with a splash of freshly squeezed orange juice and a
touch of spice. Zesty orange finish prevented from becoming cloying by a fresh
peppery spice. 4.5/5
With its silver seal and silver and blue label this special blend of Grand Marnier is
clearly distinguishable from the regular Cordon Rouge. It is named after LouisAlexandre Marnier-Lapostolle, the original creator of Grand Marner liqueur.
Older Cognacs are used in this blend than in Cordon Rouge, typically 12 to 15 year
olds with eaux-de-vie drawn from across the top five Cognac regions. Cuvée LouisAlexandre was launched in 2000 and has always contained 2oo grams of sugar per
litre.
Taste: Clear, topaz colour with gold and amber tones. A beautifully balanced
palate with a velvety mouth feel, rich zesty orange and smooth vanilla rich Cognac.
Lasting citrus clean, honeyed finish. 5+/5
Grand Marnier Cuvée du Centenaire
Grand Marnier Cordon Rouge
40% alc./vol. (80°proof)
40% alc./vol. (80°proof)
I should explain for the non-Francophiles that Cordon Rouge literally translates
as ‘red ribbon’. It is the original Grand Marnier liqueur created in 1880 by LouisAlexandre Marnier-Lapostolle and was first served at receptions given by
Edward VII and Emperor Franz Joseph before becoming a favourite of the
Russian Court.
Unlike other orange liqueurs, Grand Marnier Cordon Rouge is based on
Cognac, with eau-de-vie sourced from Cognac’s best five regions. Indeed,
Cognac makes up 51% of the content and the blend of cognacs used have an
average age of three years with some as old as five years. Many will also be
surprised to find that Grand Marnier is relatively low in sugar when compared to
many other liqueurs with 200 grams of sugar per litre.
The blended liqueur is matured in large oak vats for six months prior to
bottling to allow the flavours to marry and round.
Taste: Clear, topaz colour with gold and amber tones. Zesty orange nose with
light spicy, leathery cognac and subtle floral violet aromas. Silky palate bursts
with zesty, juicy flavours and a bitter orange bite. Hints of luxury marmalade,
Cognac, candied orange zest, vanilla and subtle toffee notes. Wonderfully long
bitter orange marmalade and freshly grated black pepper finish. 5+/5
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This special blend of Grand Marnier was created in 1927 by Louis-Alexandre
Marnier-Lapostolle to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the company’s
foundation. It was first served at a reception held at the Villa des Cèdres, the former
home of King Leopold II of Belgium, on the Côte d’Azur.
The Cognacs used are from Cognac’s top two crus: Grande and Petite
Champagne - their average age between 12-25 years (equal to the best XO
Cognacs), although some are as much as 30 years old. Cuvée du Centenaire
comprises of an incredible 82% Cognac and contains 237 grams of sugar per litre.
Each completed batch of Cuvée du Centenaire is matured in large oak casks for
at least two years to fully acquire its harmonious structure and finesse.
Cuvée du Centenaire is not widely distributed, but can be found in more upscale
retail outlets as well as the best hotel and restaurants bars around the world.
Taste: Clear, golden amber with burnished copper tones. A huge burst of rich
orange zest on the nose with leathery cognac and subtle cinnamon, pepper and
turmeric spice aromas. An opulently velvety, honeyed palate with caramelised
orange, candied and dried orange peel, woody vanilla, bitter marmalade,
gingerbread and subtle spice – turmeric, nutmeg and mild tobacco. Citrus flavours
continue through the finish with cinnamon, gingerbread, balsamic, oak and bitter
almond flavours. 5+/5
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Grand Marnier Cuvée du Cent Cinquantenaire
40% alc./vol. (80°proof)
An exceptional Grand Marnier created in 1977 by the Chairman of the company,
Jacques Marnier-Lapostolle, to celebrate the company’s 150th anniversary. It was for
many years reserved exclusively for the Marnier-Lapostolle family and their close
friends. It is now available in very limited quantities.
Cuvée du Cent Cinquantenaire is based on rare Cognac reserves primarily from
Grande Champagne. Equivalent to ‘Extra’ Cognacs and well above the age required for
XO, the Cognacs used to make this liqueur have an average age of between 25 and 30
years and some are as much as 50 years old.
Cuvée du Cent Cinquantenaire undergoes an extended final maturation period in large
oak casks for at least three years to ensure harmonious structure and rich complexity.
The finished liqueur comprises of 82% Cognac and contains 237 grams of sugar per
litre.
The richly decorated, hand-painted, art deco bottle depicts orange blossom on one
side and a grape laden vine on the other, both images reflecting the liqueur’s
ingredients. The bottle has a gold wax seal and is presented in a gift box. The copy is a
copy from an old limited bottle from the 1930s.
Taste: Clear, topaz colour with gold and amber tones. A wonderfully refined nose with
cinnamon and mandarin, along with the leather aromas characteristic of an old Cognac.
The palate is velvety, honeyed and complex with mature Cognac – figs, dried prunes
and maple syrup immediately apparent. Wood and vanilla accents with bitter
marmalade and orange zest. More subtle hints of lemon, cinnamon and bitter almond
add depth and interest. 5+/5
Grand Marnier Special Editions
To celebrate the 100th anniversary of the House of Grand Marnier, in 1927 LouisAlexandre Marnier Lapostolle asked artists and artisans to create original designs for
the famous Grand Marnier bottle. The result being a rare and astounding collection
which the Marnier Lapostolle family continue to treasure and it was one of these bottles
that inspired the design of the Cuvée du Cent Cinquantenaire in 1977.
Since 2003, Grand Marnier has paid homage to this initiative by launching a limited
edition bottle at the end of each year.
Cherry Marnier
24% alc./vol. (48°proof)
This superb cherry liqueur from the Grand Marnier stable is made to an original recipe
created by Jean-Baptiste Lapostolle when he founded his distillery in 1827. It is the
oldest recipe still used by Marnier-Lapostolle.
Morello cherries are crushed and macerated in neutral alcohol at Marnier-Lapostolle’s
distillery. This is then strained and the pulp and crushed stones removed and distilled
to produce an aromatic marc. The result of the maceration and this marc are then mixed
and blended with sugar syrup. The blend is then aged in vats for several months to
acquire its balance and roundness before being filtered and bottled. Amazingly the deep
red colour of this liqueur comes solely from the cherries themselves.
Taste: Clear, dark amber. Wonderfully aromatic marzipan nose stewed fruit, vanilla,
blackberry and plum aromas. Velvety but not syrupy palate with rich morello cherries,
blackcurrant, raspberry and warming spirit. Superbly balanced with notes of bitter
almond from the crushed cherry stones are very evident with more subtle vanilla,
chocolate extending the palate. Dark chocolate and cherry finish. 5+/5
www.grand-marnier.com
Producer: Marnier-Lapostolle (Société des Produits), Paris, France.
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