- Navan liqueur
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NAVAN Natural Vanilla Liqueur Type Liqueur Manufacturer Alexandre Marnier-Lapostolle Country of origin France Introduced Fall 2004 Alcohol by volume 40% Proof 80 Colour Medium to pale gold hue Flavor vanilla NAVAN (nah-váhn), made with 100% natural vanilla from Madagascar, is produced by the House of Grand Marnier. One of the world’s most complex spices[citation needed], natural vanilla contains more than 250 flavor components, and is the second most expensive spice after saffron.
NAVAN’s name comes from the city of Navana on Madagascar (pronounced “Nah-vahn” by the local Malagasi people) where the vanilla is grown. Some have also noticed the relation between the name and the spice (NAtural VANilla).
Contents
History
The history of the Grand Marnier brand began with the founding, by Jean-Baptiste Lapostolle, of a distillery in Neauphlele-Château near Paris, which quickly acquired a solid reputation for the quality of its eaux-de-vie. When Louis-Alexandre Marnier created his first luxury liqueur in 1880, orange was widely popular, yet also expensive and difficult to find . It took him years to cultivate the perfect oranges for Grand Marnier in his exquisite garden. This same garden that yielded oranges in St Jean Cap-Ferrat would later inspire a quest for the perfect vanilla – his great grand daughter, Alexandra Marnier Lapostolle, current President of Marnier- Lapostolle North America and creator of Casa Lapostolle Wines, chose the natural vanilla flavor to create NAVAN, a new liqueur founded on Grand Marnier's success. To uncover a widely popular yet rare, refined flavor, as a tribute to her great grandfather. NAVAN launched in 2004 in the USA where it is distributed by Moet Hennessy USA. It is also available in Canada, and the Caribbean. In 2008 NAVAN introduced a revised, less sweet formula, largely based on feedback given by bartenders and chefs.
By 2010, the Lapostolle family decided to cease making Navan. After repackaging and tweaking the formula, Navan did not sell the way the family had hoped. According to a Massachusetts salesperson, the news of the end of Navan production was a great disappointment to retailers and customers. "Once the word was out, retailers bought out the entire supply at Martignetti Companies, extremely fast. My thought was that had the product been marketed as 'Grand Marnier Vanilla' it might have met a different fate. I remember at the outset that retailers who tried Navan were hooked. Bill Taylor, a customer of ours and the General Manager of the Kappy's Western Massachusetts' stores at that time, commented when he tried it that he thought it was the smoothest cognac that he ever had. 'Smoother than some wines I've tried,' he quipped." Navan will be missed.
Production
Combining fine Cognac with another flavor – in NAVAN’s case, natural vanilla – requires a unique expertise that the House of Grand Marnier has been doing for more than 125 years. When creating NAVAN, more than 150 eaux-de-vie from 500 distilleries were delicately blended.
NAVAN features natural vanilla from Madagascar. One of the world’s most complex spices, natural vanilla contains a full aroma spectrum and is the second most expensive spice after saffron. The natural vanilla is flown to France where it is married with fine French cognac that has been aged for up to 10 years. Once blended, NAVAN ages an additional 6 months so the flavors can mature together.
Natural Vanilla
Natural vanilla comes from the Vanilla Orchid, one of 35,000 varieties of orchid that grow only in certain areas of the globe, foremost among which is the Indian Ocean island of Madagascar, the leading producer of natural vanilla. Orchids do not make the vanilla bean naturally; the human touch (or the Melipona bee) is needed to pollinate the flower, starting the 11/2-year process of this rare and unique spice. After 18 months, the yellow-white flowers begin to bloom, slowly maturing into slender beans or pods. Each orchid blossoms only one day a year, for several hours. The fruits, which resemble big green beans, must remain on the vine for nine months in order to completely develop their signature aroma. However, when the beans are harvested, they have neither flavor nor fragrance. They develop these distinctive properties during the long curing process.
Mixology
NAVAN has partnered with mixologists in the US such as Aisha Sharpe who have created cocktails based on culinary inspiration. These cocktails use a variety of ingredients that are often exotic and unexpected.
External links
Categories:- French liqueurs
- Cognac
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