Bénédictine is a strong French herbal liqueur made from beet alcohol, herbs, and honey. It originated in France and typically has an alcohol strength of 40%.
History
Bénédictine was created in 1510 by monk Don Bernardo Vincelli from the Abbey of Saint Benedict in Fecamp, Upper Normandy, France. The initials D.O.M. on each bottle stand for 'Deo Optimo Maximo,' meaning 'To God, the Best, the Greatest,' which is the motto of the Benedictine Order. During the French Revolution, the abbey was closed and the recipe was lost, but according to legend, Norman wine merchant Alexandre Legrand found an ancient manuscript with encrypted recipes in 1863 and restored one of them.
How it is made
The exact composition of Bénédictine is a closely guarded trade secret, with only three people supposedly knowing all the details at any given time. It contains over twenty-seven different herbs and ingredients, including juniper, saffron, arnica, lemon balm, tea, thyme, coriander, cloves, lemon, vanilla, orange peel, honey, and cinnamon.
How it is served
Bénédictine can be served neat with ice or used in cocktails. On this site, it is featured in cocktails such as Singapore Sling, Bobby Burns, Vieux Carré, Secret Sour, Blood Diamond, Mexican Breakfast, No. 5, Secret Fizz, Poet's Dream, Evolution, 560 State Street, Heather Tea, B & B, Bloody Aztec, and Daily Mail.
Adapted from the Russian Wikipedia article Бенедиктин, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.