Our Teisseire Introduction
Over forty years ago, one of my best friends and I decided to spend a month in France with our three girls, and I hoped my husband would come along. Nancy and I rented a gîte in the Corrèze countryside near a tiny village called Objat, and we rented a car. The better driver in our family relented and decided he needed to be the one behind the wheel. Even though he does not speak French, The Resident Wine Maniac has never regretted his last-minute decision.
The two older girls were great troopers when it came to trying new foods and drinks, while the youngest happily survived on soup, baguettes, and chocolate mousse, which she called moosey. One of the best on-the-road discoveries was Teisseire French syrups. Because we were clueless about how to keep the children happily hydrated while bumping along in the countryside, the owner of the gîte gave us a bottle of Teisseire syrup with instructions for making a soda with 7 parts carbonated water to 1 part Teisseire. It was indeed très simple and délicieux.
We used it on picnics, and it was actually quite nice mixed with a cold local white wine too. We also enjoyed it while visiting all sorts of wonderful sites in neighboring Périgord. In fact, I even brought a couple of canisters home. I never found it again in the US. I found other French and Italian syrups, but Teisseire had spoiled us.
Where Oh Where Is Teisseire?
Fast forward to sometime in 2000. I was going through the lists of foods that one of my favorite French distributors carried, and there was Teisseire.
We bought all the available flavors and held tastings for our clients. They were a hit, especially in the summer months. Because it is a syrup, there will be sugar, although they make a 0 Sugar version too, and it uses glucose-fructose rather than corn syrup. The fruit content is over 30%, and Teisseire uses no colorants or preservatives. While Yummy Bazaar carries a large selection, my personal online source was simplygourmand.com.
Marianne Prébet carries a fresh stock of 12 of the flavors that we used to carry in the store, and she stocks four of the 0 Sugar syrups from Teisseire too. As a bonus, she features on her site an eclectic collection of foods that you take for granted in French grocery stores but have a hard time finding in the US. The Simply Gourmand staff treats you well, and they respond to questions about French ingredients that are difficult to find.
There Was a Real Monsieur Teisseire
Like many European companies, Teisseire has a history that goes back centuries. In 1720, Matthieu Teisseire founded a vinegar and liqueur distillery in Grenoble.
Matthieu’s cherry liqueur became quite sought after, and it was his grandson who took the reins and became a local hero in the French Revolution, with a district in Grenoble named after him. In the early 20th century, the company was sold to François Reynaud, a liqueur merchant who was equally passionate about creating pure flavored spirits. Reynaud’s sons then took that expertise and started creating the non-alcoholic syrups that are now the backbone of the Teisseire name. A metal canister was developed for French cyclists, a clever tradition that is maintained today. Teisseire is the number one-selling syrup in France.
Now that my daughters are grown, they still love Teisseire when it gets hot. You can mix it to make all sorts of cocktails. Or you can add it to vanilla ice cream, milk, and ice in a blender for a cool shake on a sultry evening.
The Teisseire website has some nifty drink recipes for you to try. I have used the syrups in summer fruit salads to add a little flavor zip. One of our clients says that a bit of vodka, ice cubes, and Teisseire syrup is her idea of the best summer drink in our hot, humid weather. You can make lovely popsicles (popsicle molds are easily purchased online) with Teisseire by simply adding the syrup of your choice to about 6 parts uncarbonated water. And a final tip from a French bartender: to frost a cocktail glass with sugar, dip it into the syrup first before swirling the rim in caster sugar.
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