EMILE PERNOT Vieux Pontarlier SEC 45° 1L Apéritif Anisé

Tasting notes: Vieux Pontarlier stands out with its more herbal character and smoothness on the palate.

Pontarlier is an aniseed apéritif distilled from natural plants, with green anise giving it both strength and richness. Refreshing and herbaceous, it sets itself apart from Pastis. It can be enjoyed neat as an apéritif or diluted with chilled water. A regional speciality — don’t miss the chance to taste our Pontarlier!

It originates from the Bourgogne–Franche-Comté region, on the border with Switzerland — an area historically renowned for absinthe. After absinthe was banned, local distillers created Pontarlier as an aniseed apéritif alternative.

At Émile Pernot, the passion for distillation has been passed down through generations. For over a century, between tradition and innovation, the distillery Les Fils d’Émile Pernot has preserved a unique expertise in the art of distillation.

Using historic 1805 stills, still in perfect working order, it continues to produce fine aniseed spirits. The ban on absinthe, decreed in France on 7 January 1915 and followed two months later by the prohibition of its production, put an end to a thriving industry — absinthe once employed nearly 3,000 people! The distillery adapted by creating Vieux Pontarlier, an iconic aniseed apéritif of the region. The business remained in the family until the retirement in 2005 of great-grandson Émile-Gérard Pernot, after which it was largely passed on to Pierre Beuchet.