In the hills around Le Puy-en-Velay, lemon verbena has grown for more than a hundred and fifty years, still picked just before the first frost sets in. That's where the story behind every bottle of Verveine du Velay Verte begins — a recipe born from one curious apothecary and carried forward, almost unchanged, by Distillerie Pagès ever since.
Expert's Description
Verveine du Velay Verte is a French Herbal Liqueur made from lemon verbena and more than thirty-two plants and spices, bottled at 55%.
The recipe dates back to 1859, when the apothecary Joseph Rumillet-Charretier first developed it in Le Puy-en-Velay. From 1886 onward, his cousin Victor Pagès took the business forward under his own name, and Distillerie Pagès has kept the tradition alive ever since. Today the distillery belongs to the Vedrenne group and holds France's Entreprise du Patrimoine Vivant recognition for its craftsmanship.
Lemon verbena sits at the heart of the liqueur, grown partly by the distillery itself and partly by Carmelite nuns in Vals-près-Le-Puy. The leaves are picked just before frost, dried in darkness and stripped by hand, before joining juniper berries, nutmeg and the rest of the more than thirty-two plants and spices in a long process: some botanicals are macerated in alcohol for weeks, others distilled in copper stills together with brandy, water and alcohol. Honey, sugar and cognac are added at the end, and the liqueur is aged in oak casks for at least twelve months.
The result is a bold, sweet-edged liqueur where honey and sugar keep the 55% strength in check, giving the drink roundness without losing its freshness.
Taste
The nose opens with pine and fresh herbs, crushed mint, zesty citrus and a touch of white pepper. On the palate, mint and pine take the lead, spiced with aniseed and a deep herbal complexity, while honeyed sweetness balances the high alcohol strength. The finish is long and mint-fresh, with aniseed-led herbal notes that linger well after the last sip.
Specifications
Name: Verveine du Velay Verte
Producer/Distillery: Distillerie Pagès
Bottler: Vedrenne
Region/Country: Le Puy-en-Velay, Auvergne, France
Type: French Herbal Liqueur
Main Ingredients/Flavourings: Lemon verbena, juniper berries, nutmeg and more than thirty-two plants and spices
ABV: 55%
Size: 70 CL
Production method: Maceration and distillation in copper stills, followed by ageing in oak casks for at least twelve months
EAN No.: 3048631207006
Serving suggestion: Best served chilled or over ice, and also used as a base for cocktails such as the Verveine Fizz with lime, cane syrup and soda water
Flavour Profile
Sweet · Herbal · Spiced · Minty-Fresh
Did You Know?
Not all the verbena in this bottle comes from the distillery's own fields — part of it is grown by Carmelite nuns at the convent in Vals-près-Le-Puy, who have supplied the plant for generations.
