🥃 Bénédictine D.O.M.
The core Bénédictine line: a herbal liqueur made with 27 herbs and spices, 40% ABV.
Bénédictine D.O.M. is the core herbal liqueur of the Bénédictine brand, made in Fécamp, Normandy. It is built from 27 herbs and spices and, according to the brand's website and Difford's Guide, is bottled at 40% ABV. It is the sweetest and most herbal version in the range, with a copper-amber colour.
Production. According to Difford's Guide, the base is a neutral spirit. The botanicals, including hyssop, juniper, angelica, cinnamon and saffron, go into four preparations: three are distilled and one is infused. Each preparation matures separately in Limousin oak casks, then they are blended, honey is added, and the liqueur rests for about four months. Oak accounts for roughly two years in total. The full recipe is not published.
Why this matters to you. D.O.M. is the reference point for the rest of the range: B&B, a blend with brandy, is drier, while Single Cask and 1888 are stronger. It is a liqueur, not a bitter or a medicine, so treat it like any other alcohol. The WHO reminds us: there is no safe level of alcohol consumption.
Facts
| Year founded | 1864, Fécamp (Bénédictine brand) |
|---|---|
| EU category | 33 — liqueur |
| Legal basis | Reg. (EU) 2019/787, Annex I, category 33 (liqueur) |
| Raw material | neutral spirit, 27 herbs and spices, honey, saffron |
| Distillation method | three preparations distilled, one infused (per Difford's Guide) |
| Cask type | Limousin oak (per Difford's Guide) |
| Alcohol (% vol.) | 40% ABV |
How it connects to Spirits
🥃 Bénédictine D.O.M. → kind of → 🍸 Liqueurs → kind of → 🥃 Spirits
Links
- Packed in
- 🍷 Oak barrel
- What it contains
- 🍷 Ethanol
- What it affects
- 🍷 Alcohol and health, 🍷 Drunk driving
- Part of
- 🥃 Bénédictine, 🍸 Liqueurs
- Related to
- 🌍 Western Europe
- Similar and different
- 🥃 Bénédictine 1888, 🥃 Bénédictine B&B, 🥃 Bénédictine 1888, 🥃 Bénédictine B&B, 🥃 Bénédictine Single Cask, 🥃 Bénédictine Single Cask, 🍸 Bitter (bitter-tasting spirit drink), 🥃 Drambuie
Frequently asked questions
Is it true that Bénédictine D.O.M. is made to a monks' recipe?
It is a legend. The brand's website mentions methods more than 500 years old, but the brand and the recipe known today date from the 1860s.
What is the strength of Bénédictine D.O.M.?
40% ABV according to the brand's website and Difford's Guide; check the label.
How many herbs are in the recipe?
27 herbs and spices. The brand does not publish the full list, but Difford's Guide names, among others, hyssop, juniper, angelica, cinnamon and saffron.
What to read next
- 🥃 Bénédictine 1888 — A Bénédictine line: liqueur with cognac, named after the year Palais Bénédictine opened; 42.8% ABV.
- 🍷 Alcohol and health — Alcohol in any drink is harmful in large amounts, and the risks grow with the quantity.
- 🍷 Ethanol — The alcohol formed during fermentation that makes you drunk.
- 🍷 Oak barrel — A wooden barrel of oak staves in which wine matures and breathes.
- 🌍 Western Europe — France, the Netherlands, Britain, Ireland, Belgium and Luxembourg: a mild, moist climate, pastures and hundreds of cheeses such as Roquefort, Camembert, Gouda and Cheddar.
Similar
🥃 Bénédictine Single Cask · 🥃 Bénédictine 1888 · 🥃 Bénédictine B&B · 🥃 Luxardo Amaretto di Saschira · 🥃 Luxardo Sangue Morlacco · 🥃 Drambuie Liqueur
⚠️ Spirit drinks contain alcohol and are for adults only. Alcohol harms health. Do not drink during pregnancy or before driving; check the label for ingredients and possible allergens.
Sources
- Bénédictine DOM: Bénédictine D.O.M (27 herbs and spices, 40 % alc./vol., Palais Bénédictine in Fécamp)
- Difford's Guide: Benedictine D.O.M. (40 %, neutral spirit with 27 herbs and spices, saffron, no age statement)
- Difford's Guide: Distillerie Bénédictine (Fécamp; 27 botanicals; four preparations; Limousin oak, about two years; honey; range)
- Regulation (EU) 2019/787 on spirit drinks (OJ L 130, 17.5.2019), Art. 2 and Annex I (liqueur; brandy)
- WHO/Europe: No level of alcohol consumption is safe for our health (04.01.2023)