Pernod Ricard () is a French company best known for its

anise Anise (; '), also called aniseed or rarely anix, is a flowering plant in the family Apiaceae native to the eastern Mediterranean region and Southwest Asia. The flavor and aroma of its seeds have similarities with some other spices and herbs, ...

-flavoured

pastis Pastis (, , ; ) is an anise-flavoured spirit and apéritif traditionally from France, typically containing less than 100 g/L sugar and 40–45% ABV (alcohol by volume). Origins Pastis was first commercialized by Paul Ricard in 1932 and enj ...

apéritifs Pernod Anise and Ricard Pastis (often referred to simply as ''

Pernod Pernod Ricard () is a French company best known for its anise-flavoured pastis apéritifs Pernod Anise and Ricard Pastis (often referred to simply as ''Pernod (brand), Pernod'' or ''Ricard (liqueur), Ricard''). The world's second-largest wine and ...

'' or ''

Ricard Ricard is a surname, as well as a Catalan name. Notable people with the surname include: *Amable Ricard (1828–1876), French politician *Étienne Pierre Sylvestre Ricard (1771–1843), French general under Napoleon *Hámilton Ricard (born 1974), C ...

''). The world's second-largest wine and spirits seller, it also produces several other types of pastis.

History

Pernod

*1797 – , a Swiss

distiller Distillation, also classical distillation, is the process of separating the component substances of a liquid mixture of two or more chemically discrete substances; the separation process is realized by way of the selective boiling of the mixt ...

, opens his first absinthe distillery in Switzerland. *1805 – Maison Pernod Fils (simply known as Pernod Fils) is founded in

Pontarlier Pontarlier ( ; Latin: ''Ariolica'') is a Communes of France, commune and one of the two Subprefectures in France, sub-prefectures of the Doubs Departments of France, department in the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté Regions of France, region in eastern ...

Franche-Comté Franche-Comté (, ; ; Frainc-Comtou dialect, Frainc-Comtou: ''Fraintche-Comtè''; ; also ; ; all ) is a cultural and Provinces of France, historical region of eastern France. It is composed of the modern departments of France, departments of Doub ...

, eastern France, by Henri-Louis Pernod and begins production of the

-flavored spirit known as

absinthe Absinthe (, ) is an anise-flavored Liquor, spirit derived from several plants, including the flowers and leaves of ''Artemisia absinthium'' ("grand wormwood"), together with green anise, sweet fennel, and other medicinal and culinary herbs. His ...

. *1850 – Henri-Louis Pernod dies. *1871 – Distillerie Hémard is founded near Paris. *1872 – Société Pernod Père & Fils opens in

Avignon Avignon (, , ; or , ; ) is the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Vaucluse department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region of southeastern France. Located on the left bank of the river Rhône, the Communes of France, commune had a ...

. *1915 – Production and consumption of absinthe is prohibited in France. *1926 – All 3 distilleries merge to form Les Établissements Pernod. *1951 – Pastis 51 is launched. *1965 – Takeover of Distillerie Rousseau, Laurens et Moureaux, producer of Suze liquor since 1889. Pernod p 006

Ricard

*1932 – ''Ricard'', which soon becomes France's favorite

long drink A long drink or tall drink is an alcoholic mixed drink with a relatively large volume (>, frequently ). The phrase "long drink" is also sometimes used to refer specifically to the Finnish long drink, also known as a lonkero. A long drink will ha ...

, is founded in

Marseille Marseille (; ; see #Name, below) is a city in southern France, the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Departments of France, department of Bouches-du-Rhône and of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur Regions of France, region. Situated in the ...

Paul Ricard Paul Louis Marius Ricard (; July 9, 1909 – November 7, 1997) was a French industrialist and creator of an eponymous pastis brand which merged in 1975 with its competitor Pernod to create Pernod Ricard. Ricard was also an environmentalist and t ...

