Salers Aperitif (Gentiane) Liqueur 750ml

Salers was founded in 1885 by distiller Alfred Labounoux in the Massif Central, making it the oldest gentian liqueur producer still operating today. The brand grew popular throughout Auvergne and Limousin before spreading to Paris between the World Wars, and it later served as a major sponsor of the Tour de France in 1938. In 2006 the distillery joined the Vedrenne family group and moved production to Turenne, near Brive-la-Gaillarde, while still adhering to Labounoux's original recipe.

Salers is built entirely around Gentiana lutea, a wild yellow gentian that grows in open fields across the Auvergne region near the town of Salers and the slopes of Puy Mary. The plant takes roughly twenty years to mature, and its large tuberous roots are still hand harvested to protect the surrounding ecosystem, then washed and crushed within a day of picking. Rather than fermentation, the roots are macerated in superfine alcohol, and the distiller balances the final blend with water, neutral alcohol, and a touch of sugar to reach the finished proof.

The result is a pale, natural straw colored liqueur with a firm, earthy bitterness and a drier character than many of its rivals, since Salers skips the artificial coloring some competitors use. Its rustic profile leans herbal and mineral, with a bracing bitterness balanced by subtle citrus notes and a long, digestif like finish.