Benedictine: an overview of the liqueur and its analogues + 11 cocktail recipes

The French herbal liqueur Benedictine made a serious statement on the alcohol market in 1873. Its creator was the wine merchant Alexandre Legrand, who lived in the Norman seaside town of Fekan.

History of Benedictine

To give a noble charm to the new drink, a legend was invented that connects the origin of the elixir with the local Benedictine monastery, which has existed in the neighborhood since 1001. To this end, the inventive Legrand even traveled to Rome to negotiate with the general of the Order of St. Benedict's copyright transfer for the production of the drink. A tribute to the legend was the image of the abbreviation "D.O.M.", which represents the initial letters of the Catholic devotional formula "Deo Optimo Maximo" (to God the Greatest).).

Over time, Benedictine, due to its unusual taste, has gained worldwide popularity, which has attracted the attention of the largest alcohol companies. As a result, the Bacardi company became the sole owner of the brand.

Composition and varieties of Benedictine

According to official data, the herbal elixir, the secret of which, as usual, is known only to three inhabitants of the globe, contains 27 ingredients, in addition to water and beet alcohol. Among them, we managed to identify the following: acacia honey, myrrh, amber, fir buds (according to another version, fir cones), thyme, arnica, hyssop, saffron, juniper, lemon balm, tea leaves, mint, aloe, angelica, orange and lemon zest, vanilla, cloves, cinnamon, coriander, and nutmeg.

All the above-mentioned ingredients (except honey) are divided into four groups, insisted, distilled, mixed and sent to oak barrels for 8 months. Then the drink is flavored with honey, heated, filtered, diluted to forty degrees and finally matured within a few more months. The result is a strong yellow-green decoction with vanilla notes in the aroma, a characteristic bitter aftertaste and a persistent honey finish.

In addition to the basic (Ordinary) version of the drink, there are two more varieties:

B & B - a 1:1 blend of Benedictine and cognac brandy, which was particularly successful in the 1930s.

Benedictine Single Cask - is a non-exported premium spirit produced in limited batches since 1984. Its distinctive features are an additional two-year aging and a stylish black bottle.

In many countries, including the former USSR, there have been repeated attempts to produce imitations of Benedictine that are more or less close to the original. The museum, created in the small homeland of the liqueur, even has a special room dedicated to such fakes.

Analogues of Benedictine

If we talk about the drinks that are closest to it, we can name, with a certain degree of conventionality, the following: Chartreuse, Becherovka, Vana Tallinn and, perhaps, Drambuie...

How to drink Benedictine

In its pure form, the drink of interest is consumed exclusively after a meal as a digestif. It is served in liqueur glasses with a small ice cube.

Benedictine is also very good as an addition to tea or coffee.

Among the numerous cocktails that use this liqueur, it is especially worth highlighting: "Bobby Burns", "Lady Dee" and "Singapore Sling".

Bobby Burns

Ingredients

1. Benedictine - 2-3 drops

2. Scotch whiskey - 40 ml

3. Red vermouth - 40 ml

4. Lemon - 1 slice

Method of preparation

1. Mix all liquids in a shaker with ice.

2. Pour through a strainer into a cocktail glass.

3. Squeeze lemon into it and put the slice on the bottom.

Lady Dee

Ingredients

1. Benedictine - 10 ml

2. Dry London gin - 20 ml

3. Orange juice - 20 ml

4. Orange bitters - 2 desha

5. Grenadine syrup - 5 ml

6. Add champagne - to taste

7. Sugar - 5 g

8. Orange - 0.5 mugs

9. Cocktail cherry - 1 piece

Method of preparation

1. Shake all liquids except champagne in a shaker with ice.

2. Pour through a strainer into a glass.

3. Add champagne and stir gently.

4. Garnish the glass with a sugar rim.

5. Garnish with a cherry and an orange skewered on a skewer.

Singapore sling

Ingredients

1. Benedictine - 1 drop

2. Dry London gin - 30 ml

3. Cherry liqueur - 10 ml

4. Cointreau liqueur - 1 drop

5. Angostura - 1 drop

6. Pineapple juice - 60 ml

7. Lime juice - 40 ml

8. Pineapple - 1 slice

9. Cocktail cherry - 1 piece

Method of preparation

1. Shake alcoholic beverages in a shaker with ice.

2. Pour through a strainer into a highball glass with a few ice cubes.

3. Add lime juice.

4. Add pineapple juice.

5. Garnish the glass with fruit on a skewer.

Anabelle

Ingredients

1. Benedictine - 40 ml

2. White dry vermouth - 5 ml

3. Lime juice - 5 ml

Method of preparation

1. Pour all ingredients into a small glass with crushed ice.

2. Stir well.

English

Ingredients

1. Benedictine - 50 ml

2. Dry London gin - 15 ml

3. Lemon juice - 150 ml

The method of preparation

1. Mix everything in a shaker with ice.

2. Pour through a strainer into a tall glass with ice.

3. Serve with a cocktail straw.

April shower

Ingredients

1. Benedictine - 10 ml

2. Ordinary brandy or cognac - 40 ml

3. Orange juice - 40 ml

The method of preparation

1. Shake all liquids in a shaker with ice.

2. Pour through a strainer into a glass.

Garnish

Ingredients

1. Benedictine - 20 ml

2. Ordinary brandy or cognac - 40 ml

3. Lemon liqueur - 20 ml

4. Lemon juice - 30 ml

5. Orange - 1 slice

6. Pineapple - 1 slice

Method of preparation

1. Mix all the alcohol in a glass with ice.

2. Add juice.

3. Mix well.

4. Garnish glass with fruit.

Mar del Plata

Ingredients

1. Benedictine - 10 ml

2. Ordinary brandy or cognac - 30 ml of gin

3. White dry vermouth - 20 ml

4. Lemon - 1 slice

The method of preparation

1. Combine all liquids in a mixing glass with ice.

2. Strain through a strainer into a glass.

3. Squeeze the lemon in and put it on the bottom.

Honeymoon 2

Ingredients

1. Benedictine - 15 ml

2. Calvados - 30 ml

3. Cointreau liqueur - 15 ml

4. Lemon juice - 15 ml

The method of preparation

1. Shake all ingredients in a shaker with ice.

2. Strain through a strainer into a glass.

Patriarch

Ingredients

1. Benedictine - 30 ml

2. Vodka - 50 ml

3. Lemon juice - 5 ml

4. Grenadine syrup - 1 desh

The method of preparation

1. Fill the mixing glass a third full of ice.

2. Mix all the ingredients in it.

3. Pour through a strainer into a glass.

Slavic

Ingredients

1. Benedictine - 15 ml

2. Ordinary brandy or cognac - 30 ml

3. Lemon liqueur - 40 ml

4. Sherry - 30 ml

5. Lemon - 1 slice

6. Cocktail cherry - 1 piece

The method of preparation

1. Shake all liquids in a shaker with ice.

2. Pour through a strainer into a glass.

3. Put the cherry on the bottom of the glass.

4. Garnish the edge of the container with lemon.

Update: 28.11.2017

Category: Liqueurs and Tinctures