100 Stories > Benedictine: the Tommies’ Tipple

Burnley Miners’ Club is reputed to be the largest consumer in the world of the famous Benedictine liqueur. The club was established in 1918 coinciding with local soldiers returning to the town. How the liqueur came to Burnley is a matter of some debate. One theory is that wounded soldiers of the East Lancashire Regiment attended a Christmas party at the distillery in 1917. Another theory is that the liqueur, with hot water, was given as a medicine in the base hospitals in the same area. ‘Bene ‘n’ hot’ fast became a favourite.