Commentary the Distillerie de Monaco continues to develop
Despite the cramped conditions of its premises, the Monaco Distillery has expanded the distribution of its spirits, notably made from ingredients from the region, by focusing on luxury hotels and starred restaurants.
A few steps from the port of La Condamine, in the very center of Monaco, the Orangerie, the new name of a former hunting and fishing tackle shop, has housed a distillery since 2017 – no surprise, it is the Distillery of Monaco. A small room, four meters high under the ceiling, in a building from the 18th century, in which sits a pot still signed Kothe (Germany).
“It heats up quickly, which is not necessarily easy to work in a small space”, notes Philippe Culazzo, founder. In the basement, bottling operations are carried out, while a bonded warehouse is available a few kilometers away. The pallets are assembled by hand, in a small steep street. “If we have more demand, we will adapt”smiles the manager, who claims an annual production of 100,000 bottles.
Discreet references to the principality
One thing is certain, the notoriety of the principality helps. Duty-free, large hotels, starred restaurants and selected wine shops are all places where you can find the distillery’s products, distributed by numerous independent distributors, Premium craft spirits and recently on the La Maison du Whiskey platform. “You must already have a good product at the base, then the fact that we are deployed in Monaco is an advantage.”
However, the graphic codes, including the red and white flag, are barely perceptible on the bottles. A way to above all highlight the products, offered in different formats and now in miniatures for gin. The design of the latter had to be estimated, consequence of the current tensions on the glass. Scheduled for delivery in August, 200,000 bottles will only arrive at the distillery in October.
Orange in the spotlight
Not enough to discourage Philip Culazzo and his team, who use local ingredients. 15 tons of fruit are produced each year in Monaco, particularly visible on the many shrubs spread along the boulevards. The municipality is responsible for collecting these materials that were previously thrown away. From January to May, citrus fruits are delivered, before carob in September. A carob liqueur (24%), Carrouba, is thus produced: earthy on the nose, it is distinguished by generous aromas of coffee and chocolate, with a very nice length in the mouth. To be enjoyed as a digestif or in a cocktail. Foie gras macerated with this liqueur was served in Christmas baskets last winter.
L’Orangerie (30%) consists of a bitter orange liqueur, very fresh and with notes of grapefruit – even if it does not contain any. A citrus gin (40%) is made from several ingredients (juniper berries, sweet and bitter oranges, lime, bergamot grapefruit, thyme, Sichuan pepper). A very aromatic spirit, also available in a limited edition for a hotel in Antibes (Alpes-Maritimes). Recently, a vodka was produced for charity. The distillery also uses its equipment to transform certain productions of the Nice Blue Coast brewery into beer eau-de-vie.
To develop, the distillery intends to accentuate its collaborations with bartenders around recipe ideas, and suggests in a simpler way the realization of a “Monaco spritz”: 12cl of prosecco, 3cl of orange liqueur, a peel of orange and ice cubes.
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