Creative Distilling in New Orleans

July 15, 2024—New Orleans. Innovative New Orleans distillery Atelier Vie expands their absinthe expressions with Toulouse Blue, Absinthe Blau. Joining Toulouse Red, Absinthe Rouge; and Toulouse Green, Absinthe Verte; Toulouse Blue is a creative new style of absinthe that emerges over ten years after initial development work began.

Toulouse Blue is available immediately to all Louisiana retail outlets from our Louisiana distributor and is already being served at several renowned absinthe-centric bars and restaurants in the French Quarter of New Orleans. As part of the launch festivities, Atelier Vie has partnered with Tatlo, the French Quarter’s newest witch bar, nestled within the historic Old Absinthe House, for a special event on July 25, 2024. (More details on this event below.)

The Toulouse Blue Story
Like all authentic absinthe, Toulouse Blue begins with the absinthe trinity of wormwood, anise, and fennel. Subtle notes of new botanicals have been added to these traditional ingredients to create a complex harmony of flavor. But how did we get here? The story begins many years ago.

Back in the 1800s, when absinthe was unjustly banned in Europe, wily Swiss moonshiners realized that if they didn’t color their absinthe green, it would remain clear, like any other spirit fresh off the still. And thus the forbidden spirit wouldn’t be obvious by its appearance.

This clear Swiss style of absinthe is known as blanche, or white absinthe. Like all absinthes, it turns cloudy with the addition of cold water, or as we call it, the louche. Swiss white absinthes are sometimes referred to as “blue” due to the absinthe perhaps showing a tinge of blue in the otherwise clear spirit.

The story of Toulouse Blue began over ten years ago with earlier work on a blanche absinthe. Inspired by some classic recipe concepts, it was an interesting spirit. However, we already had two absinthes: Toulouse Red and Toulouse Green; and many other spirits of interest.

Sometimes we have to take a different path to a new flavor. Inspired by the past, but adding new ingredients that perhaps weren’t readily available to past distillers, we revised our earlier work and amended it with subtle notes from novel botanicals.

In addition to our further development of the flavor, we were also inspired to take the idea of calling a blanche absinthe “blue” one step further. With the addition of butterfly pea flower extract, Toulouse Blue takes on a light shade of transparent blue.

Taking note of the fact that blanche absinthe originates in Switzerland, and aware of the fact that German is the predominant Swiss language, we have subtitled Toulouse Blue as Absinthe Blau, using the German word for blue.

Toulouse Blue takes a fennel-forward approach, and includes our distillery-grown wormwood. The flavor is balanced and exquisite; and expands our absinthe portfolio with a new expression. With one foot in tradition and the other in a new era, Toulouse Blue has a subtle blue color and a medley of fascinating flavors.

How to Drink Toulouse Blue
Absinthe enthusiasts can enjoy a traditional preparation with just the addition of ice water. No sugar is needed. A great choice for new explorations in absinthe cocktails and a wonderful complement to classic cocktail recipes.

Toulouse Blue, Absinthe Blau, is available immediately at the Atelier Vie tasting room for purchase during visits. Toulouse Blue and our other spirits can also be purchased for pickup via our online store. Toulouse Blue is bottled in 750ml at 136 proof, and is priced at $65. This price includes all of our notoriously high sales taxes. Toulouse Blue is also in stock at our Louisiana distributor, International Wines and Spirits.

Toulouse Blue is available at these bars, restaurants, and retail stores: Vampire Apothecary, (725 St. Peter St.) Potions Lounge, (735 Bourbon St., upstairs) Mahogany Jazz Hall, (125 Chartres St.) Old Absinthe House, (240 Bourbon St.) Tatlo, (240 Bourbon St.) Pigeon & Whale, (4525 Freret St.) and Really Really Nice Wines (3500 Magazine St.).

