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)