Welcome to the Molignée Valley, at the gateway to the Belgian Ardennes, where the Distillerie Herboristerie de l’Abbaye de Maredsous puts nature and tradition at the service of exceptional spirits. Discover them for yourself!
An ancestral history
Behind this exciting, high-quality range lies a very long history. It all began in 1872, when the Desclée de Maredsous family decided to build a Benedictine abbey on their estate. Initially dedicated to apprenticeships with a college, craft school and library, in 1947 Maredsous Abbey turned its attention to the creation of alcoholic beverages through beer. It wasn’t until 2016 and the launch of the herbal distillery that we began to think about using the estate’s raw materials in a different way. Today, she makes unique spirits from medicinal plants.
The demand for quality
They follow a precise manufacturing process combining copper stills and know-how handed down from generation to generation. On the program: infusion of botanicals with therapeutic virtues in a distillate of certified organic cereals. We then carry out a double distillation, keeping only the heart of the toast, which is the most qualitative in terms of concentration and aromatic richness. True elixirs, then, combining three fundamental values: the environment, botany and pharmacognosy. But what does it mean? That they preserve biodiversity and natural resources, master the selection of ideal plants, and care for them.
Gins with different properties
The result is London Dry Gin, each with its own specific virtues:
Invictus features energizing plants, including juniper berries, hazelnut chaton, hogweed and angelica. Round and balanced, with lovely woody notes, it goes just as well with a classic tonic as with a Tribute Ginger Beer, which will give it a little spiciness thanks to its special process that makes the most of ginger and its spicy flavors.
Aéquatis is derived from the buds and leaves of regulatory trees. Fir meets ash, hawthorn and hazel. More wood, and a good dose of fruit. It seduces with its suppleness and balance. Serve with a sweet Fever Tree Mediteranean. A delicate, floral and fragrant marriage.
Valéo is rich in soothing, relaxing wildflowers such as poppy, woodruff, St. John’s wort, mallow and primrose. It oscillates between smoothness and subtle floral fragrances. A finesse that will be magnificent with the clean, refreshing bitterness of a London Essence Pink Grapefruit. Liveliness and surprising herbal nuances to electrify your taste buds.
You can also try Liqueur de Fleur d’Élixir, an explosion of wild flowers and forest fruits that we like to enjoy at the heart of light, fruity cocktails, such as a revisited gin & tonic. It combines elderflower, violet, blackcurrant, wild strawberry, raspberry and blackberry to offer a complex, infinitely fruity tasting experience, with a pleasantly light bitterness. All you have to do is pick and choose!
Would you like to find out more? The Abbey and the Herboristerie Distillery are open to visitors.
