The Distillery through the years
GOLDEN SHAKER
Being a bartender is more than a job. It's an art! And it's this talent that the distillery intends to showcase with its first competition: Le Shaker d'Or.
INDUCTION OF CRAFTSMEN
On April 17, 5 Artisans de Biercée were inducted. An Artisan de Biercée appreciates, promotes and develops the products of one of Belgium's oldest and last fruit distilleries. They are true ambassadors for our products and the nuggets our flat country abounds in. They are proud of our heritage, and their Belgianness is reflected in their establishment, menu and decoration. Eau de Villée, a jewel of Belgian heritage, is one of the flagship digestifs on their menu. In short, an Artisan de Biercée is the mirror image of the Distillery. He uses his know-how to sublimate our premium spirits. That's why every year we honor bartenders and restaurateurs with the "Artisan de Biercée" label.
A NEW TURNING POINT
A new story begins with Brasserie des Légendes in June 2019. Working with the same convictions, the destinies of the Distillery and the Brewery were bound to intersect.
In the summer of 2019, Vinciane Wergifosse and Pierre Delcoigne bought the Distillerie de Biercée.
DB'GIN.BE
Thesis & Antithesis gin is modernized and becomes DB'Gin.BE! Distilled gin... Be connected. A premium gin of remarkable complexity, the botanicals and florals are in perfect symbiosis.
SILVER MEDAL AT SPIRITS.BE COMPETITION
La Biercine wins a silver medal at the Spritis Selection by Concours Mondial de Bruxelles.
RELAUNCH OF THE RESTAURANT LA GRANGE DES LÉGENDES
Adjacent to the Biercée Distillery, the café-restaurant "La Grange des Belges" is relaunched and renamed "La Grange des Légendes" after the new owners.
20, 40, 75 years
A flurry of anniversaries is falling on the doorstep of the Distillerie de Biercée, and history will remember that it will be difficult for us to celebrate them given the sanitary conditions.
20 years... that the Distillerie, originally based in Biercée, moved to Ragnies in a huge, magnificently renovated barn.
40 years... for the emblematic liqueur of the Distillerie de Biercée: Eau de Villée! Made with lemons from the Murcia region, it is the Distillerie's flagship product.
50 years... for Flambée, an alcohol in which cherries are macerated. Flambée is notably served at the traditional celebration of the Confrérie du Taste -Cerise in Biercée, the Ducasse aux Cerises, which is a major event in the region.
75 years... for the Distillerie de Biercée! Founded in 1946, it is one of Belgium's oldest distilleries still in operation, and the only one still distilling eaux-de-vie, liqueurs and other spirits in the purest tradition, from fresh, untreated fruit. The ingredients used are always and only 100% natural.
Be cocktails
Creation of the Cocktail.BE range. These are classic international cocktails revisited in Belgian style and featuring at least one spirit from the Distillerie de Biercée. Many establishments are following our lead. Aperitifs, digestifs, frozens... there's something for every taste.
gold and silver medals at the lyon international competition
In April, La Distilllerie de Biercée won 3 medals at the Concours International de Lyon:
D'Gin.BE won a gold medal in the category - gin and dry gin.
Eau de Vie de Poire N° 1 also won a gold medal in the category - Eaux de Vie de Poire.
Vermouth won a silver medal in the category - wine-based drinks and fruit wines - wine-based aperitifs or Vermouth.
gold medal at the Frankfurt International Competition
Not yet unveiled and already a medal winner! Our new, freshly redesigned Poire à l'Armagnac has been awarded a gold medal at the Frankfurt International Competition in April 2021. This new medal is the fruit of hard work by the whole team!
dB'GIN.NET organic
After the success of DB'GIN.BE distilled gin, we're celebrating the arrival of its little sister DB'GIN.NET in May 2021. Created from a blend of raspberry flavored with juniper berries, allspice and Siltimur pepper, it features a very pure raspberry note, with a naturally pinkish hue.
villée
A surprising encounter between barley and wheat from Brasserie des Légendes and the famous lemon liqueur from Distillerie de Biercée. A sparkling marriage that will give birth to "Villée" beer in July 2021.
