Picon Bière

France’s answer to a shandy, the Picon Bière is a cocktail made with a light lager and Picon.

Amer Picon is a French liqueur made from orange peel, gentian root, and quinine. It has a bittersweet flavor with notes of citrus and spice. However, Picon is banned in the United States because it supposedly contains calamus root, a plant that has a cancer-causing chemical.

There are a few substitutes for the liqueur that have a similar bittersweet flavor:

Amer Torani — French liqueur with a similar bitterness

Amaro CioCiaro — Italian liqueur that’s sweet & bitter

Ramazzotti Amaro — Italian liqueur that is a little sweeter

Amaro Montenegro — Italian liqueur with a similar bitterness & sweetness

Amaro Nonino — Italian liqueur that’s less sweet & more bitter

Picon Bière

shopping list —

• 1 oz substitute amaro of your choice

• 1 oz Cointreau

• 6 to 8 oz light lager, pilsner, or kolsch

• orange slice, for garnish

• ice, if desired

equipment —

• pint glass or Collins glass

• cocktail jigger

steps —

1. Add the substitute amaro and Cointreau to a pint glass or Collins glass. Top with beer. Garnish with an orange slice and ice if desired.