Special Event at Tatlo on July 25, 2024
Join us at 240 Bourbon Street for an exclusive absinthe tasting, paired with a specially curated three-course small bite menu by acclaimed chefs Cristina Quackenbush and Anh Luu. Guests will be guided through the tasting by Jedd Haas, founder of Atelier Vie, showcasing his Toulouse Red, Toulouse Green, and the newly introduced Toulouse Blue, Absinthe Blau. Each course is designed to elevate the mystical qualities and flavors of these artisanal absinthes, with divine cocktails crafted to feature each distinct spirit. “Hex & Sip: Absinthe Edition” promises a memorable evening blending history, spirituality, and culinary artistry in one of New Orleans’ most iconic settings.

Event Details:
Date: July 25, 2024
Time: Two seatings at 6 PM and 8 PM
Location: Tatlo, 240 Bourbon Street, New Orleans, LA
Reservations: Tatlo.co/hexandsip

Atelier Vie’s Spirits
In addition Toulouse Blue, Absinthe Blau, Atelier Vie produces an extensive line of creative spirits in New Orleans.

Atelier Vie’s distilled spirits include Calio Rum; Barrel Aged Calio Rum; Calio Rum Bottled in Bond Gin Barrel Edition; Calio Rum Cask Strength; Euphrosine Gin #9; Euphrosine Gin #9 Barrel-Finished Reserve; Euphrosine Gin #9 Snowflake Edition; Euphrosine Gin #9 Bottled in Bond; Barleycorn Magic; Riz, Louisiana Rice Whiskey; Riz, Louisiana Rice Whiskey Bottled in Bond; Louisiana Single Malt; Louisiana Single Malt Cask Strength; Orphan Street Brandy “El Jefe” Edition; Gumbo Noir; Chalana; Myrtle Pepper; Toulouse Red, Absinthe Rouge; and Toulouse Green, Absinthe Verte, made with local wormwood.

The Company
Inspired by our renowned culinary culture, Atelier Vie creates flavorful new spirits in one of the greatest drinking cities of the world. Atelier Vie is the oldest continuously operating distillery in New Orleans and is also the oldest whiskey distillery in Louisiana. Our motto: “Liquor is art you can drink.” Atelier Vie was founded in 2011 by Jedd Haas.

Visiting Hours at the Distillery
The distillery is open for tastings and discussion of the distillation process by appointment only. Appointments are generally available at 10am, noon, and 2pm on weekends. Limited availability during the week, depending on production schedule. Due to insurance requirements, there is a $30 tasting fee for the full tasting experience, which includes over one dozen spirits. Spirits are available for purchase during visits or through our online store for pickup at the distillery. Visitors should see the company web site for directions, store link, and additional details.

Contact:
Jedd Haas
504-534-8590 (distillery line, leave message or text)
https://ateliervie.com
@ateliervie

Download this press release in PDF format.
Toulouse Blue Press Release 07-15-2024

-30-

Join us for this discussion of the shadowy origins of the distillery, our red and green absinthe, and so much more. Our host, Mr. Clean, asks about our early challenges and we mention certain run-ins within the hot air zones of City Hall. We also discuss rice whiskey and give a special shout-out to the self-styled Grand Pooba.

March 11, 2024—New Orleans. Atelier Vie announces a flagship rum expression with the release of Calio Rum Cask Strength. This rum has been aged a minimum of five years and was aged in a single barrel. Further, the rum is bottled exactly as it came out of the barrel, without any dilution, hence the designation cask strength.

Making Calio Rum
Calio Rum is distilled from Louisiana molasses which we source from a sugar mill about 80 miles from the distillery. We ferment the molasses for one to two weeks; this extended fermentation time develops additional flavor.

We also use “dunder” to enhance the flavor of our fermentations. Dunder is the liquid remaining in the still after the initial distillation, or stripping run. The dunder has tremendous flavor and also adds acidity to the fermentation, which creates an optimum environment for the yeast.

After the yeast have consumed the sugar in the molasses wash, the wash has about 9% alcohol by volume. We charge the still with the rum wash and distill the low wines in a stripping run.