Giant's gin
In the land of tradition and folklore, Brasserie des Légendes and Distillerie de Biercée have once again combined their expertise to create GIN DES GEANTS. A distillate of Gouyasse beer blended with a premium botanicals gin for a marriage of flavors, in the effigy of the giants of the Ducasse d'Ath.
gold and silver medals at Spirit selection
4 new medals at the "Spirit Selection" by Concours Mondial de Bruxelles: Poire Williams liqueur, Poire Williams N°1, Poire à l'Armagnac and Biercine. This competition rigorously selects experienced tasters who evaluate spirits from all regions of the world with a single watchword: to distinguish qualitý without prejudice linked to the label or the prestige of the category.
40 years Eau de villée
L'Eau de Villée dresses up for its 40th anniversary!
Bitter becomes b by b
Bitter de Biercée becomes B By B de Biercée for a perfect marriage of bitter orange, gentian and angelica distillates.
wash of legends
4000 L of Wash des Légendes was barrel-aged at the Distillerie de Biercée. This is a barley must from Brasserie des Légendes placed in French Bourgogne Blanc barrels and American Buffalo Trace barrels. They will age for 3 years in our cellar.
utopie organic vodka
Long considered a forgotten vegetable, organic Jerusalem artichokes were planted in collaboration with a local farmer. They give our new Utopie bio vodka a traditional, Belgian touch. Its suave, floral fragrance of jasmine and white tea is an ode to the seduction of the taste buds.
orchard around the distillery
From Earth to Glass, a leitmotiv that takes on its full meaning with this new project: the creation of an orchard around the distillery. 180 native fruit trees will be planted in 2021 for use in our spirits in 2027. Apple, pear, cherry, plum and mirabelle trees...
medals 2022
Just released, Utopie Bio Vodka wins a gold medal at the Lyon competition in March, and the new B by B Bitter wins a silver medal at the Spirit Selection by Concours Mondial in Brussels in July.
La Liqueur de Poire, Poire Williams N°1 and Poire à l'Armagnac all win gold medals at the Woman's International Trophy in May.
Red villée.BE
Red Villée, the ready-so-serve cocktail, gets a makeover. It features all the flavours of apple cider, spiced up with the cranberries and lemon of the famous Eau de Villée. A true short circuit thanks to the association of Pom d'Happy, a producer of quality local cider.
first Walloon gin
In October, the first Walloon gin was born from the stills at Biercée. "Thesis & Antithesis" was the name chosen by its creators, the two Master Distillers from Biercée, who wanted to create an exceptional contemporary gin. To keep up with the "connected" evolution of contemporary trends, it will become DB'Gin.Be in 2020.
rye
As soon as it leaves the stills, the first 100% Belgian Rye is put into maturing barrels and offered for pre-order. The rush was on to the wine merchants, with a limit of 6 bottles per customer in order to serve as many enthusiasts as possible. In the blink of an eye, the first 4300 numbered bottles were reserved.
MEDAL gin thesis & antithesis
In February, "Thesis & Antithesis" gin won the "World's Best Contemporary Style Gin 2016" award in London. A fine recognition of Belgian know-how and the creativity of Distillerie de Biercée. To keep pace with the "connected" evolution of contemporary trends, it will become DB'Gin.Be in 2020.
BITTER BEER
In March, Biercée Bitter, the very first 100% Belgian fruity bitter, was launched, highlighting Belgian know-how. The bottle's sober, chic design is inspired by Art Deco, revealing the beverage's luminous red color.
