The Felix Bigallet distillery has been crafting unique, Alpine, herbal spirits, liqueurs and syrups since 1872. The original distillery was started by Félix Bigallet in the city of Lyon, in 1885, the company decided to move to Virieu-sur-Bourbe in the Alpine foothills of Isére - Bigallet's family home.
Felix Bigallet, with over 140 years of experience, has perfected the art of distilling citrus and dried herbs. The collection of Felix Bigallet spirits highlights unique, antique formulas alongside contemporary additions.
China-China Amer is an incomparably rich and complex, 80 proof, orange-based, bittersweet liqueur peppered with botanical infusions. The intense orange aroma and flavor in China-China comes from Bigallet’s proprietary process of distilling fresh orange peel macerations. This intense orange distillate is blended with earthy and bitter gentian, tart chinchona bark, velvety anise, spicy clove, and a handful of other secret, Alpine herbs and spices. The flavors are married with rich caramel to balance the natural bitterness, and the dark, orange glow of China-China is born.
| Type | Liqueur |
|---|---|
| Variety | Amaro / Amer |
| Volume | 750 mL |
| ABV | 40% |
| Country of Origin | France |
| Appearance | Dark, burnt caramel |
| Aroma | Bright orange zest, molasses, ginger spice cake |
|---|---|
| Flavor | Warm, bittersweet orange marmalade, anise, and mulling spices. |
| Finish | Pleasant, lingering bitter note. |
Produced at the foot of the French Alps by the Bigallet distillery, Thym Liqueur is a 70-proof, herbal liqueur made with macerations and distillations of dried thymus vulgaris. Thyme has been used throughout the Mediterranean for thousands of years to add a refreshing, savory depth to many famous spice blends including Za’atar, Bouquet Garni and Herbes de Provence. Thyme is an essential herb of French Provencal cuisine. Its warm, savory flavor and aroma evokes the salt air, hot winds and sun-splashed coast of the Mediterranean Sea. This liqueur plays nicely with vodka or gin for an herbal version of the classic martini, but works equally well adding a savory component to a tall glass of lemonade and soda.
| Type | Liqueur |
|---|---|
| Variety | Herbal |
| Volume | 750 mL |
| ABV | 35% |
| Country of Origin | France |
| Appearance | Clear gold with green-yellow highlights |
| Aroma | Invigorating camphor, lemon and dry herbs |
|---|---|
| Flavor | Savory and herbal, yet pleasantly sweet |
The mountainous region of Isere, located in the southeast of France, in the heart of the Rhone Alps, is known for its stunning beauty of majestic mountains and green valleys. Isere has many visitors that come to enjoy its outdoor splendor, with winter sports at its ski resorts and summer adventures at pristine mountain lakes and rivers. Bigallet is located in a tiny village called Virieu, near the center of Isere, just outside the reaches of the Chartreuse National Forest.
The 1885 move of the distillery to Virieu was to return to the Bigallet family's home, but also to situate conveniently along the Lyon-Grenoble train line. The railway made the importation of all the required raw materials easier for Bigallet; wine from the south of France, sugar loaves from the Antilles, rum from the West Indies, lemons from Sicily and oranges from Spain or northern Africa.
Today, the village of Virieu is still small and charming. Members of the Bigallet family still operate the distillery that produces fine fruit syrups and unique, Alpine spirits for the surrounding region.
Bigallet Liqueurs are distinctly Alpine, offering bitter and herbal flavors that add layers of complexity to cocktails. Bigallet liqueurs are best used as modifiers, or ingredients that complement and add depth of flavor to the base spirit. Try using a half ounce of Bigallet China-China in any recipe in place of bitters in a standard Old Fashioned or Negroni.
| Ingredients | |
|---|---|
| 2 oz. | Calvados |
| 1 oz. | Giffard Vanille de Madagascar |
| Barspoon | Bigallet China China |
| 2:1 Barspoon | Demerara syrup |
| 2 drops | Malic Acid |
| Method |
|---|
| Briefly stir with ice, stain in to Nick & Nora. |
| Garnish |
|---|
| Expressed lemon peel. |
| Equipment |
|---|
| Nick & Nora. |
| Ingredients | |
|---|---|
| 1.5 oz. | Gin |
| .75 oz. | Red Italian Bitter Aperitivo |
| .75 oz. | Vermouth |
| .25 oz. | Bigallet China China Amer |
| Barspoon | Giffard Abricot du Roussillon |
| Method |
|---|
| Combine ingredients in a mixing glass. |
| Add ice and stir briefly. |
