the best of culture, tr avel & art de vivre

Spr ing 2 0 0 9

No.89

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Art Decos BOLD BIJOUX

LHeure de LAPERO!

Calaiss Lust for LACE

L Apro!
When was the last time you had a Dubonnet on ice? A refreshing splash of Lillet? A bittersweet Suze or decadent absinthe? These traditional aperitifs are so retro theyre practically nouveau. With warm weather on the way, its a great time to indulge in the convivial heure de lapro. All you need is a chilled bottle, some glasses, ice cubes, good friends and the background and tips you will find on the following pages.

By
rene schettler

There is perhaps no better place to enjoy lheure de lapro than in Provence, where lingering late-afternoon light, local olives and flavorful pastis set the stage for relaxed conversation.

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D
The word apritif is derived from the Latin aperire, which means to open. A true aperitif literally opens the palate and physically stimulates the appetite. France being Francethat ungovernable nation of 365 cheeses that so frustrated De Gaulleit has an aperitif culture that varies considerably from place to place. According to Gilles Pudlowski, one of the countrys leading restaurant critics, the aperitif of choice in Paris these days is a glass of white wine. Or Champagne. Were drinking a lot of Champagne to forget about the economic crisis, he quips. The real reason, he says, is that the recent crackdown on drinking and driving has meant that people are choosing lighter drinks and indulging much less when they go out. Frances classic aperitifsDubonnet, Lillet, Ricard, even the wonderfully retro Suzestill have their fan base, however, especially in the provinces. Not surprisingly, the aperitif culture is strongest in the south of France, where a relaxed attitude, a Mediterranean climate and the ineffable quality of lateafternoon light conspire to create an ideal scenario for lingering, conversing, being.
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DeciDing which Drink to enjoy at the enD oF the Day is a

highly personal matter. Your choicestiff or sweet, new or familiarwill be swayed by your mood, your palate, your companions. And your culture. While Americans may gather for happy hour cocktails, the French still enjoy the time-honored tradition of lapritif. Lapro is a gentle transition between a hectic work day and an evening with friends that has yet to unfold, explains Jean-Pierre Xiradakis, owner of the renowned La Tupia bistro in Bordeaux. If lapro goes well and everyone has a good time, you can be pretty sure that the rest of the evening will be a success.
In Marseille, the slowly sipped pastis la Pagnol remains a sacrosanct ritual. Aperitifs are only modestly intoxicating around 18 percent alcoholjust enough to awaken the senses, not obscure them. And they are always served with something to nibble. Sarah Brown, an American who offers culinary vacations called A Week in Provence, has devoted a section of her cookbook to various aspects of aperitif culture. Americans often serve cheese or pt with drinks before dinner, but you never do that here, she cautions. They would clash with most aperitifs. Better choices include nuts, Provenal olives, paper-thin slices of saucisson sec. There are even special biscuits apritifs sold in grocery stores. Or you can get fancy, she says. Tapenade, stuffed zucchini flowers, Gruyre cheese straws, that kind of thing. While enjoying a nip before a meal may date from antiquity, aperitifs are generally traced back to the Middle Ages, when bitter concoctions of barks, seeds, roots and flowers were believed not only to facilitate digestion but to strengthen ones constitution and ward off illness. These pungent curatives were commonly blended with wine

Originally herb-based tonics, aperitifs may now be any number of drinks enjoyed with friends before dinner. Above: A botanical print of fennel, an ingredient in pastis.

