In 1849 the brothers Adolphe and Edouard-Jean Cointreau founded the first Cointreau distillery in Angers in France. In 1875 Edouard Cointreau Junior took over what was then a small company. He not only invented the famous liqueur, but also the characteristic square bottle made of brown glass. His liqueur was awarded a first prize at the 1878 World Exhibition in Paris. In 1885, Cointreau had the brand name protected.