How to Use Bénédictine in Cocktails

Like most drinks with a history that spans half a millennium, Bénédictine’s past is muddled. The liqueur was, allegedly, first distilled in 1510 at the Bénédictine monastery in Normandy, France, as a medicinal tonic. It’s an origin story that sounds quite similar to that of another iconic French herbal liqueur, Chartreuse—until it doesn’t.

As the story goes, during the French Revolution, the monastery was destroyed and the recipe presumably lost along with it—until, a century later, in 1863, when wealthy wine merchant Alexandre Le Grand is said to have discovered it in an old book. He then claimed to recreate the recipe—a secret blend of 27 herbs and spices, including angelica, saffron and juniper—and marketed his liqueur, Bénédictine, as a recreational beverage. 

In the years since, the liqueur’s popularity has ebbed and flowed, making appearances in classic drinks like the Vieux Carré, the Creole Cocktail and the once-ubiquitous B&B, a simple mixture of brandy and Bénédictine that first appeared in the 1930s at New York’s “21” Club. While far from mainstream today, Bénédictine is finding a more permanent place in the modern bartender’s arsenal thanks to its versatility. The honey, spice and green tea notes make it a good pair for brown spirits, while the herbal flavor accents refreshing drinks like a Daiquiri or Tom Collins.

Want to get started with the liqueur? Here are some of our favorite recipes made with Bénédictine.