Above: House aperitifs offered by Edouard Loubet at his two-star Bastide de Capelongue in Bonnieux. Right: Friends in Marseille enjoying a pastis in a scene from Pagnols Marius (1931).

to enhance their palatability. In the late 18th century, early mixologists began to focus more on flavor, drawing inspiration from all manner of regional ingredients and eventually blurring the line between panacea and aperitif. Whether distilled from the roots of the gentian flower in the Auvergne, infused with anise in Provence or redolent of the noble wines of Bordeaux, these more refined renditions were all about taste. They became increasingly diverse, nuanced, even playful as modern transportation allowed access to such exotic ingredients as cane sugar from the West Indies, star anise via the Spice Route, cacao from the New World and citrus from Spain, Tunisia, Morocco and Haiti. These tippling tonics included wines fortified with liqueurs (Dubonnet, Lillet, Pineau des Charentes), wines flavored with aromatic botanicals (Amer Picon, vermouth) and herb-infused spirits (Suze, absinthe, pastis). Although producers knew these drinks were more libation than elixir, they still brazenlyand very successfullymarketed them as restoratives for body and soul. This early, unregulated age of alcohol advertising coincided with the Art Nouveau movement that swept across Europe in the early 1890s. Artist Jules Chret promoted aperitifs in joyful posters featuring his trademark swoops, swirls and flourishes. Those full-color, life-size advertisements were

unprecedented, explains Jim Lapides, art historian and owner of the International Poster Gallery in Boston. They drew a lot of attention and inspired an entire generation of poster artists. Painter Leonetto Cappiello, known as the father of modern advertising, later produced simpler, sleeker images that not Below: Quinqui Noix, a only captivated wine-based aperitif from passersby on Pariss southwestern France, is busy boulevards flavored with green walbut instilled in them nuts. Right: Sweetly pungent olives are the classic a memory of the apro accompaniment. actual product the beginning of branding. In more rural areas, aperitifs made their way into the public consciousness via immense roadside murals. The faded block letters spelling out Suze, Byrrh or Dubonnet remain visible on some buildings in the south of France today and are a perennial favorite with amateur photographers. A number of the names immortalized on those brick and plaster walls have long since disappeared from the market, however, and while the aperitif ritual endures, the traditional

brands no longer enjoy the trendy image they did a century ago. Sometimes, that is the very source of their appeal. A few years ago, Jean-Pierre Xiradakis revived the refreshing Bordeaux tradition of Blanc Lim, white wine laced with a splash of limonade. A sweetly tart reminder of the charm and sensibility to be found in a gently intoxicating sip, it is a throwback to an earlier era, packaged in an elongated bottle with vintage graphics. In Haute Provence, meanwhile, the Distilleries et Domaines de Provence carries on its century-old business of producing a broad range of aperitifs incorporating the medicinal herbs, fruits and other plants native to the region. The company won a gold medal for its pastis at the 2008 National Agricultural Competition, and it still sells its wares in a quaint little shop in the village of Forcalquier. None of which prevents hip London bartenders from showcasing its products in chic cocktails. In the United States, aperitifs are almost invariably served as accents in mixed drinks rather than straight. The idea of enjoying

an aperitif on the rocks is alien to most Americans, says Jim Meehan, a mixologist at PDT, a contemporary speakeasy in New York City. He and other bartenders at Prohibition-style cocktail clubs believe their role isnt to insist that these beverages be enjoyed according to tradition but rather to reveal their nuances in carefully constructed cocktails so as to raise a younger generations awareness of their existence. Its a social responsibility at this point, he deadpans. Many French aperitifsSuze, Byrrh, Amer Piconsimply arent available stateside. At Absinthe Brasserie & Bar in San Francisco, manager Jim Hollinger long ago imposed a house rule on the entire staff: Anyone traveling to Europe must bring back a bottle for the bar. Although the last time he was abroad, he broke the rule. I brought back two, Hollinger recalls. And I kept them for myself. Not surprisingly, aperitifs are most often appreciated by Americans who happened to discover them while traveling in France, returning home with memories of a bottle shared with friends on a sun-dappled terrace. To take a whiff or a sip, they say, transports them immediately back to the French countryside. They also appreciate how ridiculously easy aperitifs are to serve: Just chill, open and pour. Most will keep in the fridge for several monthsprovided they last that long.
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Sonia Delaunay riffed on the Dubonnet logo in this vibrant 1913 painting. She was one of many famous artistsDegas, Toulouse Lautrec, Picasso who integrated trendy aperitifs into their art.

