Ricard (drink)

Ricard (/rɪˈkɑːrd/; French pronunciation: ​[ʁikaʁ]) is a pastis, an anise and licorice-flavored aperitif, created by Paul Ricard in 1932.

A bottle of Ricard

The Ricard brand is the global leader in anise-based alcohols, with more than 40 million litres of Ricard sold each year. Its main competitor is Pastis 51, which currently belongs to the Pernod Ricard group, and is produced and distributed by the Pernod Company.

Ricard is a French public company founded in 1932 in Marseille, France, by Paul Ricard. It currently belongs to the Pernod Ricard group. Ricard is the first spirit brand in France regarding the volumes sold or turnover.

History
  • 1932 : At not even 22 years old, Paul Ricard, decided to give his name to a drink he just created, truly convinced of its potential. The Ricard pastis was then born.
  • 1940 : Production of pastis was prohibited by the Vichy regime. Paul Ricard therefore stopped the drink production. France had to wait 11 years to see the pastis authorized again.
  • 1956 : During the Suez crisis and oil shortage, Paul Ricard organized « the drink trailer », with a special Ricard delivery, in Paris, on camelback.
  • In the 1960s, Paul Ricard opens factories all over France.
  • 1968 : Paul Ricard retired; his son Patrick became CEO in 1978. The Ricard group is one of the top aniseed-flavored alcohol leaders in the world.
  • 1975 : Paul Ricard creates an alliance with Jean Hémard (Pernod group) in order to merge and give birth to the Pernod Ricard group.
  • Nowadays, the Pernod Ricard group is the second largest global wine & spirits distributor, and leader on the European market.

Brands produced and distributed by the Ricard Company in France

Today, the Ricard Company has two main functions:

  • Producing the Ricard, Pacific and Lillet brands in order to commercialize them in France and export them all over the world, throughout the Pernod Ricard’s distribution subsidiaries.
  • Commercializing some products from the Pernod Ricard group in France (Clan Campbell, Chivas Regal, Jameson, Absolut, Malibu, and Perrier Jouet).
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