10 Best Benedictine Cocktails to Try at Home

Potent, earthy, floral, and sweet, these Benedictine cocktails are a dream.

With its Cognac base and sweet notes, you’ll love this herbal liqueur.

Bénédictine was invented by a benedictine monk named Dom Bernado Vincelli at the Abbey of Fécamp in Normandy, France.

And it dates back to the 15th century when it was sold as a medicinal tonic.

The recipe is a well-kept secret passed down over 500 years to a select group of people.

It features 27 herbs and spices from around the world, including saffron and honey.

So, needless to say, these Benedictine cocktails are pretty darn unique.

10 Most Popular Cocktails with Benedictine

1. The Benediction 

With a mixture of Champagne and orange bitters, this a celebratory drink to end all celebratory drinks.

It’s floral and lovely, with just a touch of bitterness. 

The mixers in the Benediction enhance the bright flavors of the booze rather than masking them. 

So if you’re new to Benedictine and want a cocktail that gives this fragrant liqueur center stage, you can’t go wrong with this recipe.

And if you prefer it sweeter, swap the Champagne for Prosecco.

Either way, it’s light and bubbly. So make a big punch bowl and let your guests go wild.

2. Vieux Carré 

In New Orleans, the Vieux Carré is one of those classic, must-have drinks everyone has to try at least once.

Think of it as the Long Island iced tea of the French Quarter. 

From the robust brandy and rye base to the floral Benedictine, Vermouth, and bitters, it’s quite a potent cocktail that’s best sipped slowly.

(Or else you may wake up with a slew of Mardi Gras beads!)

The flavors are dark, fragrant, and complemented beautifully by a twist of lemon.

3. Made in France Bénédictine Cocktail 

This cocktail hails straight from the Benedictine castle in France, so you know it has to be good. 

While it’s a simple recipe, it celebrates the flavors of Benedictine. And it’s ideal for anyone new to this unusual liqueur. 

The made-in-France Benedictine cocktail comes together much like a classic martini. 

Only this is a blend of Cognac, red Vermouth, and Benedictine, with a lemon peel for brightness. 

4. B&B Cocktail 

No, the B&B in this recipe doesn’t stand for bed and breakfast.

Instead, it’s a super simple yet classic drink to sip on a chilly night featuring Benedictine and brandy.

The B&B is most often served on the rocks, but you can also drink it slightly warmed as a nightcap.

Drinking it warm releases all the floral and sweet notes from the booze, and it will warm your cold bones in no time. 

Either way, the B&B cocktail is a must-try!

5. Silent Night Cocktail – Bourbon and Benedictine 

Here’s another must-try, only this one’s for the bourbon fans!

It delivers all the boldness you’d expect from a Tennessee whiskey.

And the natural sweetness of bourbon is the perfect match for the floral-herbal sweetness found in Benedictine.

While it’s great on its own, a splash of bitters and an orange peel takes this simple cocktail over the top.

It’s dark and mysterious, making it the perfect nightcap or holiday cocktail. 

It’s the type of cocktail you sip slowly in front of a roaring fireplace with a good book. 

6. Frisco Sour Cocktail 

You’ll love the Frisco sour if you love sour cocktails as much as I do.

It’s composed like a whisky sour (with whiskey and citrus), but it also features Benedictine, making it a bit more frisky.

That gives it a honey-like sweetness and a punch of floral notes that play so well off the lemon. 

It’s a fantastic cocktail to serve at happy hour or a summer BBQ when you want something potent yet refreshing. 

7. Monte Carlo Cocktail 

The Monte Carlo is Monoco’s take on the New York-style Manhattan. And it’s very much the type of cocktail you sip slowly to appreciate the complex flavors. 

Like a Manhattan, the Monte Carlo starts with a base of rye whiskey.

But instead of adding sweet Vermouth, you’ll give it a sweet, floral twist with Benedictine. 

Still, the star of this show is the rye whiskey. Serve it on the rocks with a lemon peel. 

8. Milk and Honey Cocktail

Just looking at the pictures in this post, you’ll see that Benedictine is often used in dark and boozy drinks.

That makes them strong and pretty grown up. So if you want something a bit more mellow, give the two-ingredient Milk and Honey a shot.

A quick blend of Benedictine and milk, it’s just what you need to ensure a night of sweet dreams.

The honey in the title isn’t actually an ingredient, but a component of the alcohol. It’s sweet enough that you don’t need to add any more.

9. Poet’s Dream Cocktail  

One sip of the Poet’s Dream feels like stepping into the pages of a Robert Frost poem.

It’s a potent cocktail but doesn’t incorporate dark and heavy liquors. 

Instead, the flavors of gin, dry Vermouth, and Benedictine are exciting and a little mysterious- like any good poem. 

It’s finished with a dash of orange bitters and a lemon twist to lift those bright floral and sweet notes. 

This robust yet surprisingly light drink is just what you need to unwind after a long day.

10. The Widow’s Kiss 

Contrary to what you might think, a Widow’s Kiss is sweet and lovely. 

It’s also a fabulous autumn cocktail because it incorporates an apple brandy base. 

Mix that with fragrant benedictine and bitters, and it walks that fine line between sweet and bitter in all the best ways. 

But as it’s a sweeter cocktail, it makes for a better after-dinner treat.

If you’re on the hunt for a fantastic cocktail to serve at your next Halloween party, the Widow’s Kiss will not disappoint.