roadside murals in the south of France will recognize the block letters spelling out the name Suze. Few people, however, are aware that this venerable aperitif is made from the tiny, vibrant yellow gentian flower that grows wild in the mountains of Auvergne. The healing powers of the plants roots have been revered since ancient times. First bottled and sold by distillery owner Fernand Moureaux in 1889, Suze was made by macerating gentian roots and other aromatics in spirits rather
anyone who has Driven by the FaDeD

Suze

Dubonnet
In the 1840s, soldiers in the French Foreign Legion stationed in North Africa had one fairly certain means of staving off malaria: quinine, an uncommonly bitter substance derived from the bark of the chinchona tree. Yet many of them knowingly risked death rather than subject themselves to this extremely pungent remedy. Desperate, the French government offered a monetary reward to anyone offering a palatable alternative. Almost overnight, an entire class of not unpleasant potations came into existence. Known as quinquinas, they were invariably flavored with a motley mix of botanicals in an attempt to overshadow quinines assertive nature. The agreeable, if slightly inebriating, blend that won was based on red Roussillon wine, cinnamon, coffee, citrus and Provenal herbs. Created by Parisian chemist and wine merchant Joseph Dubonnet, it possessed a deep ruby hue, a complex bouquet with notes of spice and citrus, and a rich yet refreshing flavor that hinted at nuts, chocolate, black currant and various aromatics. It finished slightly sweet and exhibited a concentrated consistency that, some said, came perilously close to being syrupy. The drink soon found favor far beyond the troopsMonsieur Dubonnet had walked away not only with a military contract but with a winning
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began bottling and selling an almost identical substitute, relying on the same blend of botanicals but using California red wines. The French and American versions have remained distinct over the years, each evolvPAIRINGS ing according to the A lovely Spanish formula for an aperitif. Known as a vin tonique, palates of their respecham, particularly Dubonnet gained popularity with its fanciful tive markets. DubonSerrano, plays Belle Epoque ad campaigns, the vast majority net in France is rich, off Dubonnets featuring either the iconic hat-clad Dubonnet almost port-like. The richness. man or Madame Dubonnets pet cat. American version is By the early 1900s, the cocktail craze was decidedly less intense. in full swing, and Dubonnet was increasingly In 1980, the company introduced Dubonnet prized in France and abroad as a complex, blanc. Made from a similar blend of botanicals lightly spiced mixer. It was especially known for in a base of white wines, it delivered nuanced its role in an eponymous drink of equal parts herbal overtones and a rich, full body. It remains Dubonnet and dry gin with a splash of orange a distant second among traditionalists, who bitters. During WWII, however, exports from prefer the almost swanky rouge, yet has made Nazi-occupied France abruptly halted. Josephs inroads with those who appreciate its relative grandson Paul, who had moved to New York complexity compared with a simple white wine. before the war with his American-born wife, Although the company has launched many storied advertising Dubonnets mix of botanicals was originally designed to mask the extremely campaigns, the brand bitter taste of quinine. Created by a Parisian chemist, the carefully guarded recipe may have gained its includes coffee beans, Provenal herbs and citrus. strongest unsolicited endorsement when the Queen Mother expressed an affinity for the aperitif, served on the rocks in an exacting ratio of seven parts Dubonnet to three parts gin with a slice of lemonunder the ice, if you please.

