Are you old enough?
As it is well known that you should only drink in moderation, and that producers can only offer their nectars to people of legal age, you can only enter the Benedictine website after indicating your date of birth, or confirming it with the help of social networks. Wise precaution!
Benedictine... a fairly old story!
Indeed, it is said that it was around 1510 that a Benedictine monk created an elixir that was obviously secret, and which immediately met with great success! As a result, the Benedictine monks of Fécamp produced it until the revolution.
From then on, we entered a troubled period, and the recipe was lost!
And it was not until 1863 that a wine merchant found it in his library. He deciphered it, reconstructed it, and named the result "Benedictine" in homage to the greedy monk. Then he had the Benedictine Palace built as a sumptuous setting for the distillery, and his collection of works of art turned into a museum, choosing a completely atypical, very surprising architecture, a real princess' castle!
The museum
This museum of the Benedictine Palace is on the 1st floor. A lift is available to access it. You will find there the exceptional collection of ancient and sacred art, the exhibition on the contemporary history of Benedictine, the room of plants and spices, the distillery, the tasting area, the tea room and the shop.
Apart from the unusual aspect of building a marvellous palace for the greater glory of a liqueur, another unusual aspect is the way of visiting it. Indeed, after admiring what is on display in the museum, you are invited to take part in what are called "experiments".
These experiences are active thematic routes
For example, you can take part in the "Privilege" experience, which takes you through the steps involved in making Benedictine nuns, before helping you to create a cocktail yourself. Other "experiences" are also available, each of which approaches the liqueur from a particular angle, and introduces you to the creation of the greatest cocktails known throughout the world, with the assistance of a professional barman!
Palais Bénédictine
110, rue Alexandre Le Grand
76400 Fécamp
https://www.benedictinedom.com/fr/fr/flamboyant-palais/
*** Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator
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