Meet the maker of Poulpe Bleu Gin

MEET THE PRODUCER: THE LIQUORISTERIE DE PROVENCE

Spring has arrived for our April 2020 box, and we are delighted to present the first batch of Gin Poulpe Bleu, the name of the legendary blue octopus of Provence, famous for coming out of the water at night to taste the plants from its coves. He would appreciate the delicacy of this maceration of juniper berries and plants characteristic of their beautiful Mediterranean coast: thyme, rosemary, lemon zest, sea fennel, almond and rose petals. 

The Liquoristerie de Provence aims to bring ancestral recipes up to date and bring to life an authentic pleasure full of meaning and history while remaining in perfect harmony with current expectations vis-à-vis the terroir and its vegetation. Its traditional and artisanal production process earned Liquoristerie de Provence the "Living Heritage Company" label in 2007.

Taken over by Renaud and Adeline de Barry in 2017, Liquoristerie de Provence is opening a new page in its history. The owners are both dynamic entrepreneurs, one from the cellar world and the other having taken over the prestigious family winery, the Château de Saint-Martin Cru Classé des Côtes de Provence, which has excelled in quality for centuries. . The couple were seduced by the idea of bringing ancestral recipes up to date and revisiting elixirs from elsewhere by adding a Provencal touch. It is no coincidence that Renaud and Adeline also inherited a small black book containing a collection of precious recipes from a renowned family distillery: La Grande Distillerie de Bordeaux, Archambeaud Frères, created in 1820 under the direction of the Renaud's paternal grandfather, Paul Archambeaud, who made famous the French spirits of the time, with a vision very close to theirs, going far beyond the oceans. Today, Liquoristerie, quick to seize quality inspirations, has already taken up recipes from yesteryear whose worldwide success continues to delight collectors until today.

At Liquoristerie de Provence, all products are made from macerations and infusions of plants, and that makes all the difference. The Blue Octopus is a maceration gin composed of 51% juniper berries. Several botanical macerations or essential oils are added to it, namely thyme, rosemary, sea fennel, almond, lemon zest, rose, angelica, orris root and seaweed. The neutral base alcohol used is made from beets. They carry out the macerations on site, as well as the mixing and bottling. A vacuum still is used for the distillation process.

In the April 2020 issue of box, subscribers also found a cocktail recipe postcard as well as their goody, a bottle of Lavender Flower from Liquoristerie de Provence. A liqueur which captures the spirit and flavors of Provence and which is made from fine PDO lavender, harvested at an altitude of between 1200m and 1800m.