5 distilleries to visit in Alsace

Meyer Distillery Museum – Distiller’s House in Châtenois

The Distiller’s House is a small private museum dedicated to Alsatian fruit brandies and whisky, located in Châtenois, which belongs to the Meyer distillery. Even though I had passed by it several times, I must admit that I was a little late in visiting it because the outside of the building didn’t really appeal to me: I was a little afraid of being a tourist trap. It was a rainy day that finally decided me to go there, and what a nice surprise! I really enjoyed the visit and would recommend it.

Distillerie Meyer, a family business in Alsace

The Meyer Distillery is a family history: it was created by Fridolin Meyer in 1958. Just that! This Alsatian company with the label Entreprise du Patrimoine Vivant is located in the hamlet of Hohwarth, a few kilometers away in the Vallée de Villé. It is now the most awarded distillery in France at the Concours Général Agricole de Paris since 1989, with many gold medals…

In creating the Distiller’s House Museum, the Meyer brothers, Lionel and Arnaud, wanted to share their passion for this family tradition of distillation by opening a museum in order to pay tribute to the Val de Villé, the historical cradle of distilleries in Alsace, but also to share the distillation processes and the know-how of the house.

Visit of the store and the museum – My opinion

The Distiller’s House has two parts: a store of the Meyer distillery (free access, of course) and a museum area (for a fee). The museum is not huge but of good size and the place, all new, very pleasant. It traces the history of distillation in Alsace, and particularly in the Val de Villé, and then looks at the distillation process.

The explanatory panels are interesting and the explanations very clear. Several objects involved in distillation such as magnificent copper stills from the family distillery are also presented throughout the exhibition.

The only thing that is a bit surprising is that the film is in a way an apology for inebriation as a vector of artistic creation, with examples of great authors and artists. Taken at face value, it’s funny, but a little surprising all the same! In any case, this visit is very pleasant even if you are not a fan of brandy or alcohol in general!

Tasting: brandy, liqueur, whisky or Alsatian pastis?

After the visit of the museum, the tasting of the products of the Meyer distillery is included in the price of the ticket. It is possible to taste the traditional white spirits (many eaux de viemarc de gewurztraminer,…), of liqueurs but also Alsatian whisky (a superior Blend and a Single Malt) or the aperitif range of alcohol with artisanal pastis, gin and Alsatian spritz, launched a few years ago by the Meyer distillery .

Do not hesitate to leave with a good bottle as a souvenir, a small liqueur as a digestive (in moderation, we agree!), it always pleases, no?

Distillerie artisanale Jos Nusbaumer

The artisanal distillery Jos Nusbaumer, located in Steige, is an Alsatian distillery created in 1947 and producing high quality brandies and liqueurs. It has received the Entreprise du Patrimoine Vivant (Living Heritage Company) label.

The Val de Villé, cradle of Alsatian distilleries

The Nusbaumer distillery is located in Steige, in the Val de Villé. The Val de Villé is the historical cradle of the Alsatian distilleries: because of its continental climate, with hot summers and harsh winters, this territory produces fruits of a particularly appropriate quality for the manufacture of brandies.

Visit of the Nusbaumer distillery in the Vosges

By reservation only, it is possible to visit the distillery and learn a little more about this world and the know-how of the distillery. We go to the discovery of the workshops of manufacture during the guided tour which lasts approximately 1 hour and makes us plunge into the atmosphere of the trade of distiller!

After a presentation of the distillery and explanations on the preparation of the fruits, we discover the superb stills room (the discovery of the old family still is one of the highlights of the visit!), then the storage tanks and the bottling room. It is really interesting to discover the process of elaboration of liqueurs and eaux de vie in this exceptional setting!

Products of the distillery: brandy, liqueur, gin and aquavit

The Nusbaumer distillery produces more than 70 different products: brandies , liqueurs, creams, fruits in brand y, but also since more recently mountain gin and French aquavit. Approximately 60% of the fruit used in the production comes from Alsace, the rest being fruit from the Rhone Valley (pears in particular) or imported (exotic fruit for example).

Because of its geographical situation in the middle of the mountains, the Nusbaumer distillery has always proceeded to the distillation of plants of all kindsThe fruit is not only fruit, but also plants (berries and regional botanicals) such as elderberry, holly berries, wild rose, sloe, cumin… Enough to make delicious local specialties!

In order to have a quality always equal, the distillery pays a great attention to the selection of the fruits, what is worth to him some years to buy only some when the weather was not lenient. In order to never be out of stock, the Nusbaumer distillery has a stock of two and a half years in advance.

Raspberry, williams pear, alisier, elderberry…

After the visit, we go to the store for a tasting. I pass quickly on the brandies (it is strong!) but I am conquered by the liqueurs and creams. I will leave with a small stock of Nusbaumer products (excellent kirsch for cooking, blackberry cream, raspberry liqueur…). Enough to keep you going for a while!

Musée des eaux de vie René de Miscault in Lapoutroie

This visit has been reviewed by Vivine – Would you like a digestif? Mirabelle plum, pear, cherry, raspberry, quetsche, marc de Gewurtz…I’ll take you to the Musée des Eaux de vie de Lapoutroie!

I don’t know about you, but for my part, I have a great memory of my youth (not so long ago): the elders used to have a schnapps at the end of the meal, with the coffee, and the elders used to dip a sugar in it… and very often no label on the bottle, home-made 😉 Nowadays, I know many friends who continue this conviviality with irish coffee and derivatives, but not from there to quietly drink this extra strong fruit alcohol ! Our cocktails and shooters are based on stronger, more flavored, mostly sweet and industrial spirits.

The René de Miscault distillery museum

So I wanted to know more, to go back to origins of the distillery in Alsace and for this direction Lapoutroie in the Kaysersberg valley ! Of course, our beautiful land is not the only one in Europe to have stills, beautiful orchards and quality water, but it still conceals a unique little treasure for more than 30 years: the Museum of Water of Life.

Visit of the collections

In the old post house of Lapoutroie dating from the 18th century, René De Miscault exhibits his love for spirits through time and the world. Various old materials, more than 10 000 mignonettes, 300 full bottles from the 50’s, rare liqueurs, absinthe spoons… The collection is impressive, especially when it is told by the passionate owner who has seen the country! Manufacturing secrets, modes of consumption, influence on history, medicine, arts… The vapors of macerated fruit alcohol have a lot to reveal!

Tasting and store

If you still doubt it, Monette will convince you with a free tasting of brandies and you will leave with a delicious gingerbread liqueur for the Christmas aperitif, an Alsatian gin or a local absinthe to offer ! All this is to be consumed in moderation but let’s keep the tradition alive 😉

Brewery of the Welche Country

As a bonus, the family took over an old microbrewery a year ago. The Brewery of the Welche country can also be visited, the malt is organic and the blond has already been awarded: it is therefore a business to follow in the Welche country, these French speakers in German-speaking land formerly!

Finally, to complete your passage in the area, don’t miss to go to Kaysersberg, especially around for the Christmas Market of Kaysersberg in winter and in summer the barefoot trail of Orbey, which is extra!

Other Alsace distilleries

We haven’t visited them (yet!), but here are two other Alsatian distilleries offering guided tours that might interest you:

• Lehmann Distillery
• Distillerie Miclo

Map of distillery visits in Alsace