A breath of fresh air on the summer tables. Like the global spirits market, that of the little yellow one contracts. The aniseed market, driven by pastis, “has gone from 66 million liters in 2016 to 55 million in 2021 in supermarkets. It reached 1.3 billion euros last year,” emphasizes Thomas Gauthier, Managing Director of the French Federation of Spirits (FFS). Same trend in all distribution channels.
Pastis faces increased competition from other spirits, including whisky, which has taken over the top spot, and an aging image. But he has not said his last word: the offer is diversifying. Brands are working to renew its image.
Local products
“Spirits lovers are more and more interested in the terroir and the know-how”, points out Thomas Gauthier. The historical actors of pastis have heard the message, they are now highlighting their local roots and French origins in their recipes, mixtures of herbs, plants and spices, French and imported. Behind the behemoths Ricard (52% of the aniseed market in supermarkets) and Pastis 51 (9%), many microdistilleries have also launched into aniseed in recent years. A few dozen companies now produce around a hundred references, estimates the FFS.
These producers are not only emerging under the southern sun. The Breton Sylvaine Le Meur launched Ty yellow two years ago. “Eating local products makes sense to me, but I couldn’t find local pastis, so I started testing lots of formulas in my garage”, confides this former researcher in biotechnology, who has become manager of this Finistère company. It differs in particular by the addition of marine sugars from seaweed. “We wanted a less sweet pastis. We count one gram of sugar per bottle, compared to two for conventional pastis. » This artisanal drink made up of around forty ingredients is distributed in stores in the Great West.
Aromatisation
Faced with these new players, Ricard prefers to see the glass half full. “We don’t see them as competition but as an opportunity to get people talking about this drink, reacts Cédric Modica-Amoré, marketing manager at Ricard. In pastis, customers are very attached and loyal to a brand. » The big players are surfing on a trend that can be found in other drinks: flavoring. Over the past ten years, the giant Pernod Ricard has released new versions of its Ricard and Pastis 51 brands (fresh plants, organic lemon, red fruits, etc.).
Another movement observed in the sector: the move upmarket. Henri Bardouin launched his second recipe, “Prestige”, in May. This brand has been focusing on the top of the range since its creation in 1990. “We reached a clientele, especially women, who did not drink pastis because it had a bad image: that of men who chained ten pastis at the bar before going to eat. However, it is not a drink that one drinks to stupefy oneself, but to quench one’s thirst. says Alain Robert, CEO of Distilleries de Provence, located at the foot of the Lure mountain, renowned for its plant species.
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