Giffard Orange Curaçao (Bitter Orange) bar liqueur /25%/0.7l

The Giffards come from the Loire Valley and for years were involved in the textile trade. The first to break with the family tradition was Émile Giffard, a graduate of the Faculty of Pharmacy at the University of Poitiers.

Shortly after his studies, he returned to his hometown and opened a pharmacy in the center of Angers. Émile was equally devoted to developing recipes for panaceas and alcoholic beverages. His first drink was Chottin, a bitter aperitif based on quinine. However, the turning point in his career came in 1885 with the creation of Menthe-Pastille, and consequently, his career as a chemist changed to that of a distiller. The company he founded remains in the hands of the family to this day and is managed by his great-great-grandsons, Bruno and Edith Giffard. They produce dozens of liqueurs and as many bar syrups using mainly local fruits and botanicals, which they subject to the traditional maceration process.

The Giffard Liqueur d'Orange Curaçao presented here is made by combining a distillate obtained from the peels of bitter oranges Curaçao with cognac and armagnac. In its palette, the bitter orange notes are balanced slightly by the sweetness of honey. Giffard recommends serving it in a cocktail, mixed with vodka, apricot syrup and lemon juice, but we prefer it with a cube of ice.