Menthe-Pastille Giffard

Menthe-Pastille is a French brand of mint liqueur (crème de menthe) produced by the family-owned distillery Giffard. It was created in 1885 in Angers by Émile Giffard, a pharmacist and herbalist who experimented with the digestive and refreshing properties of mint. He developed a pure, transparent white mint liqueur and tested it with customers of the neighbouring Grand Hôtel to relieve them from the heat. The liqueur was named Menthe-Pastille in reference to the mint pastilles that were fashionable at the time. The immediate success led Émile Giffard to transform his pharmacy into a distillery. Menthe-Pastille became the founding product of Maison Giffard, which remains family-owned five generations later. The company produces crèmes de fruits, liqueurs, guignolets and syrups alongside the original Menthe-Pastille. Production has been located in Avrillé, near Angers, since 1972. The brand is closely tied to its Anjou roots: blackcurrant berries come exclusively from reasoned agriculture in the Val de Loire, and Mitcham mint plants are grown in Anjou. Giffard has opened a heritage and visitor space in Avrillé named Espace Menthe-Pastille, dedicated to the history and know-how of the brand. It includes a historical exhibition with posters, bottles and original documents, a sensory and educational tour of the production workshops, and tasting bars. The site celebrates the brand's role as a symbol of Angevin distilling tradition dating back to the 19th century. Menthe-Pastille is sold in France and exported internationally. It is a emblematic product of Giffard and remains a reference in the French mint liqueur category.

Menthe-Pastille was invented in 1885 by Émile Giffard, a pharmacist and herbalist in Angers, in the Val de Loire. Unlike a conventional pharmacist, Giffard was an inventor, curious and a gourmet. He conducted research on the digestive and refreshing virtues of mint. He reportedly brought peppermint leaves back from England and prepared a refreshing liqueur with the taste of English mint pastilles. He developed a white mint liqueur — pure, transparent and refined — and tested it with customers of the Grand Hôtel next door to relieve them from the heat. The success was immediate. Émile Giffard then transformed his pharmacy into a distillery and named his liqueur Menthe-Pastille, a reference to the mint pastilles that were very fashionable at the time. He is quoted as saying: "My distillery house was founded in 1885. The future will tell if I was right..." Menthe-Pastille became the founding product of Maison Giffard. Five generations later, the company Giffard, still family-owned, produces crèmes de fruits, liqueurs, guignolets and syrups around Menthe-Pastille, maintaining the quality standards that have driven it since its origins. The company describes itself as independent and family-owned, created in 1885 and established in Avrillé since 1972. From 1972, production of Menthe-Pastille has taken place in Avrillé. The brand is an emblematic product of Giffard, and a museum space is dedicated to it in Avrillé, at the heart of the company. Giffard has opened its production site to the public through the Espace Menthe-Pastille, a heritage and convivial space for liqueur and syrup enthusiasts. The space is dedicated to the history and know-how of the brand and allows visitors to discover the magic that turns fruit into liqueur. It is structured around three poles: historical, cultural and sensory. The visit includes a tour of the production workshops, from the arrival of the fruits to bottling, including the treatment and maceration processes. It also features a Bar des senteurs and a cocktail bar for tastings. The Espace Menthe-Pastille celebrates the know-how of Maison Giffard and is open all year round. Through posters, bottles and original documents, some dating from the creation of the company, it illustrates the history of the brand. It also highlights the link with agriculture: blackcurrant berries come exclusively from reasoned agriculture in the Val de Loire, and Mitcham mint plants are grown in Anjou. By opening its production site to the public, Giffard places itself in the tradition of liquorists born in Anjou in the 19th century.

• 1972

  Production moves to Avrillé, near Angers.

• 1885

  Émile Giffard creates Menthe-Pastille in Angers and transforms his pharmacy into a distillery.

• Espace Menthe-Pastille opens to the public in Avrillé, dedicated to the brand's history and know-how.

Historic French mint liqueur brand, emblematic of Angevin distilling savoir-faire and family-owned Giffard.

• Menthe-Pastille white mint liqueur

  Pure, transparent, refined white mint liqueur created in 1885.

• Crèmes de fruits

  Fruit crèmes produced by Giffard.

• Liqueurs

  Range of liqueurs produced by Giffard.

• Guignolets

  Guignolets produced by Giffard.

• Syrups

  Syrups produced by Giffard.

1. 1Espace Menthe-Pastille : Réservez votre Visite, votre Atelier Cocktail...giffard.com
2. 2L'Histoire de la Maison Giffard : savoir-faire, valeurs, inspirationsgiffard.com
3. 3Menthe pastille Giffardwikidata.org
4. 4Menthe-pastillefr.wikipedia.org