Pastis & Saint-Tropez
While Marseille is recognized as the birthplace of Pastis, Saint-Tropez was one of the very first cities to launch its own Pastis in the early 1950s. Seventy years later, driven by friends from Saint-Tropez, Pastis 12/12 aims to revive this local tradition while honoring the unique qualities that make the Saint-Tropez peninsula so special.
Pastis 12/12 seeks to blend tradition with modernity. It is defined as a popular yet chic pastis, aimed at a festive crowd who enjoys terraces, pétanque, and aperitifs with friends.
the origin of the name
The name of our pastis comes from an old expression used by pétanque players; since each game is played to 13 points, "12/12" represents "match point" for both teams.
a mix of stories
"Pastis 12/12 is the story of a group of childhood friends from Saint-Tropez, passionate pastis connoisseurs, and amateur pétanque players.
It’s the memory of their elders, who came from Italy and made their homemade pastis by adding a drop of Amaretto, a specialty from their homeland.
It’s the story of a memorable game at Place des Lices in Saint-Tropez, which came down to the final point after the resounding announcement, '12/12, match point!'
It’s the story of a bet to revive a handcrafted pastis inspired by the old recipe and to entrust the design of its bottles to artist Quentin Monge, a Saint-Tropez lover and childhood friend of the founders.
Pastis 12/12 is the blend of all these stories, along with those yet to be written. It’s fitting, as 'Pastis' is the Provençal expression meaning 'Mix'!"
chic & popular
The Pastis 12/12 brand combines vintage objects with contemporary design. The glass pastis carafes from the 1950s were the source of inspiration for the shape of the Pastis 12/12 bottles.
Their designs, specially created by Quentin Monge, are contemporary and depict moments of life on the Saint-Tropez peninsula
quentin monge
Quentin Monge has become a global reference in illustration thanks to his minimalist and poetic drawings, influenced by the summer vibes of his childhood in Saint-Tropez, as well as his meticulous mastery of colors.
Quentin designs the artwork for the Pastis 12/12 carafes and gift boxes, featuring his founding friends engaged in their favorite activities on the Saint-Tropez peninsula.
a cork and a pétanque jack
An exclusive feature of the brand, the stopper of the Pastis 12/12 bottles goes beyond its simple role as a bottle closure.
A true playful object, the stopper serves a dual purpose: it seals the bottle but also allows you to play pétanque thanks to its detachable jack.
the recipe of the first Italians of Saint-Tropez
The development of the recipe begins with research among the village elders. In the pre-industrial era, pastis, which means "blend" in Provençal, was made in the backyards of homes. Based on neutral alcohol, anise, and licorice, each household added its own maceration of herbs and spices gathered from the gardens and scrubland of the Gulf of Saint-Tropez
A unique feature of Saint-Tropez, some members of the Italian community who joined the village at the beginning of the last century sometimes added a drop of Amaretto to finalize their blend. This small addition of almond liqueur was later replaced by orgeat syrup, giving birth to the famous Mauresque. Much later, it would inspire the original recipe for Pastis 12/12.
handcrafted production in a historic distillery in Provence
Pastis 12/12 is produced at the Cristal Limiñana family distillery, the oldest distillery in Marseille (1884) and one of the few still in operation in the Phocean city.
The first step in creating Pastis 12/12 is the distillation of star anise in column stills, followed by a series of macerations of various carefully selected herbs and spices. These herbs and spices are dried and then macerated in a specific order to extract their aromatic properties.
A note of almonds completes the blend. This succession of distillates and macerations is filtered multiple times and refined to reach 45% alcohol.
Nose
Bright, veiled coppery color, with a beautiful, powerful nose rich in licorice, star anise, and candied fruits.
Mouth
Beautiful balance in a particularly smooth pastis that retains its Mediterranean character.
Finish
Fresh, tangy finish with subtle hints of almonds that subtly evoke the Mauresque.
TEAM 12/12
The adventure of Pastis 12/12 was born from the friendship between Saint-Tropez entrepreneurs and specialists in handcrafted spirits. This core group, composed of Jan, Alain, Hugues, Raph, Vincent, Tobias, and Antoine, was soon joined by their friends who decided to finance the brand and become shareholders. Three years after its launch, this somewhat crazy adventure initiated by a group of friends at Place des Lices has transformed into a beautiful success in the long history of French artisanal spirits.