History

Traditions, an age-old knack.
From the "elixir of long life" to Perfect 1864 vodka
In 1864, Auguste Peureux decided to codify the age-old traditions of the master distillers of the Saône Vosges in order to preserve them. He created in Fougerolles the "Grandes Distilleries Peureux". But his famous knack remains a jealously guarded secret, passed down in the company from master distiller to master distiller. The distillery he founded is today the world leader in fruit brandies.

The history of the great distilled spirits
"Aqua vitae" in Latin, "Aguardiente" in Spanish, "uisge beatha" in Gaelic (deformed into "whisky"), "wodka" ("little water ") in Polish, and "vodka" in Russian, eau-de-vie in French, the distilled spirits are the fruit of the distillation of fermented sweet vegetable matter. In the XIIIth century, the alchemist Arnaud de Villeneuve explained: "permanent water prolongs life, which is why it deserves to be called "eau-de-vie" (water of life)".

The first alcoholic "elixirs" were developed from the end of the Middle Ages in the monasteries of Europe. Originally the aim was to preserve in alcohol the medicinal plants gathered by the monks. Heirs to the Arab scholars and the alchemists of the Middle Ages, the monks extended their work and improved the methods of distillation and were soon making all sorts of liqueurs and eaux-de-vie with healing properties, from wine, plants and fruit and soon grain.

From the XVth century onwards, under the impetus of the merchants, who gradually took over from the monks and doctors, the trade in eau-de-vie saw considerable growth. Very well known, the eaux-de-vie of the Kingdom of France were exported to all of Europe and as far as Russia and Poland, where they were particularly appreciated.

The traditions of the East of France
Situated in the East of France and at the heart of Europe, Fougerolles is the home par excellence of great eaux-de-vie. Based on time-honoured traditions, passed down orally from father to son across the centuries, the eaux-de-vie of the Vosges region were particularly appreciated at the Court of the kings of France and also all the major European courts.

Their secret lay in the quality of the raw materials produced in the rich valleys of the region and in the incredibly pure water drawn from the underground springs. The artisan-distillers of the region were especially renowned for their famous "knack" which enabled them to preserve the soul of the most delicate of fruit and retain the fruit's most fragile aromas. The fruit brandies of Fougerolles are often recognised as the best in the world.

A Frenchman named Blumenthal invented the column-type vodka still
As a result of the success of the eaux-de-vie, stills were constantly being improved. In the XVIth century, Leonardo da Vinci took an interest in them and designed a new type of apparatus cooled by continuous running of cold water. It was never built, but his idea was taken up again a century later.

At the beginning of the XIXth century, the Frenchman, Chaptal, one of Napoleon's ministers, but also a doctor and scholar, drew up the principles of the modern pot still indispensable to the distillation of brandies (made from fruits or grappes).

In 1808 another Frenchman, J-B. Cellier Blumenthal, again encouraged by the Emperor, filed the patent for what became known as the "patent still", which allows the continuous distillation of grain alcohols. From this method, which favours the obtaining of lighter vodkas, as they are free of any impurities, are derived all modern patent stills. It would be adapted, in particular, thirty years later by an Englishman named Coffey for the distillation of whisky and gin.

Vodka
"Wodka" means "little water " in Polish. In the XVIth century, the term was reserved for the fruit and herb liqueurs produced using traditional methods in the region around Cracow. A century later, the liqueurs would be replaced in the favours of Polish consumers by white eaux-de-vie, which would continue to be called "wodka" in Poland and "vodka" in Russia where they were also a great success. It is today the generic term in every country for eaux-de-vie obtained by distilling potatoes, grain or molasses, whether they are flavoured or not.

In the XVIIIth century, King Stanislas of Poland came to set up his Court in Nancy, in the East of France, at the invitation of his son-in-law the King of France, Louis XV. A great lover of vodka, he had it made by the master distillers of the region and found it "comparable to none in the world".

Today vodka is produced in all the countries of Europe as well as in other regions of the world. However, the gustatory qualities of the different vodkas show a great deal of variation due to the quality and origin of the raw materials, the process employed and above all the distiller's know-how.

Perfect 1864 is made exclusively from "froment" wheat from the plains of Brie Champagne, crushed, fermented and distilled locally, and water drawn from the depths of the Vosges massif. The eau-de-vie is blended and matured in Fougerolles, by a Master distiller perpetuating the traditions, the know-how and the famous "knack" of the "Grandes Distilleries Peureux".

Perfect 1864: a sharing of know-how

In 2005, "Grandes Distilleries Peureux" joined with "Brie Champagne Distilleries" to produce Perfect 1864. The production of this vodka is the result of an original sharing of know-how between the farmers, the millers of Brie Champagne, whose traditions of quality go back to the Middle Ages, and the distillers. The fermented wheat wort is distilled and filtered locally by "Brie Champagne Distilleries", the only French distillery specialising exclusively in the distilling of wheat. Maturing, blending, the addition of Vosges water, then filtering and bottling are done by "Grandes Distilleries Peureux" in Fougerolles, Franche-Comté, by master distillers who have inherited the great French tradition of the production and blending of the most delicate of fruit brandies. Finally, to launch this vodka in the United States, "Grandes Distilleries Peureux" has entered into a partnership with Legacy Imports, a company specialising in the distribution of upmarket spirits.

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