Catching Up On Media Attention

During these torrid days of summer, minor details can escape notice due to a focus on more essential quests for such necessities as air conditioning and water. For some such reason, our media mentions have piled up. So let’s get down to press hits from a variety of sources.

Most recently, newly-launched “locals-only” site Very Local New Orleans profiled Atelier Vie in this video montage and article showing the distillery and discussing our outlook on spirits production. Additionally, there’s a great visualization at the end of the video showing how to make our Laranjinha cocktail – a great choice for hot weather!

Verylocal

Meanwhile, in the virtual pages of Chowhound, David Watsky takes a deep dive into How Once-Illegal Absinthe Became a New Orleans Staple.

Watsky delves into the origins of absinthe and how it became popular in the late 1800s. He also provides a counterbalance to some of the more ridiculous claims about absinthe, by providing an opportunity for a rebuttal to these frivolous stories.

““Wormwood has about as much neurotoxins as caffeine,” Haas chuckles, “and it would take as much of it as it would caffeine to kill you or even make you sick. People weren’t hallucinating,” he tells me, “they were just drunk. Don’t forget this stuff was 160 proof in some cases. If they were getting sick, it was from drinking cheap versions laced with toxic additives like copper to cover up poor taste and fix color.”

The article also includes an interview with our friend Paul Gustings and touches on the Galerie d’Absinthe at the Southern Food and Beverage Museum.

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Toulouse Red and Toulouse Green, available widely and featured in the Galerie d’Absinthe as well!

Expanding our international relations, we enjoyed a visit from Tom and Becky from The Gin Blog, a UK site dedicated to – you guessed it – gin, in its many permutations. Tom and Becky kicked off their World Tour of gin distilleries with a visit to Atelier Vie, and wrote a nice article about their visit.

But the best was yet to come, as they brought a bottle of Euphrosine Gin #9 with them as they continued their journey. That resulted in this shot of their well-traveled bottle resting on the beach of one of the Cook Islands.

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Photo credit: The Gin Blog

Finally, Atelier Vie is profiled in GoNola’s article on the aptly named Maker’s Mile, where a variety of local food and beverage businesses have sprouted up in recent years.

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Tales about Official (and unofficial) Events for This Week

This week we celebrate the annual spirits bacchanal known as Tales of the Cocktail. Atelier Vie will be participating in several events throughout the week and we invite you to join us!

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Our Laranjinha Cocktail, made with Euphrosine Gin #9 Barrel-Finished Reserve. Join us at State of the Art to try a brand new creation featuring Barrel-Finished Reserve.

Monday, July 16: State of the Art
Join us at the Southern Food and Beverage Museum as bartending teams from across the city compete to create the best cocktails with (mostly) local spirits. Atelier Vie is in the mix with Euphrosine Gin #9 Barrel-Finished Reserve. Jeff Schwartz and friends from Bakery Bar will be mixing their concoction with Barrel-Finished Reserve and will be in it to win it. 1504 Oretha Castle Hailey Blvd, 6-9pm. Click here for event and ticket information.

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Tuesday, July 17: Absinthe Salon at Potions Lounge
Everything you’ve heard about absinthe is true. Or maybe not. Who knows? We do, and we’ll tell you all about it at our Absinthe Salon, featuring Toulouse Red, Absinthe Rouge; and Toulouse Green, Absinthe Verte. Other spirits from Atelier Vie may be on hand for intrepid drinkers. Potions Lounge is located upstairs from Fritzels European Jazz Club at 733 Bourbon St. 6-9pm.

Very local launch

Thursday, July 19: Very Local New Orleans Launch Party
Very Local is a new site “for locals only.” So all you tourist riff-raff keep out. Or maybe not, if you’re ready to infiltrate! Entertainment will include Big Freedia, and that gin in your system will of course be Euphrosine Gin #9 in a featured cocktail. Additional cocktails will feature our Buck 25 Vodka and Toulouse Red, Absinthe Rouge. At the House of Blues, 225 Decatur St., party starts at 9pm. OFFICIAL TALES EVENT!

