PARAGON is an adventure, an exploration into rare botanical flavours, thanks to a unique and revolutionary cordial - result of the fusion of perfumery and acid science

technologies, an expertise which is exclusive to MONIN.

For the first chapter of the pepper range, we have long explored the furthest corners of the Earth in search of rare ingredients. For this new chapter, we have travelled back in time to discover the origins of the quest for wisdom and spirituality of our civilizations. This odyssey led us to the family of precious fragrances, particularly balsamic, used throughout history to unite the visible with the invisible and reconnect humans to their inner selves.

 

THE MYSTICAL TRYPTIC

The PARAGON collection arises from the desire to reconnect with the sacred dimension while revolutionizing mixology. To do so, we have smelled, touched, tasted and selected three of Nature’s intoxicating treasures to allow you to access the subtle, quasi-mystical, whole new sensory experience.
 

LABDANUM

Labdanum, extracted from the Cistus Ladaniferus shrub in southern Spain, is a precious

resin fostered by heat and aridity. Esteemed by perfumers for its enchanting trail and caregivers for its healing properties, it was a symbol of spiritual fertility of the Egyptian gods.
 

VETIVER

Vetiver, also known as khamaré, is a plant native to Southern Africa and Southeast Asia, with roots that reach depths of up to 3 meters. For centuries it has embodied stability and power, awakening the roots of the soul. In mixology and perfumery, its earthen and tuberous character, enhanced by pine notes, makes it an essential ingredient, ideal for creating exceptional cocktails.
 

PALO SANTO

Sacred wood, the Palo Santo grows in the Gran Chaco in South America. Venerated by the Mayas, Incas and other indigenous people of Latin America, it serves as a talisman to healers and shamans to ward off evil spirits during fumigation rituals bringing peace and serenity, uplifting the spirit, and alleviating negative energies.

 

ACID SCIENCE

Acids, often underestimated, play a crucial role in flavour perception. In PARAGON Pepper collection Oku honey from Cameroon has revealed the power of gluconic acid’s lingering lasting time. For this new chapter, in addition to citric acid, we have also integrated precious lactic acid to reveal the especially heavy base notes such as balsamic which are abundant in our new collection.

 

THE REMARKABLE POWER OF ESSENTIAL OILS

Genuine absolutes of the plants from which they are extracted, essential oils are packed with exceptional properties, particularly aromatic - it is in fact, from this unique substrate that PARAGON’s organoleptic signature was made possible. Since ancient times, the knowledge of plants and their virtues has conferred a mystical power upon those who have possessed it. As in ancient Egypt, these essences serve as bridges towards moral purity and divine embalming, symbolizing the breath of eternal life. Crafted through a meticulous process, our cordials undergo different extraction methods: Steam distillation for the purest essential oil, followed by Molecular distillation for Palo santo, Solvent extraction for Labdanum and Supercritical CO2 extraction for Vetiver.