Foundation in 1885

Giffard’s origins date to 1885 in Angers, during what the company describes as a particularly hot summer. Émile Giffard, a local pharmacist with interests in botany and the digestive properties of plants, experimented with mint to develop a refined, transparent white-mint liqueur. The key ingredient was Mitcham peppermint, a highly aromatic variety originally associated with England, which yielded a spirit with a pronounced cooling character and clear appearance 1.

The liqueur achieved immediate commercial success, prompting Émile Giffard to convert his pharmacy into a distillery, thereby establishing the business that became Giffard 1. He named the product Menthe-Pastille because its flavour recalled the mint pastilles fashionable at the time. This product served as both the origin of the company and the foundation of the Giffard brand 1.

Relocation to Avrillé

As the company expanded, it remained rooted in the Angers area. In 1972, Giffard relocated its operations to Avrillé, immediately north of Angers. This site subsequently became a central hub for production and visitor experiences 1. The company identifies as an emblematic business of the Pays de la Loire region and part of the traditional liqueur-making heritage of Anjou, where numerous liquorists emerged during the 19th century 1. Its headquarters are currently registered in Avrillé at ZA La Violette, chemin du Bocage 1.

Five generations of family ownership

Continuity of family ownership is a defining characteristic of Giffard. The company states that its know-how has been transmitted through five generations of the Giffard family 1. The transition to the fifth generation became particularly visible in the 2020s. According to former leader Édith Giffard, her son Pierre joined the company in 2015 and her niece Émilie Giffard joined in 2020; the two fifth-generation family members assumed general management in 2024 3. A 2025 profile similarly identified Émilie Giffard and Pierre Giffard as the company’s current leadership 2. This continuity underpins Giffard’s positioning as a combination of traditional French liquor-making and contemporary innovation.

Menthe-Pastille is the historical signature of the Giffard portfolio. The original recipe remains secret and has been passed down through the family. The liqueur continues to use Mitcham-type peppermint, now cultivated in Anjou near the production site 1.

The modern expression is a 24% ABV clear mint liqueur characterised by a strong peppermint aroma, fresh and balanced taste, and intensely cooling finish. It may be consumed on ice, lengthened with sparkling water or used in cocktails 1. Its identity is directly tied to a recipe that has existed for more than 140 years, distinguishing it within the modern spirits market.

Although Giffard began with mint, it gradually expanded into a broad range of fruit, botanical and cocktail-oriented products. Historically, the portfolio grew to include Menthe-Pastille, fruit liqueurs, crèmes de fruits, guignolets, classic and premium liqueurs, syrups, alcohol-free spirits, cocktail bases and gourmet products. The current range is organised around several major categories: premium liqueurs, classic liqueurs, fruit creams, Giffard Creations, alcohol-free spirits, syrups, Fruit for Mix and gourmet sauces 1.

This evolution positions Giffard not merely as a mint liqueur brand but as a specialist flavour house for the cocktail industry.

Major product families

• Menthe-Pastille: The historical flagship and transparent white-mint liqueur created in 1885, remaining the product most closely associated with the Giffard name 1.
• Fruit liqueurs and Crèmes de Fruits: A extensive portfolio allowing bartenders to introduce concentrated fruit flavours into cocktails, reflecting a philosophy of using fruit as a primary flavour source rather than relying on generic flavourings 1.
• Premium and Classic Liqueurs: Categories that cover traditional cocktail styles alongside newer flavour combinations, including the Giffard Creations line 1.
• Syrups: Produced from fruits, plants, confectionery, nuts and spices, as well as specialist products for professional beverage applications. This category enables participation in both alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks 1.
• Alcohol-free products: Spirits and cocktail bases that reflect the growing importance of non-alcoholic beverages, applying flavour-extraction expertise beyond traditional liqueurs 1.

Giffard defines its profession as that of a liquorist, with plants and fruit at the centre of its approach. Its philosophy prioritises high-quality raw materials, careful extraction and precise assembly. The company sources locally where appropriate—for example, stating that 100% of its blackcurrant berries come from the Pays de la Loire region—while also sourcing specific varieties from further afield 1.

