Tourist Info > Did you know P-O.....?
Did you know.... France
 Articles in
this section : 		Hunting for Treasure in the Pyrenees-Orientales
 An exclusively Catalan frog? Well, not (...)
 ’Bal-musette’ You are very (...)
 Canigou and Kipling In a letter to M. (...)
 Castells and castellers (...)
 Catalan donkey symbol You may already (...)
 Cheeky Monkies.... The Simiots of Arles-sur-Tech
 Correfocs Correfocs originate from a form (...)
 Do you live near a prat? Well, best not to (...)
 Don’t shoot! It’s a rifle! (...)
 Catalan National Anthem Els Segadors (...)
 The start of WW3? Well, let’s (...)
 Feeling a bit tramontane? Did you (...)
 		Open door to the P-O On a plateau of (...)
 Get your boules out! Pétanque actually comes (...)
 Going off the rails at Cerbère A difference in
 Aie aie aie! It is believed by some that (...)
 Havaneres Havaneres - named after the (...)
 . Le correllengua On 7th November (...)
 How things have changed! LE PERTHUS (...)
  Les Dames de France, Perpignan (...)
 Lest We Forget ...... Louis Torcatis (...)
 Llevant de Taula The expression (...)
 Pont Gisclard gets a paint job Every (...)
 Did you know that over a hundred years ago, (...)
 The Albigensian Crusade An estimated (...)
 		Grub-ada The Catalan tradition for (...)
 No one expects the Medieval Inquisition! (...)
 Le Maître de Cabestany An anonymous 12th (...)
 The meaning of Argelès The name (...)
 The obelisk in Port Vendres by Michael (...)
 The Palais des Rois de Majorque, Perpignan (...)
 The Sardane The Sardane is a traditional (...)
 Le Chêne des Trabucayres. The oak (...)
 The Via Domitia The Via Domitia was the (...)
 Thuir, Byrrh, and the Violet Brothers (...)
 Walter Benjamin Walter Benjamin, (1892 (...)
 Winds of the Pyrénées-Orientales There are (...)

Aviva Insurance

Pyrenean trails


Sky Digi

Blevins Franks

TPM Piscine Services

UK Paint Depot

happy project manager



Kap Oupa Kap



george and dragon


Morley renovation

TPM Property Services

Rando et Chariot

John Lansley - Financial advisor

 

Thuir, Byrrh, and the Violet Brothers

 

 

Thuir, lively little town in the Aspres, is probably most famous for the Caves Byrrh. Created by the Violet Thuir, Byrrhbrothers in 1873, and otherwise known as ’vin tonique et hygiénique au quinquina’, Byrrh used to be a world renowned Catalan apéritif.

The brothers apparently started off as travelling salesmen, selling various things including ’tonic’. With the arrival of the railway in Perpignan in 1858, they saw the chance to take full advantage of the new industry that it brought to the region, and put together the recipe for Byrrh, which was to become famous throughout the world. It is created from good quality Roussillon wines and quinine water, and said to be medicinal.

Instantly popular, a station hall was ordered from the Gustave Eiffel workshops. From it 30 million litres made their way annually to 350,000 customers world-wide. Now, not only Byrrh but Cinzano, Dubonnet, Ambassadeur and Suze are made and matured in the 600 huge oak barrels that line the chais leading to the biggest oak barrel in the world. 10 metres high it contains 420,500 litres. 

A fascinating guided tour takes you through the station concourse, shows you how the wines are flavoured and fortified to make the aperitifs, passes by evocative old advertising posters and ends with a tasting.
Open 7/7. Entrance 2 euros, visits every 15 mins from 9h to 11.45 and 14.30 – 17.45 in summer. Info: 04 68 53 05 42. 

Photo credit: Graham Harris

Lots more details about it here in French, including a quiz, a virtual tour, and recipes.