Suze is a proprietary brand of bitter aperitif predominately flavored with gentian root and having a strong yellow-orange color. Although its origins have been claimed to stretch as far back as 1796, its documentable history as a brand extends only to 1898, when the brand was registered by Fernand Moureaux, a Parisian distiller, and his partner, Henri Porte. In 1965 the company was acquired by Pernod and is now part of the Pernod Ricard SA portfolio. It is one of the most popular aperitif beverages in France.
The distinctive Suze bottle was designed by Porte and trademarked in 1913, but the brand was already popular enough to be immortalized by Pablo Picasso in one of his collages, Verre et bouteille de Suze, from 1912. Since that time the company has become known for the artistic quality of its publicity materials and has produced a number of limited edition bottles.
The range of Suze products encompasses the flagship product Suze; Suze pour Bière, a formulation including candied citrus and spices that is intended to be mixed with beer; Suze Agrumes, flavored with orange, tangerine, and lemon; Suze Pêche de Vigne & Abricot, flavored with peach and apricot; and Suze Fruits Rouges, flavored with raspberry, blackberry, and blueberry—all of which are bottled at 15 percent ABV. In 2009, to celebrate its 120th anniversary, the company introduced Suze Saveur d’Autrefois (“Taste of yesteryear”), a formulation at 20 percent ABV (the brand was launched at 32 percent, reduced to 20 percent after World War I and 15 percent after World War II), said to be inspired by the original formulation and having a particularly strong flavor of gentian.
Suze is a component of many cocktails from the revival period, but most noteworthy is the White Negroni, created in 2001 by Wayne Collins and consisting of equal parts Plymouth gin, Lillet Blanc, and Suze. This drink is said to have been invented by Collins out of necessity when, finding himself in Bordeaux without Campari to make Negronis, he bought Suze as a substitute and paired it with the equally French Lillet Blanc to create one of the most widely-known and enduring Negroni variations of the cocktail revival. See
Other gentian aperitifs in this style include the French products Avèze, Couderc Gentiane, and Salers Aperitif and, from the United States, Bittermens Amère Sauvage.
In 2017, Suze introduced a line of cocktail bitters including Suze Aromatic, flavored with gentian, cinnamon, and cardamom; Suze Red Aromatic, flavored with gentian, nutmeg, and anise; and Suze Orange, flavored with gentian, orange peel, and bergamot.
Wondrich, David. “The Secret to Drinking Like the French.” Daily Beast, June 7, 2019. https://www.thedailybeast.com/the-secret-to-drinking-like-the-french-suze (accessed March 12, 2021).
By: Samuel Lloyd Kinsey
A gentian uprooter, from a Suze promotional calendar, 1953.
Wondrich Collection.
A gentian uprooter, from a Suze promotional calendar, 1953. Source: Wondrich Collection.