House Of Guinness? Please – We’ve Got The Château Of Cointreau

With all the hype around Netflix’s House of Guinness, the iconic Irish stout has firmly established itself as the buzziest boozer in the biz right now. And while not every family-owned alcohol house has quite a violent past as the show depicts, Guinness aren’t the only ones with a storied history. Though we can’t deny that the stunning Penryhn Castle where the series was filmed left us envious of the Guiness estate, who wants a cold, grey Welsh fortress when you can can have a stunning Art Deco château in the South of France? The former home of the Cointreau family, this castle might just be the perfect spot to throw a cocktail party. The one condition? Only Triple Sec allowed.

This French Chateau Is Owned By The Cointreau Family

The History 

In 1849, amid the height of the French Industrial Revolution, Cointreau’s founder, Adolphe Cointreau, reimagined his family business from baker to boozer, diversifying his confectionery store to include liqueurs. However, it wasn’t the iconic citrus flavours of the Cointreau we know and love today that first made a splash, but rather local favourite, the cherry-flavoured Guignolet. Drawing on its already well-established fruit expertise, the House of Cointreau then expanded its flavour profiles to include strawberries, plums and other regional fruits. 

Seven years later, in 1856 Adople’s brother Édouard-Jean stepped in to join the business, introducing the iconic orange flavour to their recipe books in 1857. Still exotic to French tastebuds, at the time orange was considered a rare and unusual fruit. But it wasn’t until 1875 when Édouard-Jean’s son, just Éduoard, joined the family business with his wife Louisa, that the brand refined their famous recipe. Making it the key focus of the Cointreau business, Éduoard finally perfected the crystalline look and flavourful punch of Cointreau in 1885. 

From there, the Cointreau name slowly spread across France and further afield, eventually becoming integral to iconic cocktails such as the sidecar (1922), margarita (1948) and cosmopolitan (1988). Following Éduoard’s retirement in 1922, his sons Louis and André took the reins as International Salesman and Distillery Director, respectively. As head of a successful business, and with cash to spare, Louis set about commissioning a grand chateau in the Loir Valley. Built between 1928 and 1932, the estate looks over the Montreuil-sur-Loir and offers views of the Boudré forest. Owned by the Cointreau clan ever since, the sixth generation completed a full renovation of the property in 2018.

Step Inside

With its blend of pink granite exteriors, neo-Gothic glass doors and marble entrance hall, this home is as symmetrical as it is audacious. Beyond the grand entrance hall, the 12-bedroom, 12-bathoom home opens up into a reception room featuring a fireplace and 1930s Bechstein grand piano, as well as a smoking room, 24-seater dining room, a home bar, large family kitchen and pantry.

At the heart of the estate, the Orangerie boasts large bay windows and a reception room, hosting up to 125 guests. Opening onto flowered terraces and a landscaped garden, guests can meander down a lit path from the reception room to the boathouse from which they can enjoy cruises on the Loir. The perfect spot for a cocktail party, down below the vaulted cellar once housed the most prestigious Cointreau liqueurs.

Up a marble staircase are the bedrooms, with a range of painted ceilings, original wall fabrics, private bathrooms and private terraces populating the suites. The upper levels host further family and guest bedrooms, some decorated with works by renowned poster artist, and Cointreau family member, Jean-Adrien Mercier, while the top floor offers a former artist’s studio. 

This property is on the market for €3.8m plus €190,000 agency fees. Find out more at johndwood-international.com