After collecting low wines, we charge the still with low wines and tails. The tails come from the final portion of the pot still run; there is still plenty of alcohol in the tails, but the flavor is bitter and earthy. Adding the tails back into the next spirit run adds additional flavor and complexity to the new make rum. This second distillation is called the spirit run and produces new make rum at around 150 proof.

Next, this new make rum is diluted to barreling strength, which can vary; a lower entry proof can often produce more interesting and complex flavors. In the case of this cask strength release, the spirit was entered at 107.86 proof and came out of the barrel at 112.36 proof.

The rum was entered into a former bourbon barrel on January 1, 2019, and withdrawn from the barrel on January 29, 2024, for a total aging period of five years and 29 days.

Availaible Now
Calio Rum Cask Strength, is available immediately at the Atelier Vie tasting room for purchase during visits. Calio and our other spirits can also be purchased for pickup via our online store. This new Calio Rum Cask Strength release is bottled in 750ml at 112.36 proof, and is priced at $80. This price includes all of our notoriously high sales taxes. Calio Rum Cask Strength will also be available through our Louisiana distributor, International Wines and Spirits.

Atelier Vie’s Spirits
In addition Calio Rum Cask Strength, Atelier Vie produces an extensive line of creative spirits in New Orleans.

Atelier Vie’s distilled spirits include Calio Rum; Barrel Aged Calio Rum; Calio Rum Bottled in Bond Gin Barrel Edition; Euphrosine Gin #9; Euphrosine Gin #9 Barrel-Finished Reserve; Euphrosine Gin #9 Snowflake Edition; Euphrosine Gin #9 Bottled in Bond; Barleycorn Magic; Riz, Louisiana Rice Whiskey; Riz, Louisiana Rice Whiskey Bottled in Bond; Louisiana Single Malt; Louisiana Single Malt Cask Strength; Orphan Street Brandy “El Jefe” Edition; Gumbo Noir; Chalana; Toulouse Red, Absinthe Rouge; and Toulouse Green, Absinthe Verte, made with local wormwood.

The Company
Inspired by our renowned culinary culture, Atelier Vie creates flavorful new spirits in one of the greatest drinking cities of the world. Atelier Vie is the oldest continuously operating distillery in New Orleans and is also the oldest whiskey distillery in Louisiana. Our motto: “Liquor is art you can drink.” Atelier Vie was founded in 2011 by Jedd Haas.

Visiting Hours at the Distillery
The distillery is open for tastings and discussion of the distillation process by appointment only. Appointments are generally available at 10am, noon, and 2pm on weekends. Limited availability during the week, depending on production schedule. Due to insurance requirements, there is a $30 tasting fee for the full tasting experience, which includes over one dozen spirits. Spirits are available for purchase during visits or through our online store for pickup at the distillery. Visitors should see the company web site for directions, store link, and additional details.

Contact:
Jedd Haas
504-534-8590 (distillery line, leave message or text)
Social media: @ateliervie

-30-

February 19, 2024—New Orleans. In 2022, Atelier Vie was awarded a Double Gold Medal at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition for Riz, Louisiana Rice Whiskey, Bottled in Bond. The San Francisco competition is considered by many as the most prestigious spirits competition in the world. This initial release of our Bonded version of Riz has long since been sold out. After years of patient aging, Bonded Riz is back.

Today, Atelier Vie announces a new release of this exquisite Louisiana Rice Whiskey. Our Bonded edition of Riz is available immediately at our tasting room and is in stock at our Louisiana distributor, International Wine & Spirits.

Riz, Louisiana Rice Whiskey Bottled In Bond
To qualify as Bottled in Bond, the spirit must distilled and bottled at the same distillery; must be aged a minimum of four years; and must be bottled at exactly 100 proof (50% ABV). The whiskey must also be distilled during a single distilling season, which is defined as either the first half or second half of the year.

We distilled this 2024 release of Bonded Riz in the Fall season of 2019 and entered the whiskey into second use 25 gallon barrels on December 26, 2019. This release is a combination of three barrels, which were previously used for wheat whiskey and rye whiskey. The whiskey was aged for a total of four years, one month, and six days.

