Massenez Pure Claude Prestige, Reneklodenbrand, 43% vol., Alsace

The Reineclaude, also known regionally as Ringlotte or Ringlo, is a premium plum variety with yellow-green flesh and a delicate plum flavor. The origins of the Massenez distillery date back to the post-Napoleonic era of the 1870s, when Jean-Baptiste Massenez started a home distillery in Urbeis, in the Vale de Ville region of Alsace. This paved the way for his son, Eugene Massenez, who inherited not only his distilling rights but also all his knowledge, which he used to become a recognized master distiller himself. Things really took off in the 1950s with Gabriel Eugene. He established his brandies in the top Michelin-starred restaurants of the time, including those of Bocuse, Verger, Troisgros, Lameloise, and Haeberlin. As a result, Massenez became a fixture in the finest restaurants of France. Today, Mr. Bernard Baud successfully manages the Massenez distillery in Alsace together with Manou Massenez and Elodie Naslin.