Berger is a Swiss absinthe distillery founded in 1823 by Claude-Frédéric Berger, in Couvet, in the Neuchâtel canton. Following the success of his absinthe recipe, which he was given by Don Anselme, a botanist clergyman, he became a prominent absinthe producer. The founder’‘s sons moved the business to Marseilles in 1878. It was then bought in 1923 by Marie-Louis Gassier, who developed new aperitifs. In 1933, the distillery released Berger Blanc, an aniseed-flavoured aperitif produced by the Marie Brizard group from 1955. Many have never forgotten the memorable slogan “Midi... 7 heures... L’‘heure du Berger” (Midday... 7 pm... Time for Berger) and the business has never been short of clever advertising ideas, even producing a giant pitcher—an essential accessory for drinking pastis—which it attached to a trailer on the back of a car at sporting events.

A Berger Blanc pastis from the 1970s.