From The Food Encyclopedia by Jacques Rolland and Carol Sherman
An amber, aromatic, cognac-based liqueur flavored with bitter orange peel (namely, Citrus bigaradia), aged in oak, then enjoyed neat, over ice, in mixed drinks and in crêpes Suzette. It was created in 1880 at the Lapostolle family distillery in Neauphle-le-Château near Paris when Louis-Alexandre Marnier (grandson-in-law of the firm's founder) had the grand idea of flavoring their cognac with orange. An immediate fan, famous hotelier César Ritz helped introduce the new drink to the right people.