than wine, which was the basis for the vast majority of aperitifs of the day. The gentian presence is unmistakable, from the brilliant amber hue to the long, sharp finish; the roots bitter overtones are smoothed by hints of vanilla and apricot on the nose and a subtle sweetness imparted by citrus, herbs and spices. Initially, Suze was marketed as lami de lestomac, but it was the aperitifs unique flavor that inspired loyalty and at times creativity among its patrons, as evidenced by Picassos 1912 Glass and Bottle of Suze. The painting later graced Suzes iconic amber bottle, which since 2001 has also featured designs by such famous couAbove: Suze often turiers as Sonia Rykiel, invites fashion Christian Lacroix, designers such as Thierry Mugler and Sonia Rykiel to dress its bottles Paco Rabanne. Left: Gloss de Suze, Suze has been exlaunched in 2005, ported globally for combines cherry more than a century, and ginger flavors. ranking as the second top-selling French aperitif worldwide after pastis for more than two decades. It is not currently available in the States, however, leading a handful of industrious American bartenders to toy with their own moonshine versions.
PAIRINGS
Slightly salty snacks stand up well to the bittersweet overtones of Suze. Some fans say that it deserves to break out of its aperitif role and star alongside certain Auvergnat cheeses, such as Cantal and Fourme dAmbert.

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Noilly Prat
an accent to a cocktail rather than a tempting aperitif on its own, Vermouth tends to be underappreciated outside its native Mediterranean region. Yet when it first came into vogue during the late 1700s, the richly flavored drink marketed by Cinzano and Punt e Mes was served straight and prized for its sweet spiciness and surprising hints of cinnamon and cocoa. The Italian innovation quickly spread along the coast, and in the early 19th century, Joseph Noilly created a crisper, less cloying version that eventually came to be known as dry vermouth. A blend of Picpoul and Clairette wines from the Languedoc, it was aged in oak and allowed to lose up to twice as much volume to evaporation as the usual cellar-aged wines, concentrating the soft, refreshing flavors. A few weeks before bottling, nearly two dozen aromaticsamong them Italian chamomile, Bulgarian coriander, Indonesian nutmeg, Murcia oranges from Spain and bitter orange from Tunisiawere gently stirred in daily, a process known as dodinage.
vieweD largely as

Paler and more delicate than its Italian counterpart, the resulting aromatized wine possessed an PAIRINGS intensely floral bouquet, sharp yet not Olives are traditional, but overpowering herbal Bouzygues notes and only a trace oysters are the of residual sweetness. consummate Noillys son, Louis, pairing. Anything and his brother-inwith herbs is also delightful law, Claudius Prat, perhaps crostini began to manufacture with goat cheese and market Noilly and herbes de Prat in the south of Provence. France; by the turn of the century, they were shipping it to ports as distant as New Orleans and Singapore. The French enjoyed dry vermouth almost exclusively on the rocks with a twist until the late 1800s, when cocktails became the rage. By the turn of the century, vermouth the aperitif had tumbled
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into relative obscurity, eclipsed by vermouth the mixer, not just in the Martini but also the Manhattan, the Negroni, the Metropole and countless other cocktails in France and abroad. Julia Child was reputedly partial to unwinding with five parts Noilly Prat to one part gin. A favorite with dry Martini aficionados, Noilly Prat remained the house vermouth at innumerable establishments, including New Yorks famous Knickerbocker Hotel. In 1978, the company introduced a formula tailored to the U.S. marketsmoother, less intense and colorless. It too became a classic, favored by San Franciscos Absinthe Brasserie & Bar and other Prohibitionstyle cocktail bars. Earlier this year, it was replaced by the original European version, reintroducing Americans to an aperitif meant to be sipped on its ownan ideal blend of crisp dryness, a hint of spice, a little something floral and a distinct wine flavor. Just chill and pournone of that waving silliness, please. Serve with a twist.

Pastis

Pastis is inextricably linked with its native Provence; its many aromatic componentsanise, licorice root, fennel, herbsgrow wild in the regions famous garrigues.

