Grand Marnier
The French liqueur made with cognac and bitter orange in the bottle with the red ribbon. Everything about the flavor, the varieties, the difference from Cointreau, how to drink it and the right glass to serve it in.
Cognac and bitter orange, since 1880
Grand Marnier is a French liqueur created in 1880 by Louis-Alexandre Marnier Lapostolle. He did something daring at the time: he blended expensive cognac with a distillate of bitter oranges (Citrus bigaradia) from the Caribbean and sugar. Hotel owner César Ritz is said to have suggested the name 'Grand Marnier' to him, at a time when everything was called 'petit' instead. The bottle, shaped like a cognac still and featuring the red ribbon, has changed little since then.
The classic Cordon Rouge consists of 51% cognac and 49% orange liqueur, and has an alcohol content of 40%. The cognac gives it an amber color and a warm, rounded character, whereas a triple sec such as Cointreau is clear and fresh. Grand Marnier is still made in the Cognac region and in Neauphle-le-Château near Paris, and has been part of the Italian Campari Group since 2016.
In brief
What types of Grand Marnier are there?
Grand Marnier Cordon Rouge
The original with the red ribbon: 51% cognac and bitter orange. Warm, rounded and versatile, from neat pours to Margaritas.
Grand Marnier 35 cl
The same Cordon Rouge in a half bottle. Handy for the home bar if you mainly use it in cocktails or desserts.
Louis Alexandre
Named after the founder, who always added an extra splash of cognac to his glass. 82% VSOP cognac: drier and more cognac-forward than orange.
Cuvée du Centenaire
Created in 1927 for the house’s centenary, with cognacs aged up to 25 years. Rich, smooth and full of candied orange.
Cordon Rouge does it all; Louis Alexandre is for those who drink it neat.
Orange with the warmth of cognac
Orange peel & cognac
Candied and bitter orange peel, with the warm, fruity aroma of cognac and a hint of vanilla and hazelnut.
Round and warm
Sweet and full-bodied, with orange up front and the roundness of cognac behind it. Less sweet and fresher than you might expect from a liqueur.
Long and slightly bitter
A long, warm finish of orange peel, oak and a slight bitterness that calls for another sip.
Flavor profile of Grand Marnier Cordon Rouge neat. Louis Alexandre is drier and more cognac-forward; Cuvée du Centenaire is richer and smoother.
Three ways to drink Grand Marnier
Grand Marnier is one of the few liqueurs that is just as good neat as it is in a cocktail. After dinner, on the rocks or in a luxurious Margarita.
Neat, after dinner
Pour 30 ml into a brandy snifter or small tulip glass at room temperature. Warm the glass in your hand for a moment and sip slowly, like a cognac. The classic French digestif.
Glass: brandy snifter →On the rocks
50 ml Grand Marnier over a large ice cube in a tumbler, with an orange zest. The ice makes it fresher and lighter; also delicious with a splash of tonic or soda.
Glass: tumbler →Grand Margarita
50 ml tequila, 25 ml Grand Marnier and 25 ml lime juice, shaken and strained into a margarita glass with a salted rim. The 'Cadillac Margarita': richer and rounder than with Cointreau.
Margarita recipe →The best cocktails with Grand Marnier
Grand Margarita
Tequila, Grand Marnier and lime. The cognac in the liqueur makes the Margarita rounder and warmer.
Sidecar
Cognac, orange liqueur and lemon with a sugared rim. With Grand Marnier, double cognac.
B52 shot
Kahlúa, Baileys and Grand Marnier in three layers. Grand Marnier is the top orange layer.
Grand Mimosa
Orange juice and champagne with a splash of Grand Marnier. The brunch classic with an extra layer.The right glass for Grand Marnier
A brandy snifter or tulip-shaped liqueur glass for neat pours, a tumbler for on the rocks, a margarita glass for the Grand Margarita, and a straight shot glass for the B52. These are the glasses we recommend.
Everything you still wanted to know about Grand Marnier
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