Suze
Suze is a French gentian liqueur, pale gold and bitter, sold in the UK at 20% ABV and at 15% in France. It was first sold in 1889, as Picotin, and its bitterness comes from the root of the yellow gentian rather than from orange peel. It is the bitter in a White Negroni, with gin and Lillet Blanc.
Quick Facts
Cool and dark. As a liqueur it is shelf-stable, but it is served chilled, so the fridge is a convenient home once open.
None of the 14 listed allergens. Recipes change: check the bottle.
About Suze
Flavour Profile
Primary Flavours
Tasting Notes
Clean, earthy gentian bitterness with citrus peel and a faint sweetness, finishing dry and slightly vegetal.
Bitterness from a root
Suze is flavoured with the root of the yellow gentian, an Alpine plant whose root is also the bitter base of many aromatic bitters. Gentian gives a clean, earthy bitterness, quite unlike the bitter orange of Campari or Aperol, and it leaves the liquid pale gold rather than red. Other herbs and spices go in; the full recipe is not published.
Check which strength you have
Suze is bottled at 15% ABV in France and most of Europe, and at 20% for the UK. Both are liqueurs. The difference shows in a recipe's sums: 20ml of the UK bottle adds 0.4 UK units, against 0.3 for the French one.
Suze against the red bitters
Suze
- Strength (UK)
- 20% ABV
- Main bitter
- Gentian root
- Colour
- Pale gold
- Typical long serve
- With tonic or soda
Campari
- Strength (UK)
- 25% ABV
- Main bitter
- Herbs and fruit, undisclosed
- Colour
- Red
- Typical long serve
- With soda
Aperol
- Strength (UK)
- 11% ABV
- Main bitter
- Gentian, rhubarb, cinchona
- Colour
- Orange
- Typical long serve
- Spritz with prosecco
Cynar
- Strength (UK)
- 16.5% ABV
- Main bitter
- Artichoke and herbs
- Colour
- Dark brown
- Typical long serve
- With soda and citrus
| Bottle | Strength (UK) | Main bitter | Colour | Typical long serve |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Suze | 20% ABV | Gentian root | Pale gold | With tonic or soda |
| Campari | 25% ABV | Herbs and fruit, undisclosed | Red | With soda |
| Aperol | 11% ABV | Gentian, rhubarb, cinchona | Orange | Spritz with prosecco |
| Cynar | 16.5% ABV | Artichoke and herbs | Dark brown | With soda and citrus |
The White Negroni keeps the drink pale
The White Negroni dates from 2001, when Wayne Collins mixed gin, Suze and Lillet Blanc while in the Bordeaux region. The Suze does the bitter's job and the Lillet replaces sweet vermouth, so the drink stays gold.
From the 1889 fair to Picasso
First sold as Picotin at the Paris World Fair of 1889 and renamed Suze in 1898, it found its way into a Picasso collage, Verre et bouteille de Suze, in 1912, and in the 1950s it was a drink of the cafés of Saint-Germain-des-Prés. Drink it as an aperitif: over ice, with tonic, soda or orange juice.
Using Suze
Usage
Long, over ice with tonic or soda, or with orange juice; neat as an aperitif. Cocktails use it in the White Negroni, where 20ml does Campari's job without the red colour.
Pro Tip
If a White Negroni tastes harsh, look at the Lillet before the Suze. Lillet left open and warm goes flat, and the gentian then has no sweetness to push against.
Top Tips
- Check the strength on the bottle: UK Suze is 20%, French Suze 15%.
- Start with Suze and tonic over ice; it shows the gentian plainly.
- Use it where a drink should stay pale; it brings bitterness without colouring the glass red.
Possible Substitutions
- Aperol: With a dash of bitters: sweeter and redder, approximate only
Production Method
Gentian root and other undisclosed herbs and spices macerated in alcohol and sweetened; 20% ABV for the UK, 15% in France.
History & Context
Ferdinand Moureaux, of a family distillery at Maisons-Alfort near Paris, first sold the drink as Picotin at the Paris World Fair of 1889; it became Suze in 1898. Picasso put a bottle in his 1912 collage Verre et bouteille de Suze. The brand belongs to Pernod Ricard.
More to explore
Common Questions
What is Suze?
What does gentian taste like?
How strong is Suze?
How do you drink Suze?
What is a White Negroni?
What can I use instead of Suze?
Does Suze need refrigerating?
From the Guides
Made with Suze
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Updated 12 October 2026