Benedictine DOM Liqueur 40% 70cl

Description

Benedictine DOM Liqueur is a Monastic style herbal liqueur. It has a rich history and complex flavour profile.

History of Benedictine Liqueur

Benedictine DOM Liqueur was created in 1863 by Alex Le Grand in France in 19th Century France. He had acquired the recipe from a religious foundation where a maternal grandparent had held office as a fiscal prosecutor. However, in a brilliant piece of marketing, it was alleged that the recipe, dating back to 1510, was created by monks in the Benedictine Abbey of Fécamp in Normandy. Legend has it that the last surviving monk of the Abbey of Fécamp passed down the secret recipe to the Le Grand family to preserve the recipe and the legacy of the Benedictine monks.

Creation of Benedictine

In fact, the recipe was created by Alexandre Le Grande himself and a local chemist – the story was concocted to increase sales.  from a religious foundation where a maternal grandparent had held office as a fiscal prosecutor. After a spell of ownership by the Martini & Rossi, the Barcardi Group acquired the brand in 1992. As well as the main liqueur they also produce B&B (a combination of Brandy and Benedictine) and a single-cask, oak-aged version.

The Secret Within the Bottle

The recipe for Benedictine liqueur is a secret (known to only three people at one time, a bit like the recipes for Green and Yellow Chartreuse). Benedictine DOM Liqueur is based on brandy and neutral spirit and flavoured with 27 different herbs and spices with saffron to give the amber hue. Some of the herbs and spices have been used since the biblical times and many still have a place in folk remedies.

A Global Selection of Botanicals

The origin of these plants is like a journey around the world: from Greece to Africa, to Indonesia, India and so much more. These herbs are used in four different preparations, three using distillations and one maceration, all aged independently before blending and further ageing. Twenty-one of the herbs and spices are known: angelica, hyssop, juniper, myrrh, saffron, mace, fir cones, aloe, arnica, lemon balm, tea, thyme, coriander, clove, lemon, vanilla, orange peel, honey, red berries, cinnamon and nutmeg.

Why Does Benedictine have DOM on the Label?

Each bottle of Benedictine Liqueur has the initials DOM on the label, this is an abbreviation for “Deo Optimo Maximo” (“To God, most good, most great”). This abbreviation is commonly used at the beginning of documents of the Benedictine Order as a short dedication of the work.