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Liquor Review: Grand Marnier

Published on March 3rd, 2008 in Liqueurs by Kevin

Grand Marnier There are some things in life that are definitely more enjoyable with a friend or two. Ever trying playing on one of those playground seesaws by yourself? No fun at all. How about a rousing game of football? Yeah, you can run up the score and rock out with your best in-zone dances without embarrassment, but you don’t get to see that satisfying humiliated look of defeat on your opponent’s face. Grand Marnier is one of those things that you could enjoy by itself, but is so much better when you let it socialize with a few high alcohol content friends.

The beverage you know today as Grand Marnier did not always carry that name. When Louis Alexandre Marnier-Lapostolle first invented the liqueur in 1880, he named it Curacao Marnier. The name it carries today was given to it by Cesar Ritz when he first tasted his friend Louis Alexandre’s creation. Obviously, he was a big fan. Yes, if you are wondering, Cesar Ritz is that Ritz. A number of years later Cesar was assisted by Louis Alexandre in procuring a site for his hotel, the Ritz. So if you have ever have the pleasure of staying a night in the aforementioned hotel, pour a glass of Grand Marnier, and toast its creator because without him the hotel would probably not exist.

Grand Marnier is a combination of eaux-de-vie that is created from grapes grown in distinguished regions of Cognac, France and the essence of Citrus Bigardia oranges. To extract the essence of the orange, only the peels are steeped in netrual spirits until just the right amount of flavor has transferred over. The Cognac, which has been aged for up to 5 years, and the distilled essence of Citrus Bigaradia are then combined using a 150-year-old secret recipe and placed into oak casks for another six to eight months of aging. Once bottled, the distinctive red ribbon is hand-tied and sealed before being shipped to your favorite liquor store. This may seem like a lot of effort, but it is well worth it and explains the $46 price tag.

When sipped on the rocks, Grand Marnier has an obviously orange citrus flavor, but it comes along with a bold, sweet, almost toffee flavor added by the cognac. It flirts with being too sweet but goes down extremely smooth with only a little alcohol burn. It also makes for a decent shot when served up chilled. However, as much fun as it is to enjoy by itself, Grand Marnier really excels when you add a few friends to the mix…like Tequila! Use it to replace triple sec in a margarita, and an average drink suddenly turns into an amazing one. We also gave the Grand Tropical cocktail from their website a shot, and it turned out to be Caribbean paradise in a glass. At 80-proof, Grand Marnier has a little more punch than most orange liqueurs and, when consumed straight, will only get you lightly-toasted. Unfortunately, due to the high sugar content of this liqueur, you will be reminded of your drinking experience the next morning. Surprisingly though, it is not as bad as a lot of other liqueurs and is definitely a small price to pay to enjoy this fine beverage.

So in essence, Grand Marnier is just like naked twister. You could play by yourself, but it is just more fun with friends, friends of the opposite sex of course. It is a little pricey but well worth it because I have not found another orange-flavored liqueur that can match its bold and complex flavor. So I say pick yourself up a bottle, invite some friends over, spin the dial, and reach for that fun little colored circle.

Sipability – 6.5

Mixability – 9.0

Drunkability – 6.5

Hangover-ability – 7.0

Bang for the Buck – 4.0

Overall - 7.5