Picon

Picon SA was a French spirits company established in Marseille in 1872 by Gaétan Picon. Its primary business was the production of the Picon apéritif which was first introduced in 1837, however the company also operated an import and distribution arm that represented several rum brands. The company was acquired by Cointreau & Cie SA in 1973 and the Picon brand name has changed hands several times since, today owned by Gruppo Campari.

The company was also briefly engaged with rum production, acquiring the Saint James brand and its distillery in Saint-Pierre from the bankrupt Société d’Investissement des Caraïbes in 1967. Picon SA was the label's French distributor at the time and the continued survival of it was of essential interest to it.