Marie Brizard
The story of Marie Brizard dates back to 1755, with an act of kindness and a recipe. According to legend, Marie, born in 1714 in Bordeaux, helped nurse an ill sailor from the Caribbean back to health. In return for her generosity, he shared a recipe for aniseed liqueur. Marie loved the recipe and became convinced of its potential to form the basis of a business. However, at the time, unmarried women were not allowed to open accounts or sign business documents. She then married a family friend, Jean-Baptiste Roger, and made him her business partner. Under the banner of Maison Marie Brizard & Roger, her new business, Marie refined the recipe into what would become known as anisette, a product that would become so popular, King Louis XV served it at Versailles. Marie continued to develop flavored liqueurs, and her legacy endures even today. Marie Brizard Wine & Spirits is now a wine and spirits producer and distributor operating mainly in Europe and the United States.