In the late 18th Century, Antoine-Francois de Fourcroy, physician to Napoleon Bonaparte, distilled and combined mandarins from China, local herbs and spices, and aged cognacs to create the alleged “favorite liquor” of the Emperor. Today, however, the mandarins are sourced a bit closer to home in Sicily and Valencia and Manarine Napoleon sells all over the world. And of course, like any respectable digestivo, the recipe remains a closely guarded secret.
Interestingly enough, it was during dinner at the annoyingly inventive (but outstandingly situated) Akelare restaurant outside of San Sebastian, and not in Biarritz, where I ended up trying Mandarine for the first time. As opposed to the Italian version which can be flat, the addition of cognac to this digestivo gives it a bit more body and texture, blending nicely with the macerated fruit. I don’t think I could drink glass after glass of the stuff, but Mandarine definitely does the trick after a long meal.
I must also note the spectacular way in which this digestivo was served. By placing the snifter in a bowl of ice, the liquid remains pleasurably cold without getting diluted by the melting ice water. This was the first time il digestivatore has ever seen a digestivo served in such a manner. Absolutely brilliant!
Famous Drinker: Napoleon
Update! check out the old bottle I just found during a recent visit to a fantanstic digestivi collection in London; I definitely like it better.
Il Digestivo 
