Jade Liqueurs & Combier, France

1834 :

Jean-Baptiste Combier, 25, opens the Combier-Destre candy store in Saumur together with his brother Claude. Thanks to an alembic installed in the back shop, he distils some liqueurs to fill his candies and chocolates with.

1848 :

J ean-Baptiste buys more alembics and establishes the Combier distillery on the rue Beaurepaire, where it still is located today. This is the starting point of a booming business, Combier now sells its liqueurs all over the world.

1861 :

Jean-Baptiste Combier's son James, only 19 years old, learns the art of distillation before traveling to England, Algeria, Italy, Greece and Egypt, from where he brings new essences and herbs for Combier Liqueurs.

Absinthe distillation at Combier :

Combier owns its own fields of 2 wormwood cultivars, harvested by hand and traditionally dried in an attic. There are 10 alembics from the 19th century in the distilling room, including 8 from Egrot (the famous maker of Pernod Fils alembics at the time).