Distillerie Les Fruits Maudits, which translates to “The Cursed Fruits”, was created by two childhood friends, Arthur Croix and Maxime Crotet. Their goal was to produce micro lots of artisanal spirits and fruit liqueurs using only their own distilled alcohol as a base. After much hard work and experimentation, and many, many recipes later, the distillery was officially born in April 2022, in the heart of Beaune on Boulevard Clémenceau. This is also home to Domaine Maxime Crotet, a petit-négociant producing vibrant and energetic wines from organically farmed vineyards in Burgundy and the Jura. It’s through our partnership with Maxime that we discovered the distillery and its trove of treasures. 

The two friends produce liqueurs and eaux-de-vie from fruits and plants harvested from neighborhood gardens or else gathered in the wild. The “Verveine” (verbena), for example, is harvested from a lovely neighbor's backyard in Beaune. Next, they collect water from a small spring in the Ouche Valley to obtain pure water for their fermentations. Unlike many new distilleries, they do not buy neutral wine alcohol for their macerations. Instead, they distill all their fermentations using a small 70-liter Bain-Marie still with very light heat to truly preserve the taste of the fruit. Their liqueurs are 17-22% ABV, and the eclectic range includes:

La Poirelle - Pear

La Cerise - Cherry

La Pêche de Vigne

Pomme/Coing - Apple/Quince

L’Ananas - Pineapple

Menthe Verte - Spearmint

Menthe/Melisse - Mint/Lemon Balm

Verveine - Verbena 

The Eaux-de-Vie are 40-45% alcohol, and some are aged in small old wooden barrels. The assortment includes Gin Maudits, Poire Williams, Mirabelle, and Abricot. 

This unique and exciting project grabbed our attention for its unwavering commitment to capturing the true essence of each fruit and plant. All are produced in very limited quantities.