Guest Evening
An Evening with Franck Choisne
The owner of Distillerie Combier, Saumur, hosts an evening at the Salon
The distiller at the Salon
On the evening of 24 October, Franck Choisne — owner of Distillerie Combier in Saumur — hosts an evening at Salon du Japonisant. From 19:00 until midnight, he talks through each bottle used in the evening’s cocktails and how it is made.
Choisne joined the distillery in 1994, at 26, as general manager. In 2000 he took over the house itself, and he has directed its distilling and blending ever since.
The distillery also credits him with leading the work, from the legal reform onward, that allowed absinthe to be made in France again in 2004 after a long-standing ban.
Saumur, 1834
Combier began as a confectioner’s shop. In 1834, Jean-Baptiste Combier opened a shop in Saumur, on the Loire, and in a still at the back made a clear orange liqueur. The house regards it as the first triple sec. In 1848 he built a distillery beside the town’s cavalry school.
In 2016 the distillery was recognised as an Entreprise du Patrimoine Vivant, France’s label for living heritage companies.
Four cocktails for the evening
The Salon’s menu for the night combines Combier’s bottles with Japanese ingredients.
- Cocktail 1 — Combier L’Original, Japanese Sake Vermouth, osmanthus cordial, tonic water, soda
- Cocktail 2 — Combier Fleur de Sureau, Ao-Oni Dry, citric solution, tonic water, soda
- Cocktail 3 — Royal Combier, Kubo crème de cassis, Japanese whisky, citrus
- Cocktail 4 — Méridor, Combier Elixir, Ao-Oni Dry, Aka-Oni Rosso, Koji Clear, grapefruit bitters, L’Entêté Absinthe
Salon du Japonisant
Opened in 2019, the Salon is a bar of omakase cocktails built on Japanese spirits and sake.
Photo: Distillerie Combier