70 ANS
On October 21, Distillerie de Biercée celebrates its 70th anniversary! For the occasion, Jules Clempoel's Biercine is reissued in a Collector's bottle. Faithful to the original recipe, the famous distillate of herbs infused in local apple alcohol is brought back to its original alcoholic strength of 44°.
VERMOUTH
A new creation, very much in the spirit of the times, is born: Biercée Vermouth. Ever mindful of quality, Distillerie de Biercée has created a 100% natural, typically Belgian version of its vermouth. On a Pinot Blanc base, our Master Distiller adds a whole palette of aromatic plants and spices, some of which are found only in the Biercée region. The result is a premium Vermouth with just the right amount of bitterness, slight astringency and freshness.
RYE WHISKY
November: connoisseurs and amateurs who had pre-ordered finally received their numbered bottle of Biercée Rye. The press gave it an excellent reception.
KUMQUAT
In July, it's the turn of the new Kumquat Biercée liqueur to hit the shelves! Its delicate, 100% pure, natural flavor, low sugar content and 100% crystalline transparency will surprise and seduce even the most discerning palates.
Williams Pear medal
Poire Williams de Biercée is selected, blind, by the jury of wine and spirits experts at the Institut Meurisse (Brussels) as "best Poire Williams eau-de-vie" out of 16 European Poire Williams eaux-de-vie entered in the competition. It was on this date that the name was enriched with a proud N°1.
moving to ragnies
In September, the distillery moves. It moved from the village of Biercée to neighboring Ragnies. It is now in a huge, magnificently renovated barn on the splendid Ferme de la Cour that it installs its imposing installations, mincers, vats, stills and barrels.
This former 14th century courthouse was acquired by the Walloon Region and renovated thanks to the support of the public holding company Sambrinvest.
renovation
Renovation of the buildings at Ferme de la Cour continues, with the aim of soon being able to welcome visitors and tourists from all horizons. The company's aim is to be a showcase for exceptional Belgian expertise in top-of-the-range distillation. In this cathedral of bluestone and wood, everything is designed to showcase and enhance the unique know-how that is expressed here.
Gold medal williams pear n°1
It was in October that the first project, to produce a cider brandy, saw the light of day. The first apples are grated and pressed. The juice was stored in 5000-liter vats, where it began to ferment. They ferment for several weeks.
new logo
The Distillerie de Biercée becomes a key player in tourism in the Lake District. A new square logo appears. It places greater emphasis on "Biercée" as a brand.
Village water
The distillery's finest white fruit brandies are combined with lemons. This was the birth of Eau de Villée! Its success was immediate. Named after the small stream that once flowed behind the Distillery, it is only made in March, at the height of the lemon season. Even today, it carries the reputation of the Distillerie de Biercée far and wide!
new fermentation tanks
Albert Frère, a major Belgian industrialist of Caroloregian origin, signs the purchase of the distillery. This provided the funds needed to acquire new equipment: self-regulating fermentation tanks, the "rolls" in this field. Added to this was the prestige of the oak barrels used to age the great eaux-de-vie. They come from Château d'Yquem!
New owner
Philippe Dumont became attached to this small alcohol production unit and its magnificent region. He fell in love with this jewel of the Thudinie region and bought the company. The distillery now employs around ten people, and the new boss keeps up the pace of development.
A visual identity
A new era begins at the distillery. An Italian glassmaker produced new, elegantly shaped bottles for the distillery, which are still the hallmark of the distillery today.
new stills
4 new copper column stills are custom-made for Distillerie de Biercée by the highly reputed German boilermaker Arnold Holstein, "the" reference in the field. These stills are perfectly adapted to the needs of our Walloon distillery. Their bearing columns enable the distillation process to be adapted with extreme precision to the type of fruit in the bain-marie baskets. The result is a distillation process that respects the fruit as much as possible, to get the very best from its heart.
Biercine
After a year of fine-tuning the equipment and working methods, the small business was ready to run its course. The local apple growers brought in their fruit and, a few months later, returned with their alcohol.
