Distillerie L’Eau Folle

Distillerie L’Eau Folle was founded by Lucas Artico and Rudy Blanc, childhood friends who grew up in Le Planay in the Tarentaise valley. Their interest in distillation developed through local traditions of making génépi and fruit eaux-de-vie, and from around 2019 they began learning directly from older distillers in the valley. Before turning the project into a business, they also completed professional distillation training in Cognac, including work on sensory analysis and the chemistry of spirits.

The company was registered in 2021 and the distillery began operating in Moûtiers in July 2022. Artico had previously worked as a researcher in ancient history and taught Latin, while Blanc had worked seasonally for the ski lifts in Courchevel and as a carpenter. They established L’Eau Folle as a small-scale distillery centred on traditional Alpine ingredients and distillation methods.

Production is based on traditional copper alambics à repasse. The oldest still used by L’Eau Folle was first registered with the French excise authorities in 1933. A further copper still, made by a coppersmith in Haute-Savoie and primarily heated with wood, was added shortly after the distillery opened in 2022. The double-distillation method also provided the company’s name: according to Artico, the liquid obtained after the first distillation is traditionally referred to as “eau folle.”

The distillery works extensively with ingredients from Tarentaise, including génépi, gentian, elderberries and locally gathered fruit and herbs. Artico and Blanc have described collecting many of their raw materials themselves, historically within roughly 20 kilometres of Moûtiers. The distillery places a strong emphasis on organic ingredients and states that it certifies its harvesting areas and finished spirits. The range changes with seasonal harvests but also includes a permanent selection of génépi, gin, aquavit, absinthe, eaux-de-vie and liqueurs.