Portside poster

Friday, July 20: Portside Lounge Cocktail Party
Join us at Danny & Beth’s remote island in Central City, where GIN MOON JOE will be the featured cocktail of the evening. Astute readers will surely ascertain the gin used, but to be clear, Euphrosine Gin #9, the best gin distilled in Louisiana, is the spirit used for this cocktail. A portion of cocktail sales for the even will be donated to the Tales of the Cocktail Foundation. Portside Lounge is at 3000 Dryades St. and the festivities begin at 8pm. OFFICIAL TALES EVENT!

Posted in Atelier Vie, Barrel-Finished Reserve, Buck 25, Euphrosine Gin #9, Toulouse Green, Toulouse Red | Leave a comment

How To Make Strawberry Vodka With Buck 25

Buck 25 is an overproof cane vodka for creating your flavors through infusion. One favorite recipe is our Strawberry Vodka. At 125 proof, professional-strength Buck 25 performs a full extraction of the fresh strawberry flavor in just 24 hours. The result is sweet and flavorful. Follow along as we provide a detailed pictorial version of this recipe!

Ingredients
1 box of strawberries (1 pound)
1 bottle of Buck 25 Vodka

Method
Wash the strawberries, then start by cutting or twisting the top off each berry. Then quarter the berry with a paring knife.

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Place the strawberries in a mason jar; in this example, it’s a half-gallon jar to allow plenty of room.

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Pour in the full bottle of Buck 25 to completely cover the strawberries.

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Let the jar sit for 24 hours. You can agitate it occasionally if you like, but it’s not strictly necessary. This photo shows the strawberries just after adding Buck 25. After 24 hours, the vodka will have turned a deep red color.

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After infusion is complete, strain out the strawberries. At this point, you can add some additional water to bring your finished infusion down to around 80 proof. Add approximately 50% additional water by volume to bring to a more moderate drinking strength.

To wind up exactly at 80 proof, use 435 ml of water to 750 ml of Buck 25 (58% additional water by volume). Or, you can add by weight. The finished infusion will weigh about 688 grams. Add an additional 355 grams of water (52% additional water by weight) to finish at 80 proof.

This last image shows the completed infusion after the dilution water has been added.

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Enjoy!

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Atelier Vie Wins Two Gold Medals In San Francisco World Spirits Competition

April 17, 2018, New Orleans — Atelier Vie is pleased to announce that we have won two Gold Medals in the San Francisco World Spirits Competition, one of the oldest and largest spirits competitions in the world.

Euphrosine Gin #9 won a Gold Medal and Euphrosine Gin #9 Barrel-Finished Reserve also won a Gold Medal.

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Photo Credit: J.R. Thomason

This year’s competition was the largest ever, with over 2,200 entries. “Atelier Vie went head-to-head against spirits from around the world with no restrictions on entries. Competitors included the largest spirits companies in the world. The fact that we triumphed at this level of competition shows the excellence of our spirits,” said Jedd Haas, President of Atelier Vie.

“The San Francisco competition is one of the best-known spirits competitions in the world and we’re pleased to bring home two gold medals to New Orleans. We’re honored to receive recognition of this caliber from such an established and serious competition,” Haas continued.

Multiple Gold Medals for Euphrosine Gin #9
In addition to this most recent win, Euphrosine Gin #9 has also previously received a Gold Medal from the American Distilling Institute (ADI), a Best of Category from ADI, and a Gold Medal from the American Craft Spirits Association (ASCA).

Atelier Vie’s Spirits & Distribution
Euphrosine Gin #9 is a flavorful American gin. It’s excellent for cocktail mixing and some gin aficionados have declared it worthy of drinking neat. Euphrosine Gin #9 Barrel-Finished Reserve is aged for nine months in American whiskey barrels, giving birth to a new spirit that Atelier Vie describes as “the sipping gin.” Both versions of Euphrosine are bottled at 90 proof in 750ml bottles.

