You may have already glimpsed, by the roadside, a strange tent made of tarps, a curious lineup of 4x4s, large drums, and steam that smells pleasantly of fruit…
When you discover the still for the first time, you are surprised by the age of the machine mounted on wheels. Some call it “the godmother.” While the fruits are poured into huge barrels (the vases), a humming, persistent noise resounds. The steam, curious valves, and other pipes and gauges might make you believe you are aboard an old locomotive from the beginning of the century! But the smell is much more pleasant…
The still is an ancestral process: steam is sent into the vases that will bring the fermented fruits to a boil. The released alcohol steam passes through a coil where it condenses and comes out as brandy. Once the fruits are cooked, the distiller stops the cooking and empties the vases of their fruit puree…
As winter approaches, about fifteen stills will be spread across Haute Savoie. Their routes and locations were defined long ago so that every year the same people are always found there. The local distillers come to bring the fruits from the orchards: apples, pears, plums…
Until now, one had to enjoy a privilege, passed down from generation to generation, to have the right to distill fruits into alcohol, or pay a significant tax. Starting January 1, 2008, the privileges will be abolished and the tax will be halved. Anyone who wants to will be able to distill the fruits from their orchard.
Unfortunately, this profession is probably doomed to disappear, fewer and fewer people harvest orchard fruits to have them distilled. And that is truly a shame, taste a good pear straight from the still and you will understand…
