Guignolet () is a French wild cherry liqueur. It is widely available in France, including at supermarkets such as ''

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'' 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 prefecture of the Maine-et-Loire department and was the capital of the province of Anjou until the French Revolution. The inhabitants of both the city and the pr ...

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, 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%) and has an aroma vaguely reminiscent of whiskey and a very sweet taste.

Uses

It is drunk

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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 co ...

References

* French Wikipedia:Guignolet 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'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. Audric Baillard, a key recurring character in Kate Mosse' Languedoc trilogy of books (Labyrinth,Sepulchre and Citadel) is especially fond of Guignolet. Cherry liqueurs and spirits French liqueurs {{Distilled-beverage-stub