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The Story
It's always good to name things after memorable things. And for anyone who ever spent any time in the south of France the name of Paul Ricard will forever be associated with high octane afternoons of ice, anise and cloudy glasses as well as memories. He, of course, is the "Ricard" of Pastis fame. That infamous French aniseed aperitif consumed all over the Mediterranean and beyond. Less known in the USA than its former competitor (and now sister brand) Pernod perhaps, but for the aficionados among us Ricard was and is "le top". 

Paul Ricard was born in 1909 in Sainte-Marthe, which was then but a small village north of Marseille. Passionate about chemistry and design, he enrolled in the Beaux-Arts (Academy of Fine Arts). At the age of 17, this son of a wine merchant learned the trade at his father’s side. Going from café to café, rubbing elbows with customers, he was inspired to invent his “own” pastis. Indeed, in Marseille in the 1930s, every bar owner made his own anise-based liqueur. But the inconsistent taste and cloying sweetness of the mixtures wasn’t pleasing to connoisseurs. Paul Ricard was determined to find the “ideal” formula.

For over a year, he tested countless recipes. Every night in a make-shift laboratory, the young man would macerate fennel, aniseed and Provençal herbs, distilling, filtering, etc. His aim: to find the perfect flavor, one that captured the pure, fresh taste of aniseed. Finally, in 1932, his original recipe was born. Paul Ricard gave it his own name, 'Ricard’, and set it apart it from all competitors by defining it as “the true Pastis of Marseille”. The quality and fresh taste of his aperitif are the result of this skillful (and secret) blend of aniseed, licorice and aromatic herbs. Today, Ricard is the no. 1 anise-based spirit in the world.

Paul also happened to have a love of motor racing. And so he took some of the oodles of loot he accrued from peddling high end moonshine to the masses and built a racetrack just north of Marseille. It opened in 1969 to much applause. The most modern, safest, and coolest track in its day. He had applied the same attention to detail and desire for perfection to the track as he had his anise. And the fact that it made for winter testing in the sun was all the better. 

So what better place to lend its name to the new DQ leather jacket. The Ricard. For riding, driving, and steering yourself through the finest times in life. Get one while you can...

DQ's Ricard jacket is manufactured for Duncan Quinn by Vanson Leathers, a legend in the motorcycling world and renowned for their relentless attention to authenticity and quality. Each jacket is individually numbered and comes with a repair guarantee.
Features
  • Made by Vanson Leathers, a legend in the motorcycling world. Renowned for their relentless attention to authenticity and quality.
  • Each Jacket is Individually Numbered
  • Comes With a Repair Guarantee
  • Exclusive to Duncan Quinn
  • Available in Bespoke Sizing
  • Real Leather
About Our Maker

Hand Built. Made to last. An insistence on highest quality materials, starting with Vansons secret proprietary tanning and leather finishing. Then, cut and sewn by hand in their workshop in Fall River, MA, USA. If you want “Industrial Strength”, don’t settle for anything less than a Vanson.

 

Some people are passionate about what they do, others just show up. To know what kind of people we are here at Vanson Leathers, all you have to do is look at a Vanson jacket. The quality of the leather is obvious. The care that goes into tanning and finishing and working the leather is evident from the consistency of the color and finish. The craftsmanship can be seen in how well everything lines up. The zips, snaps, laces, Velcro, liners, and even the logos are also perfectly aligned. It takes people who are passionate about what they do to do this stuff. Inferior clones pour out of low-wage mass production factories; but a genuine Vanson requires skill, handwork and a level of artistry we don’t see very much these days.

   

There are 49 steps involved in putting together our simplest jacket…and up to 126 steps in the construction of our most complicated pieces. Each is done by hand.Sure, you may have other lower-cost, lesser-quality options. But if you want the real thing, a practical legacy investment that you can proudly pass down, an “Heirloom”, don’t sell yourself short. Make a statement. Go for the Vanson. Think of the passion of the people who put it together for you. Wear it with pride.

Shipping

This item qualifies for free domestic shipping. Upon order, you can expect to receive it in 1-4 business days. 

Sizes