Since the date to which we refer, that is, since 1855, production has increased enormously. To what can we attribute this astonishing prosperity, this continuous development which only a small number of industries can boast? Quite simply, to the firm intent of the heads of the house of Pernod to always provide a superior product, never yielding to the temptation to realize greater profits by buying cheap raw materials of lower quality. This temptation was offered to them in a particularly seductive form when the French vineyards of the South, devastated by powdery mildew and later by phylloxera, could no longer provide, except at exorbitant prices, the spirits distilled from wine which form the basis of absinthe liqueur. It then seemed quite natural to replace the proof spirit of wine with alcohols from beets, grains, and potatoes; this is what was done by many distillers who, noticing the public favour given to the product of the House of Pernod, had installed absinthe factories almost everywhere. By a happy inspiration, Mssrs. Pernod decided to remain faithful to proof-spirit of wine; this resolution made the fortune of their house; the higher quality of their product, attested to by the preference accorded to it by consumers, is due primarily to the exclusive use of alcohol made by distillation of wine; it’s not only that this alcohol gives to Pernod absinthe the fine flavor which distinguishes it, but that it makes for an inoffensive drink from a health standpoint, since it saves consumers from the morbid effects of bad alcohols.
^ The Steam Generation Room
OF PONTARLIER (DOUBS)
We will have occasion to explain ourselves at greater length in this regard. Alongside this essential element of the success of the Pernod brand, are others which also have their importance. We want to talk about the manufacturing processes that Mr. Pernod never ceased to improve, sparing no effort to create model equipment capable of providing the best results; we want to also speak about the proverbial honesty that always governed the trade of the Pernod House, providing it with as many many friends as customers and vendors. xxxx These traditions were religiously respected and followed by Mr. Veil-Picardy to whom Mr. Pernod yielded his business, in which he remained as a silent partner in return for a significant share. It is not futile to add that the former head of the house continued to follow with a quite natural solicitude the operations which he had directed for so many years; in particular, it was always he himself who dealt with the purchase of raw materials and not a wagon of proof spirit nor a bale of herbs or seeds entered the stores unless Mr. Pernod had approved the sample. xxxxFurthermore, Mr. Viel Picardy has made a point of retaining as the heads of technical and commercial services, the collaborators who assisted Mr. Pernod for years, and who, informed by long experience, continue to be inspired by his example and precepts.