. *1940 – Production of pastis is prohibited by the

Vichy Vichy (, ; ) is a city in the central French department of Allier. Located on the Allier river, it is a major spa and resort town and during World War II was the capital of Vichy France. As of 2021, Vichy has a population of 25,789. Known f ...

regime. *1944 – Production of pastis becomes legal again. *1968 – Paul Ricard retires; his son Patrick becomes CEO in 1978. Ricard Pastis 01 09

Pernod Ricard

In 1975, the companies of Pernod Fils and Ricard, the two largest French aniseed aperitif producers and fierce competitors, merged creating the Pernod Ricard group. In 1988, Pernod Ricard acquired

Irish Distillers Irish Distillers is a subsidiary of the French drinks conglomerate Pernod Ricard. It is the largest distiller of Irish whiskey, distilling popular brands such as Jameson and Powers, in addition to premium whiskeys such as Redbreast and Midleto ...

makers of Jameson Irish whiskeys. In 1989, Pernod Ricard acquired Orlando Wyndham makers of Jacob's Creek. In 1993, Pernod Ricard worked with Cuban companies to create

Havana Club Havana Club (Spanish language, Spanish: ''Club Habana'') is a brand of rum created in Cuba in 1934. Originally produced in Cárdenas, Cuba, by family-owned José Arechabala S.A., the brand was nationalization, nationalized after the Cuban Revolu ...

. In 1999, Pernod Ricard acquired the Yerevan Brandy Company. In 2001, Pernod Ricard acquired 38% of

Seagram's The Seagram Company Ltd. (which traded as Seagram's) was a Canadian multinational beverage and during the last few years of its existence, entertainment conglomerate formerly headquartered in Montreal, Quebec. Originally a distiller of Canadian ...

Wines and Spirits business including Chivas Brothers Ltd makers of

Chivas Regal Chivas Regal () is a blended Scotch whisky produced by the Chivas Brothers subsidiary of Pernod Ricard in Scotland. History Chivas Regal was created in 1909 by Chivas Brothers Master Blender Charles Stewart Howard as a 25-year-old luxury wh ...

and owner of 13 Scotch malt distilleries, 1 grain distillery and 2 gin distilleries. In 2001, Pernod Ricard acquired Jan Becher, makers of

Becherovka Becherovka (), formerly Karlsbader Becherbitter, is a herbal bitters, often drunk as a digestif. It is produced in Karlovy Vary, Czech Republic by the Jan Becher company. The brand is owned by Pernod Ricard. It is made from a secret recipe ba ...

. In 2005, Pernod Ricard acquired

Allied Domecq Allied Domecq PLC was a multinational company, headquartered in Bristol, United Kingdom, that operated spirits, wine, and quick service restaurant businesses. It was once a FTSE 100 Index constituent and the world's second-largest spirits gro ...

, makers of

Ballantine's Ballantine's is a brand of Blended whisky#Scotland, blended Scotch whisky produced by the Chivas Brothers subsidiary of Pernod Ricard in Dumbarton, Scotland. The Ballantine's flavour is dependent on fingerprint malts from Miltonduff and Glenb ...

. In 2008, Pernod Ricard announced its acquisition of Swedish-based

V&S Group V&S Group (''V&S Vin & Sprit AB''), founded in 1917, is an international producer and distributor of alcoholic beverages. The group is currently owned by Pernod Ricard. Headquartered in Stockholm, the capital of Sweden, the group employs approxim ...

, which produces

Absolut Vodka Absolut Vodka is a brand of vodka, produced near Åhus, in southern Sweden. Absolut is a part of the French group Pernod Ricard. Pernod Ricard bought Absolut for €5.63 billion in 2008 (equivalent to € in ) from the Swedish state. Absolut ...

