Bouilleurs are part of the French cultural heritage and the traditional spirits-making process.

The privilege of "Bouilleur de Cru" dates back to Napoleon in the 18th century when he granted a special privilege to his soldiers, also called “Grognards” (the growlers). Most of these soldiers were also farmers, and Napoleon rewarded them with a tax exemption for the distillation of 10 liters of pure alcohol. This privilege was hereditary until 1960, when, in an attempt to limit the scourge of alcoholism in the countryside the legislator prohibited its transmission between generations.

From this initial privilege, grew an entire system, know-how, and economy. The term “Bouilleurs de cru” was used to qualify the farmers and winemakers making their own distillates at home with their production. As many farmers worked on smaller lots and did not have the resources to distill their wines, the profession of “Bouilleurs Ambulant” (traveling boilers) emerged. These professional boilers traveled the countryside with their stills to distill local farmers' fruits into beautiful Eaux-de-Vies.

While the tax exemption is no longer hereditary, the “Bouilleurs” system is still in place in France and most cognac houses actually produce their Eaux-de-Vies by blending distillates obtained through local Bouilleurs de Cru.

Cognac houses usually say that the balance of a Cognac comes from the number of Eaux-de-Vies blended inside the bottles. They create beautiful and harmonious blends that become the signature of the brand thanks to their Cellar Master's expertise and blending savoir-faire.

As industry professionals, we started to work with Cognac houses, bringing their spirits to the United States and helping them show the world what wonderful products they created. Through our travels, we met with amazing people, discovered smaller productions, and met with local Bouilleurs de Cru. Our passion for beautiful products led us to create Bouilleurs to share with the world the once-secret production of these small farmers. We do not seek perfection but search for original products with minimal intervention and blending to fully express the beauty of the French terroir.

Alice & Thomas