In addition to distilling Euphrosine Gin #9 and Euphrosine Gin #9 Barrel-Finished Reserve, the Atelier Vie line-up also includes Toulouse Green, Absinthe Verte, a traditional-style absinthe based in part on French recipes from the 1800s and distilled with Louisiana wormwood; Toulouse Red, Absinthe Rouge, a “new school” American absinthe colored red with hibiscus and excellent for cocktail mixing, and Orphan Street Brandy, a two year old brandy distilled from “orphan” lots of wine. Atelier Vie also bottles Buck 25 Vodka; an overproof cane vodka designed for creative mixologists to craft their own spirits flavors through rapid infusion.

Atelier Vie’s spirits are available to retailers throughout Louisiana from International Wine & Spirits of Louisiana; and select spirits are also available in Mississippi, Texas, Illinois, Indiana, and California. Orphan Street Brandy is produced in limited editions and is only available at the distillery.

Bottle Sales Hours at the Distillery
The distillery is open for tastings and discussion of the distillation process every weekend from 10-2 on both Saturday and Sunday. There is no charge to visit the distillery and the company’s full line of spirits is available for retail purchase during these weekend hours. Visitors should see the company web site for directions and additional details.

The Company
Atelier Vie was founded in 2011 by Jedd Haas. 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.”

Contact:
Jedd Haas
504-534-8590 (distillery line, leave message)
“Real New Orleans Spirits” is a registered trademark of Atelier Vie, LLC.

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A Visit From The Gin Blog (UK)

In a land known for consumption of gin and discernment of excellent quality in that spirit, one might wonder if an upstart brand from the other side of the pond stands a chance?

We’re speaking of the United Kingdom, where in addition to the many established gin brands, numerous small gin distilleries are making a mark as well.

With this barrier to entry in mind, we’re chuffed to note an increasing interest in and appreciation of Euphrosine Gin #9 from those distant shores.

The first glimmer of interest came in our first international press hit a few years back. But then the attention went to another level when a UK expatriate in Arkansas sent a bottle of Euphrosine to Matt Burton of The Gin Shelf, which resulted in our first UK review of Euphrosine.

More recently, we had a pair of visitors from the UK the weekend before this past one and they left with a bottle to bring back with them. Now coming up to date, we had a visit this weekend from Tom and Becky from The Gin Blog, another UK site “Dedicated to Gin.”

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Tom and Becky pose by the still with their box of Euphrosine

Tom and Becky have commenced a world tour of gin distilleries, and we were first on the itinerary! We enjoyed a lengthy visit and conversation with Tom and Becky on Euphrosine and other gin-related matters. We look forward to an upcoming article on the Gin Blog where Tom will provide his insights on Euphrosine. For now, check out their instagram photo set from their visit.

Naturally, they didn’t leave empty handed. Their box includes both Euphrosine Gin #9 and a bottle of Euphrosine Gin #9 Barrel-Finished Reserve.

Cheers!

Posted in Atelier Vie, Barrel-Finished Reserve, Euphrosine Gin #9 | 1 Comment

Atelier Vie in The Whiskey Wash

Whiskey-focused site The Whiskey Wash takes on Rice Whiskey in a new article. Of course, no such article would be complete without a discussion of the original Louisiana Rice Whiskey: Riz.

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“At Atelier Vie, the impetus for trying a rice whiskey was geographic: Louisiana is a major producer of the grain. When owner and distiller Jedd Haas started looking into the question of whether other American distillers were making spirits from rice, he found that the existing products seemed to all be made with an Asian-style fermentation (more on that in a minute). “So my thought,” he says, “was to take Louisiana rice—which I get from a place called Falcon Rice Mill in Crowley—distill it whiskey-style, and make some whiskey out of it.””

We first released Riz in 2013, and more Riz is on the way. This time, it’s all in the barrel; we’ll let you know when it’s ready! For now, check out the article for some further insight on our rice whiskey process.

Posted in Atelier Vie, Press Hits, Riz, Whiskey | 1 Comment

A Busy Month of Bottling at the Distillery!

Visit this weekend to taste.