There are those who say there really is no substitute for absinthe. Yet after the green fairy was outlawed in France and elsewhere in the early 1900s, distillers ushered in pastis as a proxy. Fashioned in the general likeness of its predecessor minus the dread wormwood and with much lower alcohol contentpastis referred to an entire category of anise-flavored aperitifs. No wallflower, it boasted a lurid yellow hue

backed by bold flavor achieved through hefty doses of licorice root, fennel and the relatively exotic star anise acquired from China via the Silk Road. The lingering finish reflected each brands proprietary array of botanicals. These were typically aromatic herbs native to the south of France, hence the name pastis, which means mixture in Provenal. Absinthe-maker Maison Pernod Fils was the

first to introduce pastis after reformulating and renaming its classic recipe, relying on mint and coriander to round out the star anise and fennel. In 1932, Ricard followed with le pastis de Marseille. The two brands remain top sellers. Pernod has modified its flavor profile considerably over the decades, toning down the anise to suit evolving tastes. Jeff Hollinger, author of The Art of the Bar and general manager of Absinthe Brasserie & Bar in San Francisco, says that traditional pastis remains slightly sweeter with more anise flavor than newer brands, which emphasize herbal and vegetal notes. Still, pastis has never really caught on in the States. Americans are less inclined to drink anise-flavored anything, he says. We just dont have the palate. Meanwhile, an opposite trend is shaping up

PAIRINGS
Robust Mediterranean flavors stand up well to anisetry herbflavored olives, tapenade or feta.

in France, where there is a return to the robust flavors of classic pastis. Known as pastis lancienne, these artisanally made spirits are not for the timid. Nor, for that matter, is any pastis. As with absinthe, custom dictates that it be served with a carafe of cold water, allowing the individual to dilute it as desiredtwo to five parts water to one part spirit is the norm.

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Absinthe
Lets be perfectly clear: No French host is going to casually serve you a pre-prandial glass of absinthe. Even before it was outlawed (more on that later), absinthe only briefly played the role of your garden-variety aperitif. The fact is, it isnt one. Sure, it contains the requisite botanicals, but it also has a much higher alcohol content. Originally made of herbs macerated in beet alcohol or wine that was then distilled, it could reach a whopping 140 proof. That compared with a timid 40 proof or less for most aperitifs. Absinthe evolved from the ancient practice of using wormwood as a medicinal elixir. Its modern
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Now that it is legal again, absinthe is enjoying a revival. Clockwise from above: the drinks characteristic louche; an 1896 poster by Henri Privat-Livemont; a botanical print of wormwood; a slotted spoon and sugar cube perched atop the clear green liquid.

form has been credited to a Dr. Pierre Ordinaire, who came across wormwood concoctions while in Switzerland. He devised his own recipe in 1792, and in 1805, Pernod began marketing the drink. The new aperitif soon gained a reputation for freeing the mind and liberating the senses, hence its initial popularity among nonconformists in 19th-century Paris. By the 1870sa time when phylloxera had practically wiped out wine productionabsinthes popularity had reached a faddish fervor, and it was added to cocktails seemingly at random. In 1872, a French newspaper published a doctors report

of his own experience with absinthetried purely for research purposes, of course. The most curious thing about this transformation is that all sensations are perceived by all the senses at once, he wrote. My own impression is that I am breathing sounds and hearing colors, that scents produce a sensation of lightness or of weight, roughness or smoothness, as if I were touching them with my fingers. He advocated small doses. Referred to as la fe verte, or the green fairy, the emerald liquid came to epitomize an artsy, bohemian French subculture. Rimbaud, Verlaine, Degas, Wilde, Picasso, Hemingway, Baudelaire,

