Marnier Lapostolle

The story of a vision - Marnier Lapostolle

In 1827, Jean Baptiste Lapostolle founded a small distillery in Neauphle-le-Château, near Paris. This small operation would later become the foundation for a much larger vision. This took its next step when Julia, Jean's granddaughter, married Louis-Alexandre Marnier and the business took the name Maison Marnier Lapostolle. Louis-Alexandre had the idea to combine the famous brandy Cognac with Caribbean bitter orange. The Grand Marnier was born.

Great strides to success

The friendship between Marnier and César Ritz, founder of the famous hotels, further accelerated the success. The name Grand Marnier, which had previously been called Curaçao Marnier, can also be traced back to César. Over the next few years, the popularity of the iconic spirit increased, becoming a must-have in the Belle Époque. In the 1980s, it also made the leap to the U.S., where it became famous again as part of the Grand Margarita cocktail. Finally, in 2016, the Campari Group acquired Marnier Lapostolle.

The home of Marnier Lapostolle

The brand's liqueurs are made in Château de Bourg-Charente, in a chateau on the edge of Champagne whose origins date back to the 13th century.

Production process of Grand Marnier

Grand Marnier is based on grapes of the Ugni Blanc variety on the one hand, and oranges of the Citrus Bigaradia variety on the other. The grapes come from the Cognac region and are sourced from local growers. The wine is distilled in copper pot stills and finally the Eau de Vie is aged in wooden barrels. The oranges are harvested while still green and their peels are dried in the sun to concentrate the essential oils. The peels are finally shipped to the home distillery in Château de Bourg-Charente where they are macerated. The ingredients are then married and bottled in the iconic bottles, which are marked with the iconic red ribbon and wax seal.

The special brothers

In addition to the classic Grand Marnier, some special editions are produced today, such as the anniversary creation Cuvée de Centenaire, which was first produced in 1927 for the 100th anniversary, or the premium Cuvée Quintessence.