Absinthe, an aniseed-based liquor largely produced by the Pernod Fils company, was the established "drink of choice" in France.

However, absinthe had a high alcohol content and there were exaggerated fears that it was a dangerously addictive psychoactive drug and hallucinogen (side-effects thought to be caused by trace amounts of thujone).

[4] As a result of the 1915 absinthe ban, to substitute for this traditional aperitif, Marseille locals started mixing their own aniseed-based drink, made from a combination of star anis, water, liquorice and herbs.

[7] Ricard took the recipe for this "Marseille absinthe", and started experimenting and adapting it in his laboratory to produce a more refined version.

[5] In the late 1920s, in his laboratory, Paul Ricard concocted an aniseed-based drink modelled along the same lines as this pre-existing pastis, test-marketing his product illegally in Marseilles bars,[6] as a result incurring some fines.

[9] In 1940, the production of Ricard was stopped with the Vichy regime's enactment (23 August 1940) of the "Loi Contre L'Alcoolisme" ("Anti-Alcoholism Act") in France, which banned the manufacture and sale of aperitifs based upon alcohol distilled from anything other than grapes, followed by a subsequent enactment that completely banned such alcohol being advertised (September 1941).

[8][16] Today Pernod-Ricard is the second-largest drinks business in the world, with only 10% of its sales in France and one of the widest product ranges in the industry, including table wines, champagnes, scotches, cognacs, gins, and vodkas.

[2] Ricard is produced under the Pernod Ricard company's strategic growth plan based on sustainable development and social commitment, which is reflected in the production values of reducing water consumption for crops and production, reducing carbon emissions, and reducing wastes, therefore, the productions sites and vineyards for Ricard are usually certified in line with the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (ODD).

[2][9] The water is added before the ice cubes, due to the anethole's cold sensitivity[2] This whole ritual was advocated by Paul Ricard in order to release the full aroma of the anise.