Toulouse-Lautrec, Bernhardt, Van Gogh and Zolaamong othersclaimed time and again that it induced shifts in perception and unparalleled clarity of thought. These mind-altering experiences were largely attributed to thujone, an oil in wormwood (Artemisia absinthium). Recent scientific analysis of bottles dating from that era, however, has debunked that notion, revealing that the amount present was far too small. Instead, it seems that it was the high alcohol content that produced the delirious effects. Indeed, absinthe was so strong that it required considerable dilution with water to bring it down to non-lethal levels. The ritual, which only added to its mystique, involved pouring a shot of absinthe into a hand-blown Pontarlier pedestal glass with a reservoir base that held exactly one ounce of absinthe and a flared upper portion that allowed for ample water. A perforated, flat-tipped silver spoon was set over the glass, and a cube of sugar perched atop. Water was spilt, drop by drop, over the sugar, sinking slowly through the thick liquor to the bottom of the glass. This was PAIRINGS repeated until the alcohol Like pastis, was diluted three to five absinthe works times over, a process best with strong sometimes referred to as Mediterranean surprising the spirit. It flavorsthink imparted the characterbagna cauda, aoli istic cloudy appearance, with vegetables, or louche, to the drink toasts slathered and released its familiar with tapenade or perfumebitter, sweet, anchoade. sour and earthy. Eventually, absinthe became the stuff of urban legend, blamed for everything from epileptic seizures and sexual diseases to murder. After being declared a detriment to mind and body, it was banned in the U.S. in 1912, and in France just a few years later. (Resourceful types could, however, still find absinthe in select hair tonics in Parisian pharmacies.) Absinthe was once again authorized for sale in the European Union in 1988 and in the U.S. in 2007. The general consensus was that true absinthe was innocuous enough when consumed responsibly, but its wild popularity had led unscrupulous types to flood the market with some vile imitations. There are now about two dozen brands available in the U.S., some from France, others domestic. The spirit can be sampled in the classic drip manner in all its theatrical splendor at San Franciscos Absinthe Brasserie & Bar; across the country at New Yorks Death & Company, bartenders have been using its anise edge to enhance an array of cocktails, from the classic Sazerac to more innovative offerings such as Champagne with gin and lemon juice. Few drinks, however, share the brazen appeal of Ernest Hemingways Death in the Afternoon: Pour one jigger absinthe into a Champagne glass. Add iced Champagne until it attains the proper opalescent milkiness. Drink three to five of these slowly.

Pineau des Charentes

as the story First blended four centuries ago, Pineau is made from unfermented goes, that one of the most graceful aperitifs grape must and Cognac brandy. came into existence. In the late 1500s, a Today there are white, ros and batch of wine must, or fresh-pressed grapes, red versions, as well as vieux and trs vieux bottlings. was inadvertently poured into a barrel of Cognac. The renegade cask was set aside to age along with the rest of the harvest, and the mistake, which halted the usual fermentation through a process now known as mutage, went undiscovered until years later. The amber assemblage that resulted resembled neither of its constituent parts but retained the most compelling aspects of each, yielding a perfumed aperitif with crisp, balanced acidity and honeyed overtones. Little has changed over the centuries, save that Pineau des Charentes, as the vin de liqueur came to be called, is now made and consumed intentionally. A regional and artisanal tradition, it is still crafted from a blend of white Bordeaux grapes and Cognac then aged in oak for a minimum of 18 months. Pineau des Charentes has earned its own appellation dorigine contrle, and producers now number in the hundreds, each claiming an aperitif with its own unique flavor profile. Rouge and ros versions PAIRINGS are made in the same style Pistachios are perfect. from Cabernet Sauvignon, Adventurous imbibers have Cabernet Franc and Merdiscovered that Pineau is lot grapes but are relatively also excellent with foie gras and all things chocolate. uncommon.
it was quite by acciDent,

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Byrrh Lillet
it seems, are more inspired than others. It has been said that Lillet benefited from no less than divine intervention in the form of Father Kermann, a monk and doctor who ventured to Brazil under the rule of Louis XVI and returned to Bordeaux with an intimate knowledge of herbal remedies, which he incorporated into various wine-based mixtures. In the late 1880s, brothers Paul and Raymond Lillet, whose family had cultivated vineyards near Podensac for more than two centuries, decided to build upon the monks legacy. They crafted a blend of Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon and Ugni Blanc grapes along with citrus fruit steeped in brandy and quinine, then aged the mixture in oak barrels for a year. The resulting beverage had a golden straw color and exhibited notes of honey, mint and citrus offset by a slight touch of minerality and bitterness. It was not a wine-based aperitif but rather an aperitif wine made in the style of Bordeaux wines. It was christened Kina Lillet,
some winemaking pursuits, Counterclockwise from above: A turn-of-the-century poster vaunting Byrrhs great taste; the companys new premium aged bottling; cacao, green orange and cinnamon, some of the botanicals woven into this wine-based drink.

