Benedictine renewal
No, Benedictine is not made by Benedictines! It's barely the shadow of a monk, Dom Bernardo Vincelli, that hovers over the liqueur's recipe. On the occasion of the 150ᵉ anniversary of the Palais Bénédictine, let's take a look back at the history of this spirit that everyone has heard of without really knowing.
If there is indeed an abbey in Fécamp where the Venetian herbalist monk may have resided in the early 16ᵉ cent.cle, it was to a man of the 19ᵉ, Alexandre Le Grand, that we owe the creation of Benedictine and its legend.
The basis of the recipe, this wine merchant, is said to have found in a book from the abbey. He perfected it in 1863, and from the moment his liqueur was launched, propelled by a massive advertising campaign, it was a huge success. He then had an architectural extravaganza built, a palace housing both the distillery and, already, a museum displaying the religious objects that the entrepreneur, who was very religious, collected.
A visit to the Palais Bénédictine
This extravagant neo-Gothic, neo-Renaissance building is a jewel in its own right and well worth a visit to Fécamp. The interior has just been renovated by designer Pierre-Cyrille Acquier, who has rethought the museum's layout, furnishings and lighting. spaces (bar, tearoom, boutique) to extend the experience, including a beautiful tasting workshop inspired by a church choir.
Recipe for success
So much for the container. What about the contents of the bottle? A visit to the distillery will give you a better understanding of what this liqueur is made of. It all starts with 27 plants and spices divided into four distinct preparations (including cold macerations) which, after distillation, give four alcoholates. These are blended before ageing, first for eight months, then with the addition of honey, saffron and syrup, for a further four months.
Alongside the original Bénédictine, there are other expressions of the liqueur suitable for lovers of slightly drier spirits: B&B, a mix of Bénédictine and Brandy, Bénédictine 1888, a blend of Bénédictine liqueur and Cognac aged in Cognac oak casks, and Bénédictine 1888, a blend of Bénédictine liqueur and Cognac aged in Cognac oak casks.Cognac oak casks, and Bénédictine Single Cask, also a blend of Bénédictine and Brandy, but aged in small oak casks.
In the Cauchois region, the original Bénédictine is still found on many tables as a digestif, but today it's consumed in cocktails, for example with prosecco and tonic, or cider and/or apple juice for the Norman consistency.
As for the original recipe, it's obviously kept secret. Perhaps it can be found in this book, kept in a safe in the Palais archives, which was presented to us (but not opened) during our visit. The mystery is carefully maintained by the team, and in the end it doesn't really matter. This storytelling, written by Alexander the Great a good century before the term existed, bears witness to man's marketing inventiveness, which still contributes to the success of Bénédictine today.
