Suze
Suze is a French gentian liqueur, pale gold and bitter, sold in the UK at 20% ABV and at 15% in the rest of Europe, by a UK retailer’s account. The Oxford Companion, a secondary source, says it is flavoured predominantly with gentian root, and that its documentable history as a brand begins in 1898, when Fernand Moureaux and Henri Porte registered it. It is the bitter in a White Negroni, with gin and Lillet Blanc.
Quick Facts
Cool and dark. In our experience it is shelf-stable, but it is served chilled, so we keep an open bottle in the fridge.
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, hand-harvested in the Auvergne and the Swiss Jura by a UK retailer’s account, and the same listing names gentian in Angostura and Peychaud’s 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, a secret mix by the same account.
Check which strength you have
Suze is bottled at 15% ABV across the rest of Europe, and at 20% for the UK; Pernod Ricard’s nutrition panel gives the French bottle, L’Originale, at 15%. 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 (UK strengths from a UK retailer’s listing for Suze, LWC’s listings for Campari and Cynar and Aperol’s own site; bitters from the same listings, the Oxford Companion on Aperol and Difford’s Guide on Cynar, secondary sources; colours and serves are ours)
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
- 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 | 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 at VinExpo in Bordeaux, by Difford’s Guide’s account, a secondary source. The Suze does the bitter's job and the Lillet replaces sweet vermouth, so the drink stays gold.
From the 1898 registration to Picasso
Registered as a brand in 1898 by Fernand Moureaux and Henri Porte, by the Oxford Companion’s account, a secondary source, Suze found its way into a Picasso collage, Verre et bouteille de Suze, in 1912. 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. In our experience 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: a UK retailer lists UK Suze at 20%, and Pernod Ricard gives the French bottle as 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
The Oxford Companion, a secondary source, says the brand was registered in 1898 by the Parisian distiller Fernand Moureaux and his partner Henri Porte, that Porte designed the bottle, trademarked in 1913, that Picasso put a bottle in his 1912 collage Verre et bouteille de Suze, and that Pernod bought the company in 1965. The brand is on Pernod Ricard’s own site.
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?
Sources.
Checked between 16 October and 19 October 2026.
- Fareham Wine Cellar, “Suze Gentian Liqueur 20%” (UK retailer listing (20% in the UK, 15% in the rest of Europe)).
- Pernod Ricard, “Suze” (owner’s brand page with nutrition panels).
- The Oxford Companion to Spirits and Cocktails (Samuel Lloyd Kinsey), “Suze” (secondary source: predominantly gentian root; registered as a brand in 1898 by Fernand Moureaux and Henri Porte; bottle trademarked 1913; Picasso’s 1912 collage; Pernod from 1965).
- Difford’s Guide, “White Negroni” (secondary source).
- LWC, “Campari 70cl” (UK wholesaler listing (25% ABV)).
- LWC, “Cynar Liqueur 70cl” (UK wholesaler listing (16.5% ABV)).
- Aperol, “Frequently Asked Questions”.
- The Oxford Companion to Spirits and Cocktails (David Mahoney), “Aperol” (secondary source: bitter barks and roots, chiefly cinchona, rhubarb and gentian; 11 to 15% ABV depending on market).
- Difford’s Guide, “Cynar Ricetta Originale Artichoke Amaro Liqueur” (secondary source: flavoured with artichoke leaves and 12 other botanicals).
From the Guides
Made with Suze
Featured In These Cocktails
Updated 19 October 2026