1830 - The brand’s namesake founder Gaétan Picon enlisted in the French military and was stationed in Algeria.
1837 - Picon founds a distillery in the Algerian city of Skikda, also known as Philipeville.
1872 - Picon left Algeria and opened a distillery in Marseille, France, the spirit becomes known as "Amer Picon" from then on.
1909 - Picon's son and five son-in-laws are running the business with eight total distilleries.
1937 - For the brand's centennial an illustration is commissioned showing a man on horseback with a woman and a bottle of Amer Picon. See it here!
1960s - Amer Picon is no longer available in the United States due to a banned ingredient, Calamus root.
1970s - The ABV is stepped down to the current 21% from the original 39%.
1995 - Diageo acquires the brand.
2022 - Campari Group purchases Picon and owns the brand as of this recording.
Key Cocktails:
Amer Picon is featured in pre-Prohibition cocktails, so you if you get a bottle you may want to try it in the Brooklyn Cocktail. But it also has a knack for making beer more drinkable.