Bottle of Grand Marnier. Simon A. Eugster / wikimedia / 2012 / CC BY-SA 3.0
The 14th of July is Grand Marnier Day.
It celebrates the wonderful liqueur made in the Cognac region of France, and a very grand flavour it has indeed, with a bright, concentrated essence of orange flavour warmed by undertones of cognac.
It is wonderful in cooking: in desserts of course, but also in main courses. The classic dishes using Grand Marnier of course are Duck à l’Orange and Crêpes Suzette.
Some people like a splash in their cranberry sauce at Thanksgiving. What about Grand Marnier in your marmalade?
Do you like Grand Marnier drunk neat, or in mixed drinks? Have you ever tried it over ice in the summer?
And speaking of France, today is also Bastille Day!
#GrandMarnierDay #NationalGrandMarnierDay
See also: Cognac, Oranges, Cointreau, Orange Liqueurs
Activities
- Try a recipe today calling for Grand Marnier;
- treat yourself to a sip of Grand Marnier straight up by itself to savour the flavour;
- have a cocktail with Grand Marnier in it.
History
The earliest print mention that CooksInfo is aware of for a “Grand Marnier Day” on the 14th of July occurred in 2016 in Lincoln, Nebraska. The short piece cites John-Bryan Hopkins of the foodimentary.com website as its source for the day:
“July 14: National Grand Marnier Day. Considered the most prestigious liqueur in the world, Grand Marnier is the top secret recipe of cognac, oranges and sugar syrup. Grand Marnier users only “bitter oranges“, known as “Citrus bigardia”, according to foodimentary.com.” — Anderson, Erin. Holidays for your tastebuds. Lincoln, Nebraska: Lincoln Journal Star. Wednesday, 13 July 2016. Page C2, col. 4.
Sources
National Grand Marnier Day. Bismarck, North Dakota: KXNET-TV. 14 July 2021. Accessed July 2021 at https://www.kxnet.com/national-day-calendar/national-day-calendar-national-grand-marnier-day/
Quyn, Paty. 5 Places to Celebrate National Grand Marnier Day in The Hudson Valley. Hyde Park, New York: WCZX-FM. 12 July 2021. Accessed July 201 at https://hudsonvalleycountry.com/hudson-valley-bars-and-grand-marnier/