Grand Marnier Cuvee Louis-Alexandre
Grand Marnier Cuvee Louis-Alexandre is a 750mL cognac-based orange liqueur bottled at 40% ABV, created in 1977 as a tribute to the house's founder — the man who first blended cognac with bitter orange in 1880 and who liked his own glass with an extra measure of aged cognac in it. This cuvee pours the way he drank it: 82% VSOP cognac, from the finest growing areas of the Cognac region and aged in Troncais oak, against 18% bitter orange liqueur — a far more cognac-forward build than Cordon Rouge's 51%. It is available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor.
- ABV: 40%
- Size: 750mL
- Blend: 82% VSOP cognac / 18% bitter orange liqueur
- Cognacs: VSOP from the Cognac region's finest crus, Troncais oak
- Created: 1977, honouring founder Louis-Alexandre Marnier Lapostolle
- Origin: Bourg-Charente, Cognac, France
The Founder's Glass, Bottled
Louis-Alexandre Marnier Lapostolle built Grand Marnier on a heresy — that cognac and bitter orange belonged in the same bottle — and then drank his own creation with a private amendment: an extra drop of aged cognac, for intensity. The house bottled that preference in 1977 as the Cuvee Louis-Alexandre, raising the cognac share from Cordon Rouge's 51% to 82% VSOP and letting the orange play support instead of lead. The result is the driest, most spirit-led Grand Marnier of the core range, and the house's chosen pour for revived Belle Epoque classics. Set it beside its siblings on the Grand Marnier vendor page and the cognacs it draws on in our cognac collection.
Tasting Notes
The house describes a warm amber colour with copper and orange tints; a nose of candied orange lifted by citrus zest and bergamot; and a palate of candied orange and macerated citrus held in check by pine and Earl Grey tea notes, finishing very long with pronounced cognac warmth.
How to Enjoy
Neat, as the founder took it — or in the house's named classics for this cuvee, a Sazerac or a Sidecar, where the extra cognac weight shows. More orange liqueurs and cognac pours are across our spirits collection.
Frequently Asked Questions
How is Louis-Alexandre different from Cordon Rouge?
Cognac share: Louis-Alexandre is 82% VSOP cognac, Cordon Rouge is 51% cognac. Louis-Alexandre is more intense, drier and more cognac-led; Cordon Rouge is the brighter all-rounder.
Who was Louis-Alexandre?
Louis-Alexandre Marnier Lapostolle, who created the original Grand Marnier in 1880 by combining cognac with bitter orange. This 1977 cuvee honours his personal habit of adding extra aged cognac to his own glass.
Is Cuvee Louis-Alexandre a cognac?
It is a cognac-based orange liqueur — 82% VSOP cognac with bitter orange liqueur — not a straight cognac bottling.
The way the founder poured it — order Grand Marnier Cuvee Louis-Alexandre online from Del Mesa Liquor in San Diego, CA.