Grand Marnier is an orange flavored liquor made from three different kinds of cognac. Most people don’t know that it is a member of the triple sec family and can be substituted for triple sec in any drink recipe. In fact, the substitution of Grand Marnier a for triple sec is what gives the Grand Gold Margarita to its name.
Red label Grand Marnier is the oldest made. It was first created in 1880 by Alexander Marnier-Lapostolle, and the recipe has not changed in hundreds of years. It is the blend of cognac with the essence of oranges by traditional methods that gives Grand Marnier its rich dessert flavor. It’s beautiful color and silky smooth texture makes it ideal for both desserts and mixed drinks.
Grand Marnier is often used in French pastries and other desserts. It makes a great cream filling as well. As an accent in food, the orange flavor is an enhancement that can’t be beat. It’s also an excellent liquor to use in flaming desserts like strawberries and ice cream, caramelized in Grand Marnier or bananas Foster. You can use it in cakes, muffins and as an ingredient in marinades for fish and chicken. Even Donald Trump featured a Grand Marnier cake that was five feet high in one of his weddings.
Some people find the flavor of Grand Marnier to be too strongly orange. Others like the flavor so much that they drink it on the rocks as a dessert or in coffee after dinner. However you enjoy your Grand Marnier, be prepared to spend a little more then you do on your average triple sec. Regular blend Grand Marnier it is normally in the five to eight dollar per snifter range, but the special 100-year blends can be as much as 35 dollars per shot.
One thing other than dessert and other food that goes great with Grand Marnier it is a fine cigar. Grand Marnier and port are featured prominently in cigar dinners everywhere. The challenge of creating a meal around cigars and liquors is one every fine restaurant owner enjoys. The patrons who attend these dinners appreciate the attention given to marrying each course with the right accoutrements.
The recipe is not the only thing that has stayed the same about Grand Marnier over the years. It has been made for 150 years in the same traditional way. It has been bottled and the same traditional bottle, which is shaped like a cognac still, corked and sealed with wax. It uses the same exotic orange fruit from Haiti as one of its main ingredients. It even uses the exact same label that it has been using for 150 years. This makes it one of the most well branded and instantly recognizable drinks in the world.
There are many popular cocktails that use Grand Marnier as a main ingredient. The Grand Gold Margarita it is that an all-time high in popularity right now, but there are plenty of others to choose from. One of my favorites is a little-known drink called a 50/50. The 50/50 is a blend of vanilla vodka, Grand Marnier and either cream or milk over ice.
Since the Grand Gold Margarita is so popular right now, I’ll tell you how to make it:
Grand Gold Margarita
1 ounce Grand Marnier
2 ounces Cuervo Gold Tequila
1 ounce Rose’s Key Lime Juice
Shake your ingredients in a shaker over ice. Pour into a chilled margarita glass. Garnish with a lime wedge. Some people prefer the glass to be rimmed with salt, and some don’t. If your customer or guest would like a salt rim, just slide your lime wedge around the edge of the glass and dip it in bar salt before filling.
We also mentioned how versatile Grand Marnier is in desserts. Here is a fun one to try at home:
Chocolate Fondue with Grand Marnier
1/5 lb. milk chocolate
1 lb. dark chocolate
3⁄4 cup water
zest of 1 orange
1⁄4 cup glucose
1⁄4 lb. almond hazelnut praliné
1⁄4 cup butter
2 tbsp. GRAND MARNIER®
Cordon Rouge liqueur
Bring the water to a boil with the finely grated orange zest. Pour slowly
over chopped chocolate. Stir in the praliné, butter and the liqueur.
Pour into your fondue pot. Serve this with pieces of pastry and fruit the like banana or strawberry for dipping.