Menaud Distillerie, Charlevoix, quebec
The name "Menaud" is an homage to a book titled “Menaud, maître-draveur” (Menaud, log driver), written by Félix-Antoine Savard and published in 1937. Savard lived in Clermont, the same town in which Menaud Distillerie is based in Charlevoix, Canada. A nature-lover and staunch advocate for conservation, Savard serves as an appropriate inspiration for the ambitious project that is Menaud. The distillery was founded by four friends: Grégoire Bluteau, Charles Boissonneau, Enrico Bouchard, Martin Brisson, and Gilles Brouard. It is a collaboration with the farmers of Charlevoix, and all ingredients are locally-sourced (except for the juniper which comes from England). The botanicals, which include honeysuckle, glasswort, and haskap berries, are all researched in depth before being incorporated.
This is due in part to the special microclimate of the region, a combination of the humidity of the river, the salty air, and the late arrival of the seasons. Much of the work is in maintaining a conversation with the terroir. As Charles Boissoneau puts it: “We explore the flavors, sometimes for months, researching different things in an effort to preserve the essence of the ingredients. To honor the tradition of the place and yet shake things up, one must understand the ecosystem-- the manner by which everything lives and interacts together. The choice of each ingredient is the fruit of a great deal of labor and research regarding the land and many tastings of ingredients along the way. At Menaud, each product is developed without compromise, with attention to detail, from the ‘seed to the neck.’”(translated from Symbiose).
This is due in part to the special microclimate of the region, a combination of the humidity of the river, the salty air, and the late arrival of the seasons. Much of the work is in maintaining a conversation with the terroir. As Charles Boissoneau puts it: “We explore the flavors, sometimes for months, researching different things in an effort to preserve the essence of the ingredients. To honor the tradition of the place and yet shake things up, one must understand the ecosystem-- the manner by which everything lives and interacts together. The choice of each ingredient is the fruit of a great deal of labor and research regarding the land and many tastings of ingredients along the way. At Menaud, each product is developed without compromise, with attention to detail, from the ‘seed to the neck.’”(translated from Symbiose).
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To create their flagship spirit, Neversink Gin, they macerate juniper berries in single-estate 100% NY apple base spirit overnight. The following day, the juniper-macerated base spirit is distilled through the full array of eleven botanicals: juniper, coriander, cardamom, star anise, cinnamon, orris root, angelica root, elderflower, orange peel (fresh), lemon peel (fresh), and grapefruit peel (fresh). The resulting spirit is an elegant, nuanced and delicate gin, with warm baking spice and fresh citrus accenting the apple base.
Equally celebrated but much more limited, Neversink Spirits’ line of eau de vie and brandy are made from 100% New York grown fruit and are released seasonally. Of these, they are best known for Neversink Spirits Apple Brandy, an eau de vie that exhibits a fresh, aromatic expression of a blend of familiar New York apple varieties.
Equally celebrated but much more limited, Neversink Spirits’ line of eau de vie and brandy are made from 100% New York grown fruit and are released seasonally. Of these, they are best known for Neversink Spirits Apple Brandy, an eau de vie that exhibits a fresh, aromatic expression of a blend of familiar New York apple varieties.
Photo Credits: https://menaud.ca/en/