A sweet liqueur first made in the sixteen century by the Benedictine monks of the Abbey of Fecamp in the Normandy region of France. Dom Bernardo Vincelli is the monk credited with creating the original recipe. Commercial production began in 1863, when Alexandre Le Grand found this recipe in some old family papers. He made some changes and began selling the product, with immediate success. He named it Bénédictine in honor of the monks who first made it. The labels on the bottles are printed with the initials D.O.M., for the Latin phrase deo optimo maximo, which means “to God, most good, most great.” Bénédictine is based on Cognac and is said to be flavored with 27 spices and plants; however, the exact recipe is a highly guarded secret. Bénédictine is traditionally served after coffee, straight or on the rocks, as a digestive. B&B, or Bénédictine and brandy, a combination of the two, is also produced and bottled in Fecamp. It is drier than Bénédictine and is served in the same way.
