Citadelle Gin announced the opening of the Citadelle Gin Visitor’s Center in Cognac, France. This new tourism destination in the Charente region, renowned for its vitality and picturesque charm, provides a new opportunity for aficionados of cultural tasting experiences to explore all that is Citadelle Gin with experiences that immerses guests in its history and production process.

The distillery is a 15-minute car ride from the center of downtown Cognac and a scenic three-hour train ride from both Paris and Bordeaux.  

The Citadelle Gin Distillery is housed in a stone building at Château de Bonbonnet that dates to the 18th century. This space had already housed a distillery in the 19th century, before being transformed into a stable and then an aging cellar.

The plans were conceived and designed by owner and Master Blender Alexandre Gabriel himself and the work performed by the château’s in-house team of seven, totaling 30,000-plus hours of work, all according to state-of-the-art practices that honor the architectural heritage of Charente.

“We are delighted to welcome guests to our magnificent distillery and showcase what Citadelle Gin is all about,” Visitor’s Center manager Yohann Thuillier said in a news release. “We can’t wait to show everyone our impressive château, home of the savoir-vivre à la Française, and yes, we even have gins on tap.”

On the grounds of the estate, juniper berries for Citadelle Gin are cultivated. This star ingredient and 18 additional spices form the base of Citadelle. The on-site Orangerie is bursting with citrus, another star ingredient in Citadelle Gin. To achieve the ideal aromatic balance, Citadelle invented the progressive infusion method.

The intricate process preserves the organoleptic qualities and captures the ultimate aroma of each berry, spice and citrus fruit. Citadelle is the first gin in the world to earn a patent for its progressive infusion technique, a unique method that adapts the maceration time and alcohol level for each of the 19 botanicals in the recipe.

DISTILLERY DETAILS

LOCATION

Château de Bonbonnet, 16130 Ars, Cognac. The distillery is a 15-minute car ride from the center of downtown Cognac and a scenic three-hour train ride from both Paris and Bordeaux. In Google Maps, enter “Maison Ferrand” or “Distillerie Citadelle Gin.” Parking is available opposite the Visitor’s Center. Open year-round, Tuesdays to Saturdays, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. (subject to change).

Tours will be held daily in groups of no more than 20 visitors for 1.5 hours and will cost 15€ per person. Tours will be conducted in French, English and Spanish. The site is fully accessibleto accommodate those with reduced mobility. Families with children are welcomed. Guests must be 18+ with valid ID to sample or purchase cocktails. V

isitors are invited to enjoy the grounds at their leisure with picnic baskets available for purchase or cocktails at the bar. Outside food and drink is prohibited. In addition to the distillery tour, there will be a variety of experiences for consumers during the summer months including gin blending and distillation workshops, and mixology classes.

For more information or to book a tour, visit www.citadellegin.com.