Byrrh Grand Quinquina

I have been on a Manhattan and Negroni kick lately and have revisited a few sweet vermouths and also had a new one to put into rotation. Byrrh Grand Bark Quinquina is not exactly vermouth but it is very close. It is a sweet fortified wine that has herbs and spices in it. In the glass, it has a reddish-brown hue almost like cherry syrup and chocolate syrup and has a sweet nose like raisins or dried fruit. The body is very nice with the sweetness and bitterness complementing each other as it starts off sweet but quickly moves to the bitter and lastly back to sweet. The finish is nice and long. Now for the drinks, in a Manhattan, this is amazing when you use any rye or bourbon that is more on the sharp side versus the sweet side. The only real negative I have for this is that with "wheated" bourbon it is almost cloyingly sweet. In a Negroni, it is also very nice but the right gin makes a difference as well. I made a Negroni with Gray Whale gin and this and it was just about terrible. I guess the mint or other herb in the gin did not go well at all with the Byrrh. When I made another one with Boodles gin it was amazing. Lastly, this is very drinkable by itself with a little ice. I am glad I have tried this and I can't recommend this highly enough. Enjoy.

Byrrh, which is actually pronounced beer, is one of the better bitter aperitifs. It is definitely less bitter than many French bitters but its actually very good on it's own and maybe even better in cocktails. On the nose you get blueberries and prunes. The palate brings cherry, slight bitterness and blackberry, with the hint of red wine (not surprising since it has a wine base). The finish has some spice, no burn and decent length. For the price, Byrrh is a great value. If you want a bitter liqueur that leans heavy on the bitterness, such as Campari, look elsewhere, but as an aperitif (with a bit of ice and a citrus peel) you cant go wrong. I'm tempted to boost this to 4 but neat it doesnt offer much complexity. It's still worth seeking out in my book.

Appearance: (neat)Transparent brick red/dark pink. Similar to some darker rosé wines. (diluted) Like raspberry cordial. Aroma: Grapes, red berries, pomegranate juice, herbal notes and a definite aroma of quinine. Flavour and Texture: The texture is light but satisfying (unless you dilute it too much). Spicy/sweet light wine flavours but there is a balancing firm bitterness right from the start. More earthy flavours of chocolate, bitter orange peel and chicory develop over time but again there is balance as tart fruit flavours come to the front in the finish. An interesting aperitif that is a mix of dry red wine, mistelle, quinine and spices. It was created in 1866 and produced by a family business until 1976 when it was acquired by Pernod-Ricard. Byrrh (pronounced “beer” … well … that’s close enough 😊) was very popular in France throughout the latter part of the 19th and the early 20th centuries but it fell out of fashion after WWII. Nevertheless the drink has been continuously produced for over 150 years and it has changed very little over that time. It’s just a little more bitter than Lillet Rouge and it can be enjoyed neat with a slice or twist of orange, but a few ice cubes elevates it considerably. It works well with gin in a 50/50 ratio producing a drink that is similar to Dubonnet and gin but a little lighter and more bitter. It also makes a very agreeable long drink with lemonade, sweet sparkling wine or soda water but you need to take care with dilution. Byrrh tends to drown very suddenly and there is a point where a long drink shifts from being refreshing to anaemic. Treat it as a light-bodied, bitter vermouth and you can’t go far wrong but I’d recommend it for use in the more delicate cocktails where its fruity bitterness is not overpowered. If you ever have the chance it’s worth a trip to the production facility, Les Caves Byrrh in Thuir, France just to see the 1 million litre marrying tun. It's ... awesome! “Very Good” : 85/100 (4 stars)

Fortified wine based bitter aperitif using quinquina bark, herbs, and rested in oak barrels. Ripe fruit, sweeter than an amaro, but with a bitter bite. Great for cocktails.