French Liqueurs

Liqueurs in France have a long and storied history, with the earliest examples said to date back to the middle ages. It’s believed that monks would combine alcohol with fruits and herbs for medicinal purposes, and it’s these beverages that inspired the modern-day expressions we know and love. A great example of this is Benedictine, whose recipe is said to have originated from the Fecamp monastery in the 1500s. 

Over the following centuries, liqueurs became popular with the artistic community and found a place in French culture as a digestive. This was helped by writer, François Guislier du Verges, who described liqueurs as ‘conversation drinks’. Absinthe was particularly regarded by writers and painters in the 19th Century, and it was around this time that it took on the moniker of ‘the green fairy’.

Liqueurs have a lesser hold on French society today, but this segment of the market still offers up a litany of household names. From Cointreau to Chambord, St Germain Elderflower Liqueur to Ricard Pastis, we stock some of the best and most well-known bottles available.