This is a first for Pernod Ricard, the leader in spirits: a gin produced entirely in France. And what’s more in the Pyrénées-Orientales! Conceived in Thuir, within the Byrrh cellars which have been producing the alcohol of the same name for two centuries, this unique gin stamped Pyrénées-Orientales also wants to reflect the spirit of its distillery.
“We are on a production site with real traditional know-how, almost artisanal, emphasizes Claire Theme, research and development manager at Pernod Ricard. The maceration, infusion and distillation of plants are part of the DNA of the Bhyrrh cellars, specialist in French aperitifs, with its flavored wine but also Suze or absinthe… It was obvious to us. elaborate this new gin here by taking advantage of the equipment existing on site, the history, the various skills…”.
Baptized Acme, (summit in ancient Greek) in reference to the summit of the mountains, this new alcoholic drink mixes eleven aromatic plants infused for about fifteen hours (coriander, wormwood, gentian, thyme, iris, juniper, liquorice, etc.).
28,000 bottles available from May
“We wanted to modernize the traditional gin with more pronounced aromas, says Olivia Lang, formulator, responsible for composing the mixture. There is a little bitterness to give it its character but also a note of sweetness and delicacy. A fairly typical flavor, coming from the mountains and fir buds, but without being aggressive”.
About 20,000 liters have already been produced over the past two months in the Byrrh cellars to launch this new product on the French market in May, ie the equivalent of 28,000 bottles (sold for around 25 euros in supermarkets).
Among spirits, gin (created in the Spanish Netherlands at the end of the 17th century) is the one that has experienced the strongest growth in recent years. It is usually consumed in cocktails and, like all alcohol, in moderation.