PICON FRANCE
The taste is bittersweet. Fortress 21%. “Picon” is considered to be a native French drink, but it was born in neighboring Belgium (Philipville). In France, “Picon” received a new name – “Amer Bitter”. The French consider it their own, love it, and it is also preferred in the northern part of Europe. At first, “Pikon” was drunk as an aperitif and was preferred in its pure form. Then there was a revolution in its consumption and today “Pikon” is added to beer, dry white wine, mixed with strong alcohol
Components. For the preparation of “Pikon” they use cinchona bark, gentian root, orange peel. The ingredients, as it should be when creating a bitter, are put into a vat and insisted. Not alcohol, which is traditional for bitters, but real brandy. The color of “Picon” is given by a special caramel color.
History of occurrence. “Pikon” – a drink-soldier. He was born in the war. It was 1837, France was at war in Algiers. A 28-year-old soldier, Gaetan Picon, was admitted to the infirmary with malaria. He was born in Genoa. Since childhood, he was interested in chemistry, studied the medicinal properties of plants, was an enterprising and inventive person. Lying in the infirmary, Gaetan decided to create his own cure for malaria, trying to recreate the potion of his grandmother, with this potion she treated him all his childhood. Gaetan did not have a laboratory. But at hand were in abundance oranges, several varieties of medicinal herbs and roots. He made a potion by insisting dry orange peels, roots of gentian, cinchona on alcohol. Sugar syrup and caramel were added to the resulting broth. He cured himself and cured many colleagues. There were rumors about a curative antimalarial drug. And they reached the headquarters of the French army. Gaetan was introduced to the military authorities and he was given the task of organizing the production of medicine for the needs of the army.
Returning from the war in 1840, Picon continued his successful work. After settling in Belgium, Philippeville opened his first bitter distillery in the French community. The drink was called “African bitterness”. A few years later, Picon returned to Algiers to open three small factories there to produce his drink. The main consumers of his product were French soldiers and officers who fought in Algeria. The drink fell in love with him so much that Picon was asked to start the production of bitters in France.
In 1872, Gaetan opened an enterprise in the port of Marseille. Since then, “African bitterness” has received a new name “Bitterness of Picon”. Later branches were opened in Rouen, Bordeaux, Genoa, Barcelona, Brussels and Frankfurt. In the 1970s, the original strength of the drink (78%) was halved. The bartenders, who knew the taste and strength of the old Picon, were unhappy with this, because their customers were used to just such a strength and the new drink changed the taste of cocktails that they had been preparing based on it for years. Since 1995, two brands of bitters have been on sale: “Picon bière” and “Picon club”.
Today Picon bitters are produced exclusively in France. It is good in cocktails and neat. Manufacturers suggest: “Pikon” can be diluted with white wine, beer, tonic and even cow’s milk. The French drink Picon as an aperitif. Bitter is bottled in dark glass bottles. On the label, a dashing French soldier rides on horseback with a bottle of “African bitterness” in his hand. On the first labels, a girl taken in full from the camp of the enemy was thrown over the saddle.
