Picon Biere

Reference

Northern France, Belgium, Alsace / France

ABV18%

Sub-styles

beer modifier amercaramel-orange amerFrench beer liqueur

Tasting Notes

Bitter orange peel, gentian root, caramel sweetness. Less bitter than the historical original — modern versions are rounder, sweeter. Quinine backbone detectable in older formulations. In beer: the Picon adds orange-bitter depth to malt sweetness. The grenadine addition brings a sunset-orange color and balances the bitter edge.

Brand Guide

Standard: Amer Picon Club ($18-22, limited US availability). Substitute: Bigallet China-China ($25-30). Substitute: Torani Amer ($22-28). Craft: Golden Moon Amer dit Picon ($30-35, closest to original recipe). The original Amer Picon recipe is the holy grail — every substitute is chasing a ghost.

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The Story

Northern France's orange-bitter aperitif, born in Algeria, adopted by beer drinkers.