a playful reference to Unlike most its modest measure of French aperitifs, bitter quinine derived Kina Lillet was from the bark of the perceived by Amerikina kina, or chincans as eminently chona, tree. drinkable on its Innovative marown and remained keting ploys in the well established PAIRINGS late 1920s included in the U.S. bar Both the rouge and the blanc versions pencils and postcards scene throughout are great with casual salted snacks of all as well as thermomthe 20th century. sortsolives, nuts, even a proper potato eters that bore the Sales were boosted chip. Creative types say the subtle sweetness of Lillet blanc is great with foie gras, words, Quil fasse by several of Ian while the rouge does wonders for blue froid, le Lillet est touFlemings James cheese or prosciutto with melon. jours dlicieux. But Bond novels, which the companys most featured Lillet in iconic ad appeared in 1937: An exuberant its traditional role as an aperitif and as the blonde brandishing a bottle of Lillet in primary component of the Vesper, Bonds one hand and a glass in the other, her skirt favored cocktail in Casino Royale. (It called covered with clusters of white grapes and orange leaves.
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for three measures Aperitif brands vied for the publics gin, one measure attention during the vodka and a half early days of advertismeasure of Kina ing. Lillet courted Lillet, shaken and consumers with ads on train and bus served with a twist.) windows, metal signs The company along railroad tracks, later unveiled a and colorful posters richer, ruby-colored and print ads. Lillet, fashioned in the same style as the classic but from Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon grapes. Lillet rouge never gained quite the status of the original blanc, typically referred to simply as Lillet. A little more than 20 years ago, a nouveau Lillet blanc was introduced. The bitter quinine edge is attenuated and blends more harmoniously with the floral and mineral components. Inspired indeed.

In the mid-1860s, wine was still considered as much a medicine as a libation, a perception reinforced by Louis Pasteurs recent pronouncement that wine was the healthiest and most hygienic of beverages. It was a wellcalculated moment for pharmacist Simon Violet and his brother Pallade to introduce a wine-based aperitif touted as a tonique. Launched in 1870 and sold initially in pharmacies, Byrrh (pronounced beer) was made from a

quasi-medicinal dose of quinine mingled with Carignan and Grenache wines from the western Pyrenees. Aged for three years, it was then infused with spices and botanicals as varied as cacao, Ceylon cinnamon, coffee, elderberry and green orange peel, revered since PAIRINGS ancient times for If youre drinking its healing properByrrh, youre clearly ties. The resulting in a retro mood; nuts restorative offered an or olives in one of unmistakable citrus those faux-wood aroma and a subtle, bowls so ubiquitous harmonious combinain France will ramp tion of flavors. Even up the nostalgic vibe. if it didnt cure ones

ailments, it certainly took ones mind off them. Byrrhs allure as a tipple soon surpassed its reputation as a curative, and the Violets began selling their apritif au quinquina to bars and restaurants as well as pharmacies. A lawsuit from the pharmacists union, which sought to protect its own bottled quinine- and wine-laced offerings, promptly led the Violets to market their blend simply as Byrrh. It soon became a common aperitif along the eastern Mediterranean coast, and with the advent of the railroad, its popularity spread throughout Europe. By 1935, it had become the best-selling aperitif in France. In 1999, the company launched a second aperitif, Byrrh Rare Assemblage. Aged in oak for nearly a decade, it uses only the best vintage wines, replicating the slightly bitter quinine edge of the original but setting it against a richer, more intense, almost port-like backdrop. But classic Byrrh remains largely the same, save subtle shifts in grape varietals that have occurred during the past century. Although Byrrh is absent from American stores and cocktails, its citrus bouquet and faintly sweet finish remain a steady if unsung presence throughout France, whether taken with a slice of orange or a twist of lemon.
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