|
 |
|
|
|
|
|||
|
||||||
|
|
|||||
|
||||||
|
Dreyfus, Ashby & Co. Main Office 630 3rd Ave Adminstration 50 Avon Meadow Lane
|
|
G.E. Massenez Eaux-de-Vie Visit www.eaux-de-vie.com for the complete history of G. E. Massenez
THE PREPARATION OF FRUIT "EAUX DE VIE" Fruit is the single raw material of French eaux de vie and its selection determines quality. The aroma, flavor and delicacy of great eaux de vie depend heavily on the fruit and the distiller's know-how is of utmost importance at this stage in order to select the best fruit. Fruit with stones or pips are then placed in tanks for fermentation while
berries must macerate in alcohol. LA FERMENTATION OF THE STONE AND PIP FRUITS As soon as they arrive, carefully selected stone fruits and williams pears are placed in wall-glassed tanks. Compressed under their own weight, the fruits soon form a sweety paste. Under the action of natural yeast contained in various species, fermentation begins after two days. The paste is then covered with froth and becomes tumultuous. Most of the sugar from the fruits is transformed into alcohol in under ten days. Fermentation then slows down and finally stops after six weeks. This essential step is carefully controled by the distiller who supervises it using his own experience and "knack". The tanks are then hermetically sealed until distillation. MACERATION OF THE BERRIES Raspberries and wild berries have a very low sugar content and fermentation alone would produce practically no alcohol. They must therefore macerate in eau de vie for at least one month. Every 100 kg of fruits must macerate in 25 liters of eau de vie with an alcohol content of 50 % as laid down by legislation. Slight fermentation takes place during this period. The mixture is then distilled. DISTILLATION Distillation takes place in a single operation by means highly traditional
processes in copper stills heated in a double boiler comprising two walls
between which steam circulates and constant temperature. AGEING There's a saying which goes "Eaux de vie must be put in the attic".
This is a very old habit to age eau de vie in demi-johns closed with a
piece of fabric and stored under the tiles roofs of vast attics. The considerable
temperature variations they undergo favours the evaporation of undesirable
products such as negative ester. The neutrality of the glass allows to
completely preserve the purity of the flavour and to keep the eaux de
vie white, clear and ardent. |
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
home
|
|
Founded
in 1870 in Alsace, Distillerie G. E. Massenez remains today one of the
last family-owned firms dedicated to the production of traditional, top-quality
brandies and liqueurs. It is in fact this dedication to the "distillerie
artisanale" which led Eugène Massenez to develop a formula
for raspberry eau-de-vie and making it commercially available to an appreciative
public worldwide. The distillation method is still a closely-guarded family
secret. 