, from the Swedish government. In 2013, Pernod Ricard joined leading alcohol producers as part of a producers' commitments to reducing harmful drinking. In December 2018,

Elliott Management Corporation Elliott Investment Management L.P. is an American investment management firm. It is also one of the largest activist funds in the world. It is the management affiliate of American hedge funds Elliott Associates L.P. and Elliott International ...

purchased a 2.5% stake in Pernod Ricard. According to the

Anti-Corrida Alliance The Alliance Anticorrida is a law association founded in May 1994 in Nîmes which works for the abolition of bullfights, the suppression of injuries and mutilations inflicted on animals used during bullfighting shows, and the protection of minors ...

, Pernod Ricard was the major funder of

bullfighting Bullfighting is a physical contest that involves a bullfighter attempting to subdue, immobilize, or kill a bull, usually according to a set of rules, guidelines, or cultural expectations. There are several variations, including some forms wh ...

in France, financing bullfighting clubs and sponsoring corridas despite the opposition of a majority of French citizens to

blood sports A blood sport or bloodsport is a category of sport or entertainment that involves bloodshed. Common examples of the former include combat sports such as cockfighting and dog fighting, and some forms of hunting and fishing. Activities characte ...

. In 2020, Pernod Ricard ended the association with bullfighting clubs. In 2022, Pernod Ricard acquired the

French French may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France ** French people, a nation and ethnic group ** French cuisine, cooking traditions and practices Arts and media * The French (band), ...

ready-to-serve cocktail brand, Cockorico. In December 2022, Pernot Ricard announced plans to open a US$250 million

carbon-neutral Global net-zero emissions is reached when greenhouse gas emissions and Greenhouse gas removal, removals due to human activities are in balance. It is often called simply net zero. ''Emissions'' can refer to all greenhouse gases or only carbon diox ...

whiskey distillery in

Marion County, Kentucky Marion County is a county in the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of the 2020 census, the total population was 19,581. Its county seat is Lebanon. The county was founded in 1834 and named for Francis Marion, the American Revolutionary War hero kno ...

in 2025. In 2023, Pernod Ricard decided to resume limited exports of Beefeater Gin and Jameson Irish Whiskey to Russia. After being faced with protests and calls for a portfolio-wide boycott of all its brands Pernod Ricard decided to end all exports of its international brands to Russia. In December 2023, Pernod Ricard has released The Chuan Pure Malt Whisky, its inaugural Chinese whisky. In October 2024, Pernod Ricard agreed to sell Minttu liqueur and its portfolio of Nordic local brands to the Finnish beverage company

Hartwall Hartwall Ltd is a beverage company based in Helsinki, Finland. It was founded in 1836. Its drinks range includes Jaffa (soft drink)#Hartwall Jaffa, Jaffa, Pommac and Novelle waters. The company also owns the licence for manufacturing and sellin ...

. In February 2025, Pernod Ricard acquired the South African gin Inverroche.

Subsidiaries

*''Pernod Ricard Armenia'' – Armenian subsidiary and owner of Yerevan Brandy Company *''Pernod Ricard Hellas'' – subsidiary in Greece *''Pernod Ricard India'' – Indian subsidiary *''Pernod Ricard Rouss'' – subsidiary in the Russian Federation *''

Pernod Ricard Winemakers Pernod Ricard Winemakers is the wholly owned wine subsidiary of French wine and spirits producer Pernod Ricard, which is one of the largest alcoholic beverage companies in the world. It arose from the Australian and New Zealand companies form ...

'' – owner of Jacob's Creek,

Brancott Estate Brancott Estate is the brand adopted since 2010 by Pernod Ricard for New Zealand's largest wine producer, formerly Montana Wines, which now operates as the New Zealand division of Pernod Ricard Winemakers. The name comes from its Brancott winery ...

Campo Viejo Campo Viejo is a Spanish winery and Pernod Ricard brand producing red wine and traditional method sparkling wine in La Rioja. Founded in 1959, Campo Viejo grows Tempranillo Tempranillo (also known as Ull de Llebre, Cencibel, Tinto Fino and Ti ...

