Grand Marnier named by Ritz
The exact formula for Grand Marnier – the orange-flavored, brandy based, sweet cordial similar to Curacao and Contra produced in France – is a long kept secret.
The process basically involves steeping orange peels and other ingredients in a wine brandy, then filtering and distilling the liquor to which sugar syrup is added. *A connoisseur of fine cognac, Louis-Alexandre Marnier Lapostolle had the innovative idea of blending cognac with a rare variety of orange from the Caribbean the “Citrus bigaradia”. At the time, oranges were luxury items, consumed mostly at special occasions, like Christmas.
Invented by Marnier Lopostolle, a French businessman, in the late 1800s, the name was suggested by Cesar Ritz of the famous Ritz Hotel. Ritz proposed the name half-derisively to the pompous little inventor, but apparently Lopostolle was delighted with the suggestion. He not only adopted the name but also invested a large sum in the new Paris Ritz Hotel
*The Grand Marnier® story began in 1827 when Jean-Baptiste Lapostolle founded a distillery in Neauphe-le-Château, France that produced fruit liqueurs. It was in 1876, when his granddaughter married Louis-Alexandre Marnier, the son of a wine-making family from the Sancerre region, that the Marnier Lapostolle family was born.
Auguste Escoffier, master chef of the hotel chain around 1900, used Grand Marnier in a number of preparations, such as Fraise Femina, strawberries macerated in sugar and Grand Marnier, then dressed on a bed of orange ice cream and topped with some of the liqueur of maceration.
Although Grand Marnier usually conjures up such culinary delights as Soufflé Grand Marnier and Canard a la Orange along with Crepes Suzette, desserts are indeed where the liqueur is at its best. Grand Marnier is indicated in the following recipes, but Cointreau or Curacao can work equally well. Another interesting choice would be Mandarine Napoleon, which is similar to grand Marnier but is tangerine based. Think of these liqueurs and another flavoring agent in your cooking arsenal. Here are a few of my favorite recipes using orange liqueur. Serve the sable cookies on the side.
Tastefully yours®
Chef Michael Hutchings
Note: Information from the Grand Marnier Web Page