Picon Biere L’Orange Aperitif Bitters

The base of the Picon is made from the distillation of orange peel, gentian extract, cinchona bark, sugar, caramel and alcohol. The special thing about the Picon Bière is that the liqueur is mixed with pilsner or wheat beer. The bouquet brings fruity aromas of oranges before more complex notes of gentian and quinquina round off the taste.

Picon was born in Genoa, Italy in 1809 (Genoa had been annexed to France in 1805.) His family moved to Genoa in 1815. He apprenticed at distilleries in Aix-en-Provence, Toulon and Marseille. He was interested in chemistry, and in the botanical property of plants. In 1837, he was with the French army in Algeria under Marshall Vallé (1773 - 1846), the Governor of Algeria. Picon contracted malaria, which he'd also had when he was younger. He tried to recreate a mixture that his grandmother had prepared for him at that time, that he believed had helped him. He tried several batches and mixtures before he felt that he had it right. He made it from alcohol infused with dried orange zest, then distilled. To this he added gentian root, quinine, sugar syrup and caramel. He called it his 'tisane' (tea.). In 1872, Picon relocated to Marseilles and opened a large distillery. At the same time, he renamed the product to 'Amer Picon'.