wein.plus
Attention
You are using an old browser that may not function as expected.
For a better, safer browsing experience, please upgrade your browser.

Log in Become a Member

Byrrh

The French company's origins date back to 1866, when two brothers, Simon and Pallade Violet, who worked in the fabric industry, began to produce a flavoured wine in the southern French town of Thuir (Roussillon). The date of the company's foundation is considered to be 1892. Initially, the drink was only sold in pharmacies and had to be mixed with a litre of wine according to instructions. The artificial name B.Y.R.R.H. was given by the brothers according to a code system used in the fabric industry, which initially led to the drink being confused with beer in Anglo-Saxon countries. The bittersweet, light red aperitif has been produced for over 100 years according to the same recipe from red wine mainly of the Carignan Noir (Mazuelo) variety and flavoured with tonic water and essences of cinnamon, cinchona bark, bitter orange peel, gentian, camomile, kalumba, coffee and cocoa. Then it is matured in oak barrels for up to three years.

Byrrh - Fass mit 1,000.00 Liter und Werbeplaakat

Byrrh is often enjoyed with pure water or mineral water and is also an ingredient in countless mixed drinks such as Byrrh cocktail, Byrrh gin and Byrrh rye. In the 1930s, the aperitif became a fashionable drink and achieved worldwide fame. In the company's headquarters in Thuir stands one of the largest barrels in the world with a volume of 1,000,200 litres (picture left). Built in 1950, the barrel is 10 metres high and 12.5 metres in diameter. After major sales difficulties, some turbulences and changes in the ownership structure, Byrrh was taken over by the French group Pernod Ricard in 1976.

Image: CAVES BYRRH

Voices of our members

Dominik Trick

The wein.plus encyclopaedia is a comprehensive, well-researched reference work. Available anytime and anywhere, it has become an indispensable part of teaching, used by students and myself alike. Highly recommended!

Dominik Trick
Technischer Lehrer, staatl. geprüfter Sommelier, Hotelfachschule Heidelberg

The world's largest Lexicon of wine terms.

26,379 Keywords · 46,983 Synonyms · 5,323 Translations · 31,713 Pronunciations · 202,093 Cross-references
made with by our author Norbert F. J. Tischelmayer. About the Lexicon

EVENTS NEAR YOU

PREMIUM PARTNERS