Making Riz
We handcraft Riz in small batches from 100% Louisiana rice in our New Orleans distillery. Riz is the original Louisiana rice whiskey; we have been distilling Riz since 2012.
The production process is similar to making a corn whiskey or bourbon. We start by cooking and gelatinizing the rice; then we use enzymes for liquefaction and saccharification. After cooling the rice mash to fermentation temperature, we add a whiskey yeast and create a distiller’s beer at around 8% ABV. Unlike some spirits, which are fermented in a few days, the rice ferments for two weeks or more.

The fermented mash is double pot distilled. In our initial “stripping run,” we produce “low wines” at around 60 proof (30% ABV). For the second run, known as the “spirit run,” we charge the still with the low wines and with tails from a previous run. The tails come from the final portion of the pot still run; there is still plenty of alcohol in the tails, but the flavor is bitter and earthy. Adding the tails back into the next spirit run adds additional flavor and complexity to the new make whiskey. From the spirit run, we produce new make whiskey at around 150 proof (75% ABV).

We dilute this new make whiskey to barreling strength and enter it into the barrels. In the case of this Bonded release of Riz, the original entry strength was around 120 proof. After aging, the proof had risen to around 127 proof when it was removed from the barrel.

Available Now
Riz, Bottled in Bond, is available immediately at the Atelier Vie tasting room for purchase during visits. Riz and our other spirits can also be purchased for pickup via our online store. This new Bottled in Bond release of Riz is bottled in 750ml at exactly 100 proof, and is priced at $100. This price includes all of our notoriously high sales taxes.

Atelier Vie’s Spirits
In addition to Riz, Louisiana Rice Whiskey Bottled in Bond, Atelier Vie distills an extensive line of creative spirits in New Orleans.

Atelier Vie’s distilled spirits include Calio Rum; Barrel Aged Calio Rum; Calio Rum Bottled in Bond Gin Barrel Edition; Euphrosine Gin #9; Euphrosine Gin #9 Barrel-Finished Reserve; Euphrosine Gin #9 Snowflake Edition; Euphrosine Gin #9 Bottled in Bond; Barleycorn Magic; Riz, Louisiana Rice Whiskey; Louisiana Single Malt; Louisiana Single Malt Cask Strength; Orphan Street Brandy “El Jefe” Edition; Gumbo Noir; Chalana; Toulouse Red, Absinthe Rouge; and Toulouse Green, Absinthe Verte, made with local wormwood.

The Company
Inspired by our renowned culinary culture, Atelier Vie creates flavorful new spirits in one of the greatest drinking cities of the world. Atelier Vie is the oldest continuously operating distillery in New Orleans and is also the oldest whiskey distillery in Louisiana. Our motto: “Liquor is art you can drink.” Atelier Vie was founded in 2011 by Jedd Haas.

Visiting Hours at the Distillery
The distillery is open for tastings and discussion of the distillation process by appointment only. Appointments are generally available at 10am, noon, and 2pm on weekends. Limited availability during the week, depending on production schedule. Due to insurance requirements, there is a $15 tasting fee for the full tasting experience. Spirits are available for purchase during visits or through our online store for pickup at the distillery. Visitors should see the company web site for directions, store link, and additional details.

Contact:
Jedd Haas
504-534-8590 (distillery line, leave message or text)
https://ateliervie.com
Social media: @ateliervie
-30-

January 8, 2024—New Orleans. Atelier Vie introduces Gumbo Noir, a Louisiana Coffee Spirit. Gumbo Noir has the essential taste of coffee and is created in Louisiana. Gumbo Noir is an incredible ingredient for signature cocktails and culinary creations.

What is Gumbo Noir?
Gumbo Noir is distilled with coffee beans and other natural flavors. During the pot distillation process, the still produces a spectrum of flavors, from sharp, to rich and sweet, to bitter. We choose a cut from this flavor continuum to bring you our taste for a medley of coffee beans and related flavors.

