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Glance around France: 'Brastis' - Brittany invents its own version of classic tipple pastis

The Local France
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Glance around France: 'Brastis' - Brittany invents its own version of classic tipple pastis
Photo: AFP/deposit photos

Forget pastis, the Bretons in western France have come up with their own version of the classic anise aperitif.

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You have to hand it to the Bretons when it comes to inventing their own version of classic drinks.

First was Breizh Cola, which hasn't quite knocked Coca-Cola off its perch but is popular nevertheless in the west of the country.

Now they've come up with their own version of the classic anise-flavoured spirit pastis from Marseille and Provence. And they've chosen the name Brastis: a blend of Breizh, the Breton name for Brittany, and pastis.

The tipple is the brainchild of La Maison Jouffe, based in Dinan, near St Malo.

The producer Laurent Jouffe plans to role out 15,000 bottles to be sold in independent alcohol stores, restaurants and hotels, with the eventual aim of persuading the Chinese to fall for his tipple just like they have done for Cognac.

But one place in France where the locals will find Brastis hard to swallow is Provence, where they have been drinking the original pastis since the 1930s.

"There are things that the people of Marseille want to keep for themselves. This applies to pastis," wrote the local La Provence newspaper on hearing of the rival aperitif.

 

 

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