Production stages include selection, maceration, extraction, dosage, blending, mixing, filtration, quality control and tasting before bottling. For fruit liqueurs, Giffard employs a traditional maceration process, with fruit remaining in alcohol for approximately 48 hours to three months depending on the ingredient and desired extraction profile 1.

Modern Giffard is strongly associated with bartenders and cocktail culture. The company explicitly positions its products as being developed for professional use in leading cocktail bars worldwide 1. Unlike traditional after-dinner liqueur companies, Giffard designs its products to function as flavour-building ingredients in mixed drinks, providing fruit sweetness, herbal notes, floral aromas, citrus character, nutty flavours, spice, mint freshness, bitter complexity and non-alcoholic components. The company also publishes cocktail recipes and collaborates with professional bartenders to develop drinks around its products 1.

While strongly French in identity, Giffard has become a significant international business. In a 2025 interview, fifth-generation co-managing director Émilie Giffard stated that the company exports liqueurs and syrups to approximately 90 countries 2. A 2025 French industrial profile reported that approximately 70% of production was exported, with sales reaching around 12 million bottles and revenue of approximately €56 million in 2024. At that time, the company employed around 150 people 4. These figures illustrate Giffard’s evolution from a local Angers distillery into a sizeable international specialist while retaining family ownership.

Giffard’s brand identity is built around French heritage, botanical and fruit expertise, craftsmanship, family continuity and bartender orientation. The company emphasises its origins in Angers and Anjou, places flavour at the centre of its identity rather than alcohol, and highlights traditional maceration and extraction methods as part of its savoir-faire 1.

The brand also maintains a notable history of graphic advertising. Historic Menthe-Pastille campaigns have inspired artistic imagery over generations, and Giffard preserves a collection of advertisements associated with artists including Leonetto Cappiello. This provides the brand with a cultural dimension connected to the visual culture surrounding French liqueurs in the late 19th and 20th centuries 5.

Giffard emphasises the natural origin of its flavours and seeks to develop the company in a way that benefits nature. Its approach includes sourcing selected fruits and plants, emphasising aromatic qualities and adapting sourcing to particular varieties and origins. As a liqueur and beverage manufacturer involving alcohol, sugar and technologically controlled processes, its sustainability positioning is best understood as an emphasis on responsible development, botanical ingredients and long-term resource considerations rather than a claim that products are simply “natural” 1.

Giffard operates a visitor attraction called Espace Menthe-Pastille at its Avrillé site. Dedicated to the company’s history and production know-how, the space allows visitors to explore how fruit and plants are transformed into liqueurs and incorporates historical elements connected with Émile Giffard and Menthe-Pastille 1. This reinforces the strategy of treating heritage as part of the brand experience.

Giffard has continued to expand beyond its traditional product base. According to L’Usine Nouvelle, the company invested approximately €30 million in 2024 in a new 10,000 m² production facility dedicated to liqueurs, including alcohol-free products, at Saint-Léger-des-Bois near Angers. This investment followed the expansion of syrup production and logistics capabilities 4, signalling a strategic direction combining traditional liqueur expertise, industrial expansion, new alcohol-free categories and international growth.

Giffard is defined by several key attributes:

• Age: Founded in 1885, with more than 140 years of history.
• Menthe-Pastille: The original mint liqueur remains a defining product.
• Family ownership: Controlled by the Giffard family for five generations.
• Anjou heritage: Identity deeply connected with Angers, Avrillé and the Loire Valley.
• Flavour expertise: Fundamentally a flavour-extraction and liqueur-making company.
• Bartender focus: Products prominent in professional cocktail culture.
• Broad portfolio: Evolved from one mint liqueur to encompass fruit liqueurs, premium liqueurs, syrups and alcohol-free products.
• International reach: Products sold across roughly 90 countries 2.

1. L’Histoire de la Maison Giffard : savoir-faire, valeurs, inspirations
2. The big interview: Emilie Giffard – The Spirits Business
3. 3 questions à Edith Giffard – Entreprise et Découverte
4. Made in France : L’éternelle jeunesse des liqueurs et sirops Giffard
5. Giffard Canada
6. Présentation PowerPoint