It was then, at the request of his pharmacy's customers, that Jules Clempoel came up with a liqueur to aid digestion. He macerated seven different plants in apple cider, which he then distilled like an elixir. This is how he came up with Biercine.
Distillerie de Biercée's first liqueur, with its fine taste and digestive properties, was a hit!
Aurentine and noyautine
Launch of Aurentine, an orange and mandarin liqueur. At the same time, Noyautine, a Biercée cherry liqueur, and Kirsch, a cherry brandy, are developed.
the outbreak
Georges and Jany Pire, butchers by trade, became passionate about the distillery and joined forces with two other shareholders to buy the business. For the Ducasse aux cerises, the traditional celebration of the Confrérie du Taste-Cerise in Biercée, they create an alcohol in which cherries macerate: Flambée. This tradition dates back to 1875, and revalorizes the cherry that made the village famous until the early 20th century. It is still celebrated in July. This drink of honor, which serves as the Confrérie's banner, is embodied in the rallying cry: "Que Flambe Flambée!
the distillery stands firm
Massive uprooting of fruit trees in the region. But the Distillerie de Biercée holds on and celebrates its 25th anniversary! It adapts by distilling raspberry and mirabelle plum eaux-de-vie. Its founders can be proud. It has weathered a thousand storms and withstood the tidal wave of cheap alcohol manufacturers (using extracts and chemical colorants) that swept away the dozen or so fruit distilleries still in existence after the war.
It's still here, very much alive and kicking, following the same line as in the beginning: "fresh fruit - 100% natural spirits".
Apples on the ground... an idea born
It's the end of summer. A native of the village of Biercée, now living in Normandy, has returned home to visit his cousin Joseph Dussart, a village shopkeeper. During one of his walks, the Norman cousin is astonished to see tides of beautiful, neglected apples rotting in the weeds of the orchards, which were very numerous at the time in Thudinie and particularly in Biercée.
So he suggested to his cousin Joseph and his father-in-law, Père Juste, that they should make "cider or calva" from these apples, as they did in Normandy.
And that's how a little phrase, commonplace in itself, sparked the idea of a small local industry to transform apples into alcohol.
the birth of the biercée distillery
In April, the first funds are raised. The premises are found, a farm barn at 25 rue de la Brûlée in Biercée. The raw materials were in place. In the end, six friends, including Joseph Dussart, Father Juste and Jules Cleempoel, joined forces to set up a fruit alcohol distillery under S.P.R.L. (société à responsabilité limitée) status. La Distillerie de Biercée was born!
Among the founders, two pharmacists contributed scientific and technological know-how. The new company was soon equipped. The record books of the time proudly recall that the first alembic, the distillery's centerpiece, was ordered from the Parisian firm Gazagne, a famous builder of distilling columns.
From a shipwreck to a still...
To make a high-quality still, the company needed copper. However, at the end of the Second World War, copper was a very rare metal, often raped by the occupying forces for their warlike needs.
The precious metal was finally extracted in Marseille, from the wreckage of a German torpedo launcher that had run aground in the port. This very first still still stands proudly at the entrance to the current distillery building.
Each of the partners worked on the project according to his or her abilities. But one in particular, Father Juste, worked tirelessly and became the real promoter of the business. He studied the various stages of production (grating, pressing, juice fermentation, distillation) in depth, and carried out countless trials. He visited fruit distilleries in France and Switzerland, bringing back experience and advice.
apple processing
It was in October that the first project, to produce a cider brandy, saw the light of day. The first apples are grated and pressed. The juice was stored in 5000-liter vats, where it began to ferment. They ferment for several weeks.
bierçac
The first drops of 72° alcohol come out of the distillation column in January, under the name of Bierçac. In the region, it's also known as "l'eau-de-vie du père Juste". It's a brandy whose superior quality is recognized by all, and particularly by the great French chef Raymond Oliver.
