D.O.M. Bénédictine
- Category Liqueur
- Country of Origin n.c
- Manufacturer n.c
Bénédictine is an herbal liqueur that contains 27 herbs and spices.
In 1510, at the Benedictine Abbey of Fécamp in Normandy, a monk named Dom Bernardo Vincelli developed the recipe. It was produced at the abbey until the recipe was lost during the French Revolution. In 1863, Alexandre le Grand re-discovered the recipe, and began production under the trade name Bénédictine. The company he founded continues to produce the liqueur today.
The recipe is a closely guarded trade secret, ostensibly known to only three people at any given time. So many people have attempted to replicate it that the company maintains a "Hall of Counterfeits" (Salon de Contrefaçons).
The manufacturing process involves several distillations which are then blended.
The company also produces B&B, which is Bénédictine diluted with brandy, which was developed in the 1930s.
Every bottle of Bénédictine has the initials DOM on the label which stands for "Deo Optimo Maximo" [God is greatest]
The Burnley Miners' Club in Lancashire, UK is the world's largest single consumer of Benedictine. Lancashire regiments acquired a taste for the liqueur during the First World War.
If you have any further information on this particular product, please email Anistatia Miller at anistatia.miller@euvs.org.