Mandarine Liqueurs

Antoine-François de Fourcroy (1755-1809), Count of the Empire and physician to Napoleon Bonaparte, was the originator of the liqueur Mandarine Napoleon. Mandarines were introduced into Europe from China in the latter part of the 18th century and were considered in France to be an exotic fruit. They grew especially well on the island of Corsica, Napoleon's birthplace. Fourcroy had the idea of macerating mandarines in alcohol and then blending the resulting distillate with cognac. Napoleon was so taken with this new liqueur that he often invited Antoine-François de Froucroy to share a glass with him. So Mandarine Napoleon was born. First bottled in 1892, the Emporer's favourite liqueur still belongs to the Fourcroy family, where its recipe remains a closely guarded secret. Mandarine Napoleon is now sold in over 100 markets around the world.