A rare strategy for the time: export!
America…
Thanks to a meeting with Michel Dreyfus, the top American importer of wine and champagne, Gabriel agreed to export their Eaux-de-Vie and made the Dreyfus Ashby company the first customer of the Massenez distillery. This company, based in New York, sells French wine and spirits all over America, and today is still Massenez’s biggest customer!
Switzerland…
A great friend of Freddy Girardet, one of the biggest global names in gastronomy, Gabriel Massenez had no trouble selling their Eaux-de-Vie to Swiss restaurants, particularly the Wild Raspberry, which was still unknown in this area.
Germany, Austria...
The adventure continued in Germany, with another great chef close to Gabriel and known as the “Chef of the century” , the same as Bocuse: Eckart Witzigmann. Despite the strong German presence on the Eaux-de-Vie market, the Massenez name impresses customers with its unparalleled quality and stands out with its fine, delicate Eaux-de-Vie. Similarly, the great Austrian restaurants followed this movement influenced by the great fashion of French gastronomy.
Asia... Hong Kong, Singapore and Tokyo!
With this international success, Gabriel Massenez decided to attack the Asian market with two flagship products: the Wild Raspberry Eau-de-Vie and the famous Prisoner Pear! A real feat of the time, as raspberry was a completely unknown fruit in Asia at the time. As for the Prisoner Pear, it was a case of wonder at the expertise of putting the pear in a bottle while still on the tree and the quality of its Eau-de-Vie. French gastronomy has also not yet crossed these borders. French pâtisserie then began to become interested in Eaux-de-Vie and see the potential for development in the high-end segment. Massenez then expanded to Tahiti in the Fiji Isles...
Massenez is served on board planes!
Massenez has become a standard on board airlines such as Air France, Lufthansa, SwissAir, British Airways, Sabena, Cathay Pacific, Singapore Airlines...
The Massenez business then continued along this avant-garde line and continued to be an advocate for the intermediary for its new timeless muse, MISS MASSENEZ, a completely new type of consumption for Eaux-de-Vie, Crèmes & Liqueurs: cocktails! Inextricably linked with the French style of life! Refined, chic, elegant... Putting the exclusively masculine image of a 'digestif’ behind them, Miss Massenez came on the scene, bringing with her some of our favorite cocktails...
And now?
Since 1870…
1870The history of Distillerie Massenez dates back to 1870, when Jean-Baptiste Massenez was working as a home distiller in Val de Villé in Urbeis… So, without knowing it, Jean-Baptiste Massenez actually started a royal line, and his descendants would inherit his expertise: His son Eugène Massenez would become a well renowned Master Distiller in the industry.
In the beginning, there was the Wild Raspberry...
1913As of 1913, Eugène Massenez would become an avant-garde distiller of Wild Raspberry for the first time... This Eau-de-Vie would go on to become a phenomenal success, mostly thanks to the loyalty of the Queen of Sweden who fell in love with this raspberry during her visits to Alsace.
She actually underwent regular treatment in Hohwald to tend to her lungs... thanks to Eaux-de-Vie. Massenez would also become an official supplier to the court of His Majesty the King of Sweden.
Massenez and fine French cuisine
In the 1950sHowever, it was only during the 1950s, with the third generation of the family, Gabriel Eugène Massenez, that the Massenez distillery experienced a real upturn. Both a pioneer and a visionary, Gabriel decided to look at the bigger picture and develop his brand in the high-end gastronomy industry, particularly in the large, renowned Parisian brasseries: Flo, Bofinger, Pied de Cochon…
Then his relationships and the quality of his products gave him access to the great Michelin-starred chefs of the time, such as Bocuse, Verger, Troisgros, Lameloise, Haeberlin, Blanc... and some beautiful restaurants like La Tour d’Argent, Maxime’s, Lenotre... And so, Massenez went on to impress the greatest French restaurants and become key figure in the gastronomy industry!
A head for business
1960Both talented in keeping a firm master hand on the business and investing in ultra-modern production machinery, Gabriel Massenez also had an innate business acumen! Massenez would go on to become the only Eau-de-Vie brand on board the ocean liner company Le France, a true symbol of France's industrial power, personally opened by General de Gaulle in 1960.
A new generation... And a new distillery!
1979In 1979, in response to strong growth, Gabriel decided to create a new distillery in Val de Villé. This was opened by Paul Bocuse, a great friend who was loyal to the Massenez family, and in the presence of several other great chefs from around the world.
Manou Massenez
1982Then the 4th generation made its entry into the distillery: from 1982, Manou Massenez, Gabriel’s daughter continued her father's work in exports, as well as developing the growth of the family brand in over 110 countries! Her feminine eye and commercial acumen have enabled her to lead Massenez into several global competitions otherwise reserved for Cognacs, and present Massenez Eaux-de-Vie and Crèmes & Liqueurs to the greatest sommeliers and barmen around the world. Manou's investment has also enabled Massenez’s brand image to develop, both in the world of high-end gastronomy with great French chefs like Robuchon, Ducasse, Savoy... and in hotel academies, barmen and private individuals...
From Massenez wine to Chile
1989As for Manou's brother, Dominique Massenez, he decided to diversify the family's activities in 1989 by investing in the wine-making regions of Chile.
Massenez partners with Grandes Distilleries Peureux
2010Partners with Grandes Distilleries Peureux since 2010, it was Mr Bernard Baud who directed the distillery in Alsace along with Manou Massenez and Elodie Naslin. Eager to ensure the quality of their products and conscious of the challenges in this sector of the spirits market, this strong trio continued to develop Massenez in terms of exports and within France using a feminine image, due to the historical importance of the raspberry and the emergence of a new consumer profile for cocktails: women!
Les concentrés de Cocktails
2014This concept of Miss Massenez cocktails allows the Massenez Distillery to modernize its image and make it accessible to a new audience. This is the birth of Cocktail Concentrates which notably allows the brand to associate itself with the most prestigious Alsatian events, in connection with the Chefs but also with other charity events, associations, foundations...and to register as the must-have for a chic and original cocktail bar, whether in Alsace but also in the most beautiful Parisian establishments.
The number one river cruise company in Europe, Croisieurope, headquartered in Strasbourg, will be the first to understand the value of these Cocktail Concentrates, made to simplify the preparation of cocktails and guarantee Massenez signature quality.
Garden Party®
2016Following in the footsteps of Gaby Massenez, who was always looking for innovations, Bernard Baud had the ingenious idea of pushing open the door of the kitchen garden...while the Massenez Distillery has been distilling fruits for generations and was the first to distill Wild Raspberry, it will also be the first to produce distillates and liqueurs of Cucumber, Espelette Pepper, Porcini, Garlic, Basil, Thyme, Dried Tomato...no less than 24 flavors make up this range, which has won numerous awards for innovation: Garden Party® is a unique range in the world that delights the greatest Mixologists and Chefs, who are surfing on the green trend!
Golden Eight®
2017It was in 2017, after a few years of research and reflection, that Distillerie Massenez launched the now famous Golden Eight® Pear Liqueur. Inspired by a recipe for Mr. Massenez's Pear Liqueur, this new recipe is also adorned with a beautiful engraved, Pear-shaped decanter and modern packaging. This divine Pear Liqueur, sublimated by a Pear Eau-de-Vie of more than 8 years of age, is the result of a teamwork between Master Distiller and Master Liquorist. Its vanilla and caramel notes give it an exceptional roundness and the Eau-de-Vie that composes it makes the finish long and voluptuous. A true symphony in the mouth, which in a few years has become one of the best sellers of the Massenez house, in France and abroad.
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