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Orphan Street Brandy Returns: Atelier Vie Announces The Second Release Of Barrel-Aged Louisiana Grape Brandy

January 31, 2018 – New Orleans. Innovative New Orleans distillery Atelier Vie announces the second release of a their two year old Orphan Street Brandy, the first barrel-aged Louisiana grape brandy since at least the days of Prohibition.

“Orphan Street Brandy is ongoing series of experimental brandy distillations from ‘orphan’ lots of wine,” Jedd Haas, President of Atelier Vie explained. “Each distillation has been a unique combination of varietals and vintages. It’s an interesting process in which the full results aren’t known for two years, which is the aging period. With this second release, we have achieved a notably different result,” Haas continued.

Once distilled, the new-make brandy goes into a barrel, the type of which has also varied for different batches. This second release was aged in a recently dumped bourbon barrel, and the brandy has subsequently acquired a bourbon note as part of the flavor profile.

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By Federal law, brandy distilled from grapes must be aged at least two years in oak barrels in order to be legally called “brandy.” Any less than that and it must be called “immature brandy.”

“Who wants to drink immature brandy?” Haas asked.

You might wonder about the name of this spirit; but there is an explanation stemming from local geography. Scattered throughout the city of New Orleans, one finds a number of curiously short streets. Church St. in the Central Business District. Architect St. in the Bywater. Madison St., Wilkinson Row, and Clinton St., all in the French Quarter. These orphan streets seem almost like accidents, remnants out of place within the overall grid.

Likewise, remnant lots of wine come our way. These orphan bottles are put to good use and distilled into brandy. Orphan Street Brandy reflects this heritage; one of accidental journeys, leftover scraps of geography, and fortuitous crossings. The label contains references to this origin, with typography and design inspired by the street signs of the French Quarter, antique iron work, and the symbol of New Orleans, the fleur-de-lis.

Orphan Street Brandy is bottled at 80 proof (40% Alc./Vol.) in 200ml flasks. Available only at the distillery, the flasks sell for $20 each. Quantities are limited.

Visiting Hours at the Distillery
The distillery is open for tastings and discussion of the distillation process every weekend from 10-2 on both Saturday and Sunday. There is no charge to visit the distillery and the company’s full line of spirits is available for retail purchase during these weekend hours. Visitors should see the company web site for directions and additional details.

Atelier Vie’s Spirits
In addition to Orphan Street Brandy, Atelier Vie distills Euphrosine Gin #9, a flavorful American gin; and also distills a barrel-aged version of Euphrosine, called Barrel-Finished Reserve, which is aged in American whiskey barrels. The Atelier Vie line-up also includes Toulouse Green, Absinthe Verte, a traditional-style absinthe based in part on French recipes from the 1800s and distilled with Louisiana wormwood; and Toulouse Red, Absinthe Rouge, a “new school” American absinthe colored red with hibiscus and excellent for cocktail mixing. Atelier Vie also sells Buck 25 Vodka; an overproof cane vodka designed for creative mixologists to craft their own spirits flavors through rapid infusion.

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

Contact:
Jedd Haas
504-534-8590 (distillery line, leave message)

“Real New Orleans Spirits” is a registered trademark of Atelier Vie, LLC.

Posted in Atelier Vie, Orphan Street Brandy, Press Releases | Leave a comment

Euphrosine & Bucha? Instant Pimm’s Cup!

Sometimes, all you need to do is walk down the street to have a meeting of the minds and a great idea. During a visit with our friends at Big Easy Bucha, former bartender Austin added our Euphrosine Gin #9 to Big Easy Bucha’s Geaux Green for an impromptu cocktail.

The combination of greens and cucumber in Geaux Green and the balanced medley of flavors in Euphrosine Gin #9 turned out to be both easy to mix and incredibly delicious!

Ingredients:
1 part Euphrosine Gin #9
2-3 parts Big Easy Bucha Geaux Green

Method:
Combine in a glass on the rocks. A lemon twist might well enhance it further.

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Celebrating Repeal Day and Toulouse Red 5 Year Anniversary!

Happy Repeal Day!
On this day, 5 years ago, Toulouse Red was released.
Join us in celebrating and raise a glass of Red!

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