, Ysios, Tarsus, Aura, Azpilicueta, and Siglo *'' Chivas Brothers Ltd'' – whisky and gin branch of Pernod Ricard, makers of

and Royal Salute *''

Corby Distilleries Corby Spirit and Wine Limited is a Canadian alcohol manufacturing and distribution company. It was founded in 1859 in Corbyville, Ontario. As of 2008, the company is 46% owned by Pernod Ricard. The company distills several Canadian specialities, ...

'' – Canadian subsidiary; owner of Wiser's whisky, Lamb's rum; Hiram Walker & Sons Limited is majority shareholder of Corby and itself unit of Pernod Ricard *''

'' – Irish subsidiary and makers of

Jameson Irish Whiskey Jameson () is a blended Irish whiskey produced by the Irish Distillers subsidiary of Pernod Ricard. Originally one of the six main Dublin whiskeys at the Jameson Distillery Bow St., Jameson is now distilled at the New Midleton Distillery in ...

, Powers, Redbreast and

Midleton Very Rare Midleton Very Rare is a premium Irish whiskey, produced by the Irish Distillers subsidiary of Pernod Ricard at the New Midleton Distillery, in the East Cork town of Midleton, from which it gets its name. A non-age statement whiskey, containin ...

Brands

Pernod Ricard beverage brands include: * Apéritif: Italicus,

Lillet Lillet () is a French wine–based aperitif from Podensac. Classed as an aromatised wine within EU law, it is a blend of 85% Bordeaux wine, Bordeaux region wines (Semillon for the blanc and for the rosé, Merlot for the rouge) and 15% Maceratio ...

, Suze * Brandy & Cognac: Ararat, Augier, Macieira, Martell * Gin: Beefeater, Cork Dry, Inverroche, KI NO BI, Malfy, Monkey 47,

Plymouth Gin Plymouth Gin is a style and brand of gin that has been distilled on the same premises on the Barbican, Plymouth, Barbican in Plymouth, Devon, since 1793. The site of production, the Plymouth Gin Distillery, was built in 1431 and is reputed to ha ...

, Seagram's Gin, Ungava * Liqueurs & Bitters:

Kahlúa Kahlúa () is a brand of coffee liqueur owned by the Pernod Ricard company and produced in Veracruz, Mexico. The drink contains rum, sugar, and arabica coffee. History Pedro Domecq began producing Kahlúa in 1936. It was named Kahlúa, m ...

, Ramazzotti * Rum: Gosling Rum,

, Malibu * Tequila & Mezcal: Avión, Código 1530, Del Maguey,

Olmeca ''Olmeca'' is a genus of Mesoamerican bamboo in the grass family. ''Olmeca'' is the only known New World bamboo having large fleshy fruits. It also has rhizomes with long necks and very open clumps. The genus is named for the Olmec peoples of ...

, Olmeca Altos * Vodka:

Absolut Absolut Vodka is a brand of vodka, produced near Åhus, in southern Sweden. Absolut is a part of the French group Pernod Ricard. Pernod Ricard bought Absolut for €5.63 billion in 2008 (equivalent to € in ) from the Swedish state. Absolut ...

Explorer Exploration is the process of exploring, an activity which has some Expectation (epistemic), expectation of Discovery (observation), discovery. Organised exploration is largely a human activity, but exploratory activity is common to most organis ...

, L’Orbe, Luksusowa, Ostoya, Renat, Wyborowa * American whiskey:

Jefferson's Bourbon Jefferson's Bourbon is a Louisville, Kentucky–based brand of bourbon whiskey. The brand was first released in 1997, and is distributed by the Castle Brands. Jefferson's has used experimental blending and aging techniques, such as aging bourbo ...

, Rabbit Hole, Smooth Ambler, TX Whiskey * Canadian whisky: J.P. Wiser's, Lot No. 40 * Chinese whisky: The Chuan Pure Malt Whisky * Irish whiskey: Clontarf,

Crested Ten Jameson () is a blended whiskey, blended Irish whiskey produced by the Irish Distillers subsidiary of Pernod Ricard. Originally one of the six main Dublin whiskeys at the Jameson Distillery Bow St., Jameson is now distilled at the New Midleton ...

