The last couple of days I've woken up to a white world. We've had a scattering of snow. Yesterday it disappeared during the day as the snow returned to rain. It looks as though it will do the same today, though there are a few flakes around..
Yesterday, though, I was away in a far milder & wetter place - Saumur in France. I was listening to the "Food Programme" on BBC Radio 4. The programme discussed the proliferation of small distilleries in parts of Europe producing fruit-based liqueurs & eau de vies, and how such spirit-making in this country is largely obsolete. One, at least, has recently started up down in cider country, but, for many years in this country, ownership of a still has been illegal.
In France the programme concentrated on Alsace, a region we've never visited. I, however, was transported off to Saumur, where, one day, we visited the Combier distillery along with our young French friend, Bastien.There they make a whole range of liqueurs, mainly fruit-based. They explained how they make all the different drinks, & showed off their beautiful copper pot-bellied stills. At the end of the tour we were allowed a tasting of several of the drinks. We bought a bottle of their famous "Royal Combier". That never got back to England. It evaporated very quickly before our return home. It's a wonderful cold cure, though that's more of an excuse than a reason for buying a bottle. It was delicious. I personally preferred some of the more obviously fruity ones, where the intensity of the cherry etc was incredible without being as sweet as most fruit liqueurs are in this country. If you're ever in that part of France, keep an eye out for this regional speciality.
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