Gumbo Noir is completely clear. But when you pour it there are intense coffee flavors on the nose. Then the taste: Pure coffee, with an intriguing mix of background flavor notes. No sugar or additives.

The name Gumbo Noir is derived from both the ingredients and their initial appearance. Roasted coffee beans are darker hues, including black, for which we’re using the French word noir. As for the gumbo, any good gumbo is made from a variety of different ingredients.

“Do you like your recipe bitter or sweet?” Asks Jedd Haas, distiller at Atelier Vie. “With Gumbo Noir, you have a choice. Keep your cocktail on the bitter side, or add the sweetening of your choice to expand your creative possibilities. Balance your recipe according to taste; Gumbo Noir is versatile. It’s a great ingredient to have on hand,” continued Haas.

We Know a Guy
How did Gumbo Noir come about? Much coffee is imported to New Orleans and there are a number of companies involved in the trade. In New Orleans, it’s often about who you know, so if you know a coffee guy, perhaps you become interested in a coffee spirit. “It was an idea we thought about for a number of years. After a number of experiments, we arrived at this mix of coffee and other botanical flavors,” said Jedd Haas, distiller at Atelier Vie.

The Ingredients Line
This new spirit becomes an instant companion to a product we created years earlier and also joins up with a more recent release.

Buck 25 Vodka, made for creating flavors through rapid infusion, came about due to exigent circumstances back in 2012. Namely, extreme delay from regulatory authorities. While waiting an interminable time to get our Toulouse Red absinthe approved, we were able to get Buck 25 approved on a somewhat less glacial schedule. Buck 25 has always been an oddball product, made as an ingredient for creating your own flavors.

A few months ago, we also released Chalana, a Louisiana Chocolate Spirit, which became the second spirit in what we call our Ingredients line. Spirits intended to be used as part of creating something new.

Now, Gumbo Noir joins the mix, expanding the line to a trio of Ingredients.
Gumbo Noir is packaged in a basic round liquor bottle, befitting its place in the speed rack. Pour through it, then pull out another bottle. Gumbo Noir comes in 12 packs of 750ml at 40% alcohol by volume (80 proof). The retail price at the distillery is $30, which includes all of our notoriously high sales taxes.

Available Throughout Louisiana Now
Gumbo Noir is in stock at our distributor, International Wine & Spirits of Louisiana.

Atelier Vie’s Spirits
In addition to joining Buck 25 and Chalana as an Ingredient, Gumbo Noir joins the full Atelier Vie line of creative spirits distilled in New Orleans.
Atelier Vie’s distilled spirits include Calio Rum; Barrel Aged Calio Rum; Calio Rum Bottled in Bond Gin Barrel Edition; Euphrosine Gin #9; Euphrosine Gin #9 Barrel-Finished Reserve; Euphrosine Gin #9 Snowflake Edition; Euphrosine Gin #9 Bottled in Bond; Barleycorn Magic; Riz, Louisiana Rice Whiskey; Riz, Louisiana Rice Whiskey Bottled in Bond; Louisiana Single Malt; Louisiana Single Malt Cask Strength; Orphan Street Brandy “El Jefe” Edition; Toulouse Red, Absinthe Rouge; and Toulouse Green, Absinthe Verte, made with local wormwood.

The Company
Inspired by our renowned culinary culture, Atelier Vie creates flavorful new spirits in one of the greatest drinking cities of the world. Our motto: “Liquor is art you can drink.” Atelier Vie was founded in 2011 by Jedd Haas.

Visiting Hours at the Distillery
The distillery is open for tastings and discussion of the distillation process by appointment only. Appointments are generally available at 10am, noon, and 2pm on weekends. Limited availability during the week, depending on production schedule. Due to insurance requirements, there is a $15 tasting fee for the full tasting experience. Spirits are available for purchase during visits or through our online store for pickup at the distillery. Visitors should see the Visit page for directions, store link, and additional details.

Contact:
Jedd Haas
504-534-8590 (distillery line, leave message or text)
https://ateliervie.com
@ateliervie
-30-