Benedictine DOM is celebrating its 500th anniversary in 2010. It is believed that in 1510 at Fécamp Abbey in Normandy, France, Dom Vincelli produced a complex brandy-based elixir consisting of 27 herbs and spices that were infused, distilled, and aged multiple times over a period of two years. In the interim period this exclusive recipe was lost for almost a century and then rediscovered by chance. It was then rechristened as “D.O.M. (Deo Optimo Maximo which if literally translated means “To God, most good, most greatâ€) Bénédictine.
The brandy based elixir was lost during the French Revolution. Alexander Le Grand, a wine merchant and medieval art collector rediscovered it in 1863. Since then the recipe has been a well guarded secret but has been passed on to generations. It is basically a honeyed, peppery, citrus liqueur that has been appreciated by connoisseurs over the centuries.
For the Anniversary celebration, a limited edition Black Monk bottle has been released. The design of the bottle is a tribute to the black robes of the Benedictine Monks. The bottle has been made with etched “cracks†to recall ancient jars that held the original liquid. The label has been etched on the bottle and gilded while the Fécamp Abbey coat of arms has been replicated in a gold seal.
