Guignolet () is a French wild cherry

liqueur A liqueur ( , ; ) is an alcoholic drink composed of Liquor, spirits (often rectified spirit) and additional flavorings such as sugar, fruits, herbs, and spices. Often served with or after dessert, they are typically heavily sweetened and un-age ...

. It is widely available in France, including at supermarkets such as ''

Casino A casino is a facility for gambling. Casinos are often built near or combined with hotels, resorts, restaurants, retail shops, cruise ships, and other tourist attractions. Some casinos also host live entertainment, such as stand-up comedy, conce ...

'' and others, but is not widely available internationally. A leading producer is the company Giffard in

Angers Angers (, , ;) is a city in western France, about southwest of Paris. It is the Prefectures of France, prefecture of the Maine-et-Loire department and was the capital of the province of Duchy of Anjou, Anjou until the French Revolution. The i ...

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

, the same town where

Cointreau Cointreau (, , ) is a brand of orange-flavoured triple sec liqueur produced in Saint-Barthélemy-d'Anjou, France. It is consumed as an apéritif and digestif, and is a component of several well-known cocktails. It was originally called Curaça ...

is produced. The Cointreau brothers were instrumental in its reinvention, the original recipe having been lost.

Composition and etymology

It obtains its name from ''guigne'', one of a few species of cherry used in its production. (Black cherries and sour cherries are also used.) It has an alcohol content between 16 and 18° proof (ca. 12%), an aroma vaguely reminiscent of whiskey, and a very sweet taste.

Uses

It is drunk

neat Neat may refer to: * Neat (bartending), a single, unmixed liquor served in a rocks glass * Neat, an old term for horned oxen * Neat Records, a British record label * Neuroevolution of augmenting topologies (NEAT), a genetic algorithm (GA) for t ...

as an aperitif. The cocktail ''guignolo'' is composed of guignolet, champagne and

cherry juice Cherry juice is a fruit juice consisting of the juice of cherries. It is consumed as a beverage and used as an ingredient in various foods, processed foods and beverages. It is also marketed as a health supplement. It is produced by hot- or cold ...

Literature Mentions

Jules Romains mentions the liqueur in his novel "Les Copains" (Éditions Gallimard,1922). The innkeeper responds to Broudier et Bénin: "Je n'ai justement plus de fine, mes bons messieurs; mais j'ai encore du ''guignolet''. In

Fred Varga Fred or FRED may refer to: People * Fred (name), including a list of people and characters with the name Mononym * Fred (cartoonist) (1931–2013), pen name of Fred Othon Aristidès, French * Fred (footballer, born 1949) (1949–2022), Fred ...

's thriller An Uncertain Place, two of the characters share a guignolet every night, accompanied by winkles picked out by each with his personal pin, one with a blue head, one with an orange head.

Jean Giraud Jean Henri Gaston Giraud (; 8 May 1938 – 10 March 2012) was a French artist, cartoonist, and writer who worked in the Franco-Belgian comics, Franco-Belgian ''bandes dessinées'' (BD) tradition. Giraud garnered worldwide acclaim predomin ...

aka Moebius has "The Major" consume a "Kirch Guignolet" (sic) in his graphic novel "The Hunted Hunter", a tie-in to his acclaimed work "

The Airtight Garage ''The Airtight Garage'' ( or, in its earliest serialized form, ) is a lengthy comic strip work by the artist and writer Moebius (real name Jean Giraud). It first appeared in discrete two-to-four-page episodes, in issues 6 through 41 of the Fra ...

". Audric Baillard, a key recurring character in Kate Mosse' Languedoc trilogy of books (Labyrinth,Sepulchre and Citadel) is especially fond of Guignolet.

References

Cherry liqueurs and spirits French liqueurs {{Distilled-beverage-stub