Byrrh is another of those peculiarly French concoctions of red wine, quinine water and spices from the Languedoc-Roussillon made at Thuir ((66 Pyrénées Orientales, Languedoc-Roussillon). Reportedly it has a touch of bitterness and orange overtones and is best as an aperitif (similar to Dubonnet) or as part of a cocktail.
The cellars at Thuir can be visited to see the production process - and the largest oak barrel in the world (10002 hectolitres compared to a Bordeaux barrel of 255hl!).
The website www.byrrh.com, has a recipe for poached eggs in Byrrh! (and other less weird menu ideas!); but it is perhaps the recipe for Byrrh itself which seems so unusual - bitter orange peel, camomile, coffee, gentian, coriander, quinine, cocoa, vanilla and elderberries are just some of the ingredients added to fortified grape juice!
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