«La prunelle de Troyes»
(sólo en inglés)
Troyes sloe gin is made using its original recipe. It is still made in the Cellier Saint Pierre distillery, opposite Troyes cathedral.
The «cellier» or «storeroom» is a building dating from the end of the 12th century and was called the tithe store; the shop is a canon’s residence built in the 17th century, the cellar tunnel leading to the cathedral.
Cellier Saint Pierre was occupied by wine merchants in the 1800s; it has been owned by the Formont family since 1933.
Troyes sloe gin has been distilled since 1840 and it won a gold medal at the Paris international exhibition in 1900.
As far as the manufacturing method is concerned, the kernels are ground and macerated in alcohol, then undergo double distillation in a still.
The spirit obtained is combined with other natural ingredients which give it its complexity and manufacturing secret.
Troyes sloe gin is a 40% proof liqueur; it is drunk as a digestif, possibly chilled, on a sorbet or frozen nougat –“trou Champenois”-, as a cocktail with Champagne or quite simply to be enjoyed for its own sake.