Wild cherry or cherry?There exist two types of cherry trees :

prunus avium, or “wild cherry” or “bird cherry”, thatproduces sweet fruit (bigarreaux : firm, crisp and palecoloured, guignes : softer and darker coloured and, meri-ses : that fruit that is used in the distillation process.).

prunus cerasus, “true cherry” whose fruit is sour andused in the production of “griottes”.

Stages of distillation

D istillation is the process by which alcohol is evapora-ted then condensed so as to increase the alcohol

level of the final product.

The fermented fruits are placed in the still. The heatingmust be extremely steady. After an hour the first drops ofalcohol come out of the still and the process of the sepa-ration of the alcohol that first comes out of the still fromthe alcohol that follows can begin.

The first drops to come out of the still are called the“soul”. The removal of this part of the distillate permits

the removal of certain substances that give a bad taste tothe final product and that could prove to be toxic. In thepast this “soul” was used for medicinal purposes, buttoday this extract is added to the second heating of theproduct.

The central extract of distillation, the “heart”, gives theproduct its flavour. This extract comes out of the still bet-ween 70° and 48°. Although already drinkable it is thispart of the distillation process that will be aged.The final product to come out of the still, the “tail”, ismurky and has a slightly sour taste. The distillation conti-nues until the product contains no alcohol. During thefollowing heating this product will be distilled again withfresh fruit. The heating last approximately 4 hours andrequires constant attention to the fire, the condensationand the distillate’s alcohol content. Even though todaythere exist many modern tools, the distillers inFougerolles still employ their know-how in the observa-tion of the still, they listen carefully to the flow of thebrandy, observe the beads of alcohol that form on thesurface of the measuring cups, etc.

Photographic credits : Page 1 : ©MTCC/Cl. G. Benoit à la Guillaume, M. Paygnard, Y. PertonPage 2 : ©All rights reserved/Coll. C. Roussey. ©Écomusée du pays de la cerise/Cl. D.

Maraux, MTCC. ©MTCC/Cl. Y. Perton. ©M. Sabarly. ©A. Tenaillon Page 3 : ©MTCC/Cl.G. Nivoix, Y. Perton. ©A. Tenaillon Page 4 : ©MTCC/Cl. M. Paygnard, Y. Perton, Y. Petit.©A. Tenaillon Editorial committee : Écomusée du pays de la cerise : B. Creusot, F.Corbinaud. MTCC : H. Gucciardi, E. Landas, P. Markarian, E. Morfin.

The Ecomuseum of the land of cherries

- FOUGEROLLES - HAUTE-SAÔNE -

This home, with a style between the traditional dwellings ofthe Haute-Saône and the middle-class townhouse, was

built in 1829 by Desle-Joseph Aubry. It is home to a specific eco-nomic project, having been designed for the distillation of kirschand the sale of alcohol for the estate.

The layout of the building is the traditional, square house.However, between the kitchen and the barn lies