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Gentiane Apertifs (Suze, et al)

foodhunter

By foodhunter
in Spirits & Cocktails

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eas

eas

Posted
Posted

I've only seen it in California; not sure who distributes in New York. Why not ask next time you're in Pegu? Perhaps someone with ready access to a NY Bev Media guide could check?

bostonapothecary

bostonapothecary

Posted
Posted
I've only seen it in California; not sure who distributes in New York.  Why not ask next time you're in Pegu?  Perhaps someone with ready access to a NY Bev Media guide could check?

what is Suze? and elaborate on the white negroni plz... sounds tasty....

abstract expressionist beverage compounder

creator of acquired tastes

bostonapothecary.com

eje

eje

Posted
Posted

Suze is a French gentian based bitter.

I guess it is similar to Campari, with a heavier tilt toward gentian than quinine in the bittering agents.

slkinsey had comments here in the Aperol topic:

Suze is very interesting, albeit an acquired taste. To me there is a definite mold or old socks component to the aftertaste, but others don't agree. I have had several cocktails made with Suze at Pegu Club -- the one that sticks in my mind was called a "White Negroni."

Even though eas sez it is available in CA, I've not seen it up here lately.

Last time I asked (earlier this year) at a liquor store that had carried it, I was told that the distributor or importer had gone out of business.

---

Erik Ellestad

If the ocean was whiskey and I was a duck...

Bernal Heights, SF, CA

jmfangio

jmfangio

Posted
Posted
Du Vin here in Los Angeles lists it in stock. They're one of the best wine stores in LA, and they have a small, but interesting, selection of spirits.

"Martinis should always be stirred, not shaken, so that the molecules lie sensuously one on top of the other." - W. Somerset Maugham

David Santucci

David Santucci

Posted
Posted

Thanks for the tip jmfangio. I have been searching high and low for Suze ever since visiting Pegu Club, where I had it in an absolutely fantastic Champagne cocktail called the Petit Mort.

foodhunter

foodhunter

Posted
  • Topic Starter
Posted

I had asked at Pegu and was told Suze may not be available in the U.S. at all. But the fact that they have it at Du Vin is good news.

foodhunter

foodhunter

Posted
  • Topic Starter
Posted
I've only seen it in California; not sure who distributes in New York.  Why not ask next time you're in Pegu?  Perhaps someone with ready access to a NY Bev Media guide could check?

what is Suze? and elaborate on the white negroni plz... sounds tasty....

Pegu's White Negroni is done with gin, Suze and Lillet Blanc. I find it perfectly balanced, and really nice for the summer.

jmfangio

jmfangio

Posted
Posted
Pegu's White Negroni is done with gin, Suze and Lillet Blanc.  I find it perfectly balanced, and really nice for the summer.

Now I'm going to have to pick up a bottle for myself, if y'all haven't cleaned them out by the time I get there. Two questions about the White Negroni: do you know if the proportions are 1:1:1 as in the classic Negroni, and what's the garnish, if any?

"Martinis should always be stirred, not shaken, so that the molecules lie sensuously one on top of the other." - W. Somerset Maugham

phlip

phlip

Posted
Posted

Proportions are 1.5 gin (plymouth works well)

1 lillet

.75 suze

Charles at the lonsdale in london made me a great variation using noilly pratt amber and orange bitters. But alas one cannot get the amber either.

Does anyone know if that liquor store in LA that has Suze ships?

  • Like 1
Scotttos

Scotttos

Posted
Posted

Does anyone know if that liquor store in LA that has Suze ships?

Just checked their shipping page, looks like it's a go for NY.

Luna Calvados

Luna Calvados

Posted
Posted

I purchased a couple of bottles of Suze years ago, but do not remember where, probably in Massachusetts. Has Suze suddenly gotten hard to find? Is there a problem with French imports? I had trouble getting Marie Brizard Apry liqueur for about six months and then suddenly it became available again.

You may want to check out the website of Vintage Wine & Spirits located in Mill Valley, CA, Phone (415) 388-1626:

http://www.vintagewines.biz/index.cfm

They list Suze under the Liqueur heading @ $26.99/bottle:

http://www.vintagewines.biz/util/listgen.c...data_%20Liqueur

I do not know if they ship to NY State, but you might try them.

Good luck. And Cheers!

"Some ladies smoke too much and some ladies drink too much and some ladies pray too much, but all ladies think that they weigh too much."

From a poem by Ogden Nash - Curl Up and Diet

eje

eje

Posted
Posted

Cool!

Mill Valley is even closer than LA.

Hmm... Though, perhaps it is time to check again with the local liquor stores. If they have it in Mill Valley, it seems like someone should have it in San Francisco...

---

Erik Ellestad

If the ocean was whiskey and I was a duck...

Bernal Heights, SF, CA

Luna Calvados

Luna Calvados

Posted
Posted
Cool!

Mill Valley is even closer than LA.

Hmm...  Though, perhaps it is time to check again with the local liquor stores.  If they have it in Mill Valley, it seems like someone should have it in San Francisco...