, Green Spot, Jameson, Method and Madness,

Knappogue Castle Knappogue Castle ( Irish: ''Caisleán na Cnapóige'') is a tower house, built in 1467 and expanded in the mid-19th century, located in the parish of Quin, County Clare, Ireland. It has been restored and is open to guided tours. History The or ...

, Powers, Redbreast * Indian whisky: Blenders Pride,

Royal Stag Royal Stag, also known as Seagram's Royal Stag, is an Indian whisky launched in 1995. It is available in many countries across the world in various pack sizes. It is Pernod Ricard's best selling brand by volume. It is a blend of grain spir ...

, Imperial Blue * Scotch whisky: ** Single malt Scotch whisky:

Aberlour Aberlour () is a village in Moray, Scotland, south of Elgin, Moray, Elgin on the road to Grantown-on-Spey, Grantown. The Lour Burn (landform), burn is a tributary of the River Spey, and it and the surrounding parish are both named Aberlour, bu ...

, Glen Keith, The Glenlivet, Longmorn, Scapa ** Blended Scotch whisky:

, Long John,

Passport A passport is an official travel document issued by a government that certifies a person's identity and nationality for international travel. A passport allows its bearer to enter and temporarily reside in a foreign country, access local aid ...

, Royal Salute, Something Special, 100 Pipers * Wine: Jacob's Creek,

, Campo Viejo, Church Road,

George Wyndham George Wyndham, PC (29 August 1863 – 8 June 1913) was a British Conservative politician, statesman, man of letters, and one of The Souls. Background and education Wyndham was the elder son of the Honourable Percy Wyndham, third son of G ...

, Kenwood Vineyards,

West Coast Cooler West Coast Cooler is a wine cooler made from white wine and fruit flavourings. It is owned and produced by Pernod Ricard's Irish subsidiary, Irish Distillers. It has an alcohol content of 3.5%. History and marketing It was launched in Dublin on 21 ...

, Helan Mountain * Champagne: G. H. Mumm,

Perrier-Jouët Perrier-Jouët () is a Champagne producer based in the Épernay region of Champagne. The house was founded in 1811 by Pierre-Nicolas Perrier and Rose Adélaide Jouët, and produces both vintage and non-vintage '' cuvee'', approximately 3,000,000 ...

Pernod Ricard previously owned the non-alcoholic chocolate beverage

Yoo-hoo Yoo-hoo is an American brand of chocolate-flavored beverage that was created by Natale Olivieri in Garfield, New Jersey, in 1928 and is currently manufactured by Keurig Dr Pepper. As of 2019, the drink is primarily made from water, high-fructos ...

, which was acquired from a group of private investors in 1989. Pernod Ricard also previously owned the carbonated citrus drink

Orangina Orangina () is a lightly carbonated beverage made from carbonated water, 12% citrus juice (10% from concentrated Orange juice, orange, 2% from a combination of concentrated Lemon juice, lemon, concentrated mandarin orange, mandarin, and concentr ...

. Both brands were sold in 2001 to

Cadbury Schweppes Cadbury, formerly Cadbury's and Cadbury Schweppes, is a British multinational corporation, multinational confectionery company owned by Mondelez International (spun off from Kraft Foods, Inc., Kraft Foods) since 2010. It is the second-largest c ...

References

External links

* {{Euro Stoxx 50 Companies Pernod Ricard Alcoholic drink companies Distilleries in France French brands Holding companies of France Multinational companies headquartered in France Multinational food companies Anise liqueurs and spirits French companies established in 1975 Food and drink companies established in 1975 Holding companies established in 1975 CAC 40 Companies in the Euro Stoxx 50 Companies listed on Euronext Paris