Drink | Suze Saveur d’Autrefois Liqueur

Suze, the spicy, fruity, French liqueur was usually the prize bottle bartenders stashed in their suitcases after a visit to France. After years of “hand importing,” the liqueur is now finally available in the United States.

The liqueur was created by Parisian distiller Fernand Moureaux and has been produced in the region of Thuir in southern France since 1889. Wild yellow gentian is hand-harvested in the mountains of Auvergne and is then macerated and distilled.

Suze Saveur d’Autrefois is the version that is imported into the US and it’s been developed based on the original recipe -- meaning bitter with a strong expression of yellow gentian. Traditionally, as with other French aperitifs, it’s enjoyed neat, over ice or mixed with tonic or orange juice. But bartenders aren’t limited by tradition.

“For Suze, I like the flavor, I like the viscosity of it and I like the color too. You get used to working with Campari, or Grand Classico, or Luxardo Bitter with the red, but with Suze I can make a White Negroni and I like switching up the color. For cocktails, part of the appeal is how they look, as well as how they smell and how they taste.”

- Mixologist Brother Cleve