History

It all began in 1885. Emile Giffard was a pharmacist with an inventive, curious nature and the palate of a gourmand. In the scorching summer, in the small Loire Valley town of Angers, France, he was studying the digestive and cooling properties of mint. Giffard’s research resulted in the invention of a clear mint liqueur, steam-distilled from the Mitcham variety of peppermint. As delicious as it was refreshing, the liqueur was immediately received with enthusiasm from the townspeople of Angers. Emile called his elixir Menthe Pastille after the mint candies that were famout at the time.

Giffard parlayed the success of Menthe Pastille into a company and began creating liqueurs and syrups from the rich bounty of local fruits and botanicals as well as the exotic spices and herbs that were brought in by ship on the Loire River from ports around the world. Five generations later, Giffard is still owned and operated by the same family who maintain tradition and quality for all of its products.