Grand Marnier – 70 cl

Grand Marnier is a popular orange liqueur made in France from a blend of French cognac and bitter orange liqueur. That familiar bottle that adorns bars worldwide is technically called Cordon Rouge, though it's most often simply called Grand Marnier. It is the best-known French liqueur on the market and among the top choices for orange liqueurs in the world. Grand Marnier is a brilliant cocktail ingredient and it offers a smooth citrus taste when drunk on its own.

Substitutions Grand Marnier is sometimes used as a generic term for an orange liqueur and there are plenty of substitutes available. The best options are those that also use a brandy base, such as the Italian Gran Gala. For many recipes, you can also use a premium-quality triple sec (Cointreau is a favorite) or curaçao. Grand Marnier can be a substitute for any of these in most cocktails as well. To retain the quality of your cocktail, avoid extremely cheap orange liqueurs as they can be syrupy and throw off the drink's balance.

Fast Facts

• Ingredients: Orange peel, brandy
• Proof: 80
• ABV: 40%
• Calories in a shot: 76
• Origin: France
• Taste: Sweet, slightly bitter citrusy
• Serve: On the rocks, cocktails, shots

This non-vintage Rose is the end result of a desire to create a Rose champagne with a delightfully luscious, fruit-based charm. Jacques Peters, the cellarmaster, and his team wanted a champagne that would be accessible and naturally engaging while conserving Veuve Clicquot's essential values in terms of style. The wine has a luminous color with attractive pink glints.

The nose is generous and elegant, with initial aromas of fresh red fruit (raspberry, wild strawberry, cherry, blackberry), leading to biscuity notes of dried fruits and Viennese pastries (almonds, apricots and brioche). The fresh attack is followed by a fruity harmonious sensation on the palate. The wine is perfectly balanced in the best Veuve Clicquot style of pink champagnes, combining elegance and flair. The wine works its magic—this delectably full champagne can be enjoyed as a true delicacy. A deliciously fruity wine in earlybloom, this is a wonderful aperitif to be shared as a twosome or simply with friends. Made using 50 to 60 different crus, the cuvee is based on Brut Yellow Label's traditional blend: 50 to 55% Pinot Noir, 15 to 20% Pinot Meunier, and 28 to 33% Chardonnay.

Medium sweet, medium acidic, honey melon notes, orange marmalade notes, hint of honey.

TASTE Mellow and sweet whites are medium-dry or even sweet. You can discern apricot, honeydew melon and floral notes in these wines. Residual sugar rounds up the flavour.

TIPS FOR USE These wines are all characterised by delicious, fruity sweetness, which means that they are excellent for socialising and a good match for Eastern dishes and vegetables. Try with Indian vegetable or chicken korma, shrimp and cheese quiche or black label Emmental.

HOW TO SERVE White wines are best served chilled, at 10–12°C. Chilling a bottle from room temperature to the perfect serving temperature takes about two hours in a fridge. The sweeter the wine, the cooler it can be served.

Find this and more exceptional selections at Kaasak.

Negrita is a blended rum which is distilled on the French islands of Reunion, Guadeloupe, and Martinique in the Caribbean. It is made from sugar cane juice, not molasses

Courvoisier VS cognac is a blend of several crus aged between three and seven years, composed principally of Fins Bois with a balancing hand of Petite Champagne.

The fusion of younger and older cognacs gives Courvoisier VS a fruity, delicate taste and a bouquet filled with ripe fruit and spring flowers.

Armagnac Saint Vivant is a brandy with a very special, very aromatic flavour. The Armagnac was the first French schnapps and is said to be more than 700 years old. For this reason, it is considered the oldest distillate in Europe. The Saint Vivant will explain it to you through its excellent taste that will lead you to savour a piece of history.

TASTING NOTE:

Color: Has an attractive amber colour with mahogany hues.

Smell: Exquisite aromas of prunes mixed with vanilla, caramel, violets and some spicy notes.

Taste: It has a complex entry due to its dense texture and aromatic character. On the palate: the power of alcohol is felt intertwined with caramelized fruit essences, which are rounded off with notes of leather, wood and tobacco.

PRODUCER: Saint Vivant.

Winery located in the French commune of Condom, in the department of Gers. In 1975 it was acquired by the La Martiniquaise group of companies.

COUNTRY: France.

ELABORATION DETAILS: This magnificent Armagnac comes from the distillation of wines made with different varietals of white grapes from the region of Gascony, among which are Ugni Blanche, Baco and Folle Blanche.

The fruits are fermented and then distilled in traditional copper stills. Finally, the liqueur is left to mature for a year in French oak barrels. The entire production process takes place in the commune of Condom-en-Armagnac, located in the southwest of France, which has had the Bas-Armagnac designation of origin since 1936 to make this content-type of liqueur. Another peculiarity of this distillate is its incredible presentation of the traditional bottle with a sloping neck.

ALCOHOLIC STRENGTH: 40%