It certainly seems so. I usually have success finding such unusual items at the website of K & L Wine Merchants in San Francisco, and then have them shipped to me in NY State, but I do not see Suze listed anywhere on their website. Maybe there are limited bottles available in the U.S., if there is indeed a problem with the importer or distributor.

"Some ladies smoke too much and some ladies drink too much and some ladies pray too much, but all ladies think that they weigh too much."

From a poem by Ogden Nash - Curl Up and Diet

jmfangio

jmfangio

Posted
Posted
Proportions are 1.5 gin (plymouth works well)

1 lillet

.75 suze

Charles at the lonsdale in london made me a great variation using noilly pratt amber and orange bitters. But alas one cannot get the amber either.

Thanks for the recipe! I'll try to pick up a bottle of Suze this week and give it a whirl.

I wasn't even aware that there was an Amber Noilly Prat. Unfortunately, according to Wikipedia, "AMBER NOILLY PRAT is only available for purchase from Noilly Prat in its shop in Marseillan."

"Martinis should always be stirred, not shaken, so that the molecules lie sensuously one on top of the other." - W. Somerset Maugham

eje

eje

Posted
Posted

I had a local liquor store check into this.

They assured me that Suze is definitely not available in the US at this time.

Perhaps those stores that have it are just selling through remaining stock.

---

Erik Ellestad

If the ocean was whiskey and I was a duck...

Bernal Heights, SF, CA

jmfangio

jmfangio

Posted
Posted (edited)

Stopped by Du Vin today to pick up my bottle of Suze and asked, "Hey, have you been selling a lot of this lately?"

"Are you kidding? I sold two cases yesterday!"

Spoke to the owner and the manager for a bit - they bought 110 bottles when their importer announced that they were going to stop carrying it, and they're down to about 20 bottles after my purchase. I also told them about this thread, and how it may have contributed to clearing them out.

Tomorrow evening's game plan: come home from yoga, shower, rehydrate, White Negroni!

Edit: The owner also said that for years he's been trying to get his hands on some Amer Picon, but no luck so far.

Edited by eje (log)

"Martinis should always be stirred, not shaken, so that the molecules lie sensuously one on top of the other." - W. Somerset Maugham

  • 3 weeks later...
eje

eje

Posted
Posted

gallery_27569_3448_37338.jpg

A friend was kind enough to stop by Vintage Wines and pick up one of their last bottles of Suze and bring it down to San Francisco.

The Suze is very strongly Gentian flavored without many of the other spice elements which make Campari so enjoyable.

Is there a garnish for the White Negroni? Peel or anything?

---

Erik Ellestad

If the ocean was whiskey and I was a duck...

Bernal Heights, SF, CA

  • 2 weeks later...
cdh

cdh

Posted
Posted

Just had a chance to taste some Suze and am quite enamoured with its flavor. It is very root-y or bulb-y flavored, quite remniscent of strong ginseng teas and echinacea tinctures I've tasted in the past. It has a bittersweet, earthy flavor, but I get nothing in the way of decay from it as had been mentioned upthread. It doesn't have the band-aid phenolics to qualify as medicinal to my taste buds either.

The white negroni idea seems like a lovely drink.

Christopher D. Holst aka "cdh"

Learn to brew beer with my eGCI course

Chris Holst, Attorney-at-Lunch

bostonapothecary

bostonapothecary

Posted
Posted
Just had a chance to taste some Suze and am quite enamoured with its flavor.  It is very root-y or bulb-y flavored, quite remniscent of strong ginseng teas and echinacea tinctures I've tasted in the past.  It has a bittersweet, earthy flavor, but I get nothing in the way of decay from it as had been mentioned upthread.  It doesn't have the band-aid phenolics to qualify as medicinal to my taste buds either.

The white negroni idea seems like a lovely drink.

http://www.vintagewines.biz/util/listgen.c...FTOKEN=65243175

vintage wines and spirits web site says they have four bottles in stock... good luck to anyone not stuck in massachuseets...

abstract expressionist beverage compounder

creator of acquired tastes

bostonapothecary.com

jmfangio

jmfangio

Posted
Posted
vintage wines and spirits web site says they have four bottles in stock... good luck to anyone not stuck in massachuseets...

Those may be some of the last bottles left in the country - I stopped by Du Vin today to pick up some Ramazzotti Amaro (there's an Amer Picon replica in my future), and they mentioned that they sold their last bottle yesterday.

"Martinis should always be stirred, not shaken, so that the molecules lie sensuously one on top of the other." - W. Somerset Maugham

David Santucci

David Santucci

Posted
Posted

Okay, so I got my bottle of Suze. Haven't tried the White Negroni yet, but it's next on my list.

As I mentioned upthread, I was really impressed by a cocktail at Pegu Club called the Petit Mort. Thing is, I can't remember what was in it, apart from Suze and Champagne. If one of you NYC eGulleters goes by Pegu Club, could you post the ingredients list?

Okay, time to try the White Negroni...

foodhunter

foodhunter

Posted
  • Topic Starter
Posted

Was recently in Europe and brought back two bottles of Suze. Just picked up a fresh bottle of Lillet today, and will try my hand at making a White Negroni tonight. Pegu's version had no garnish, but I think a lemon peel might do nicely.

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