| Strain over a large ice cube, into a rocks glass. |
| Ingredients | |
|---|---|
| 1 oz. | Gin |
| 1 oz. | Blanc Vermouth |
| .50 oz. | Bigallet Thym Liqueur |
| .50 oz. | Campari |
| Orange Slice | |
| Fresh Thyme Sprig | |
| Large Ice Cube |
| Method |
|---|
| Stir ingredients with ice |
| Strain into rocks glass over large ice cube |
| Garnish with an orange slice and fresh thyme sprig |
| Equipment |
|---|
| Rocks glass |
| Jigger or ounce measuring cup |
| Beaker or pint glass |
| Julep strainer |
| Ingredients | |
|---|---|
| 1.5 oz. | Brandy or Cognac |
| 1.0 oz. | Bigallet China-China Amer |
| .75 oz. | Fresh Lemon Juice |
| .25 oz. | Simple Syrup |
| Lemon Slice/Zest |
| Method |
|---|
| Shake ingredients with ice |
| Fine strain into chilled coupe glass |
| Garnish with a lemon slice or twist |
| Equipment |
|---|
| Coupe glass |
| Jigger or ounce measuring cup |
| Shaker |
| Hawthorne Strainer |
| Fine strainer |
| Ingredients | |
|---|---|
| .75 oz. | Bigallet China-China Amer |
| 5 - 6 oz. | Beer |
| Method |
|---|
| Combine ingredients |
| Garnish |
|---|
| Orange wheel |
| Equipment |
|---|
| Tall glass |
| Jigger |
| Ingredients | |
|---|---|
| 1.5 oz. | Sotol Por Siempre |
| .75 oz. | Blanc Vermouth |
| .75 oz. | Bigallet Thym Liqueur |
| Orange Bitters |
| Method |
|---|
| Combine all ingredients in a mixing glass with ice and stir. |
| Once chilled and diluted, strain into a rocks glass over a large ice cube. |
| Garnish |
|---|
| Orange peel |
| Ingredients | |
|---|---|
| 1.0 oz. | Sotol Por Siempre |
| 1.0 oz. | London Dry gin |
| .50 oz. | Dry Vermouth |
| .25 oz. | Bigallet Thym Liqueur |
| Method |
|---|
| Combine all ingredients in a mixing glass with ice. |
| Stir until chilled and diluted. |
| Strain into a chilled cocktail glass. |
| Express a lemon peel over the cocktail and discard. |
| Ingredients | |
|---|---|
| 2.0 oz. | Rye Whiskey |
| 0.75 oz. | Giffard Framboise |
| 0.75 oz. | Bigallet China-China Amer |
| 2 dashes | Angostura Bitters |
| Method |
|---|
| Combine ingredients in a rocks glass with ice. |
| Stir for 15 seconds. |
| Garnish with a grapefruit peel. |
| Garnish |
|---|
| Grapefruit peel |
| Ingredients | |
|---|---|
| 1.5 oz. | Rum |
| 0.75 oz. | Fresh Lime Juice |
| 0.5 oz | Bigallet Thym Liqueur |
| 0.5 oz | Simple Syrup (1:1) |
| Method |
|---|
| Shake. |
| Fine strain. |
| Garnish |
|---|
| Lime wheel |
| Equipment |
|---|
| Coupe glass |
| Ingredients | |
|---|---|
| 0.75 oz. | Bigallet Thym Liqueur |
| 0.75 oz. | Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur |
| 0.75 oz. | Dry Gin |
| 0.75 oz. | Fresh Lemon Juice |
| Method |
|---|
| Shake. |
| Fine strain. |
| Garnish |
|---|
| Lemon Zest |
| Equipment |
|---|
| Coupe or Martini glass |
| Ingredients | |
|---|---|
| 2.0 oz. | Bigallet China-China Amer |
| 1.0 oz. | Fresh Lemon Juice |
| Method |
|---|
| Shake. |
| Fine strain over large cube. |
| Equipment |
|---|
| Rocks glass |
| Ingredients | |
|---|---|
| 1.0 oz. | Bigallet China-China Amer |
| 3.0 oz. | Chilled, Dry White Wine |
| 3.0 oz. | Chilled Seltzer Water |
| Method |
|---|
| Build ingredients in a glass. |
| Add ice and stir to combine. |
| Garnish |
|---|
| Orange slice |
| Ingredients | |
|---|---|
| 1.0 oz. | Gin |
| 1.0 oz. | Vermouth |
| 0.5 oz | Campari |
| 0.5 oz | Bigallet China-China Amer |
| Method |
|---|
| Stir ingredients with ice. |
| Strain into rocks glass over large ice cube. |
| Garnish |
|---|
| Orange slice |
| Ingredients | |
|---|---|
| 2.0 oz. | Calvados |
| 0.75 oz. | Bigallet China-China Amer |
| 0.25 oz. | Giffard Cassis Noir de Bourgogne |
| 2 dashes | Angostura Bitters |
| Method |
|---|
| Stir all ingredients in a mixing glass with ice. |
| Strain into chilled cocktail glass. |
| Garnish with lemon peel. |
| Garnish |
|---|
| Lemon peel |
| Ingredients | |
|---|---|
| 3.0 oz. | Gin or Vodka |
| 0.5 oz. | Bigallet Thym Liqueur |
| 0.5 oz. | Dry Vermouth |
| Method |
|---|
| Combine ingredients in mixing glass with ice and stir. |
| Strain into chilled martini glass. |
| Garnish with lemon peel. |
| Garnish |
|---|
| Lemon peel |
| Ingredients | |
|---|---|
| 1.5 oz. | Vodka |
| 0.75 oz. | Bigallet Thym Liqueur |
| 1.0 oz. | Lemon Juice |
| 0.25 oz. | Simple Syrup |
| Method |
|---|
| Combine ingredients together in a mixing tin with ice. |
| Shake, then strain into a rocks glass over fresh ice. |
| Garnish with lemon wheel. |
| Garnish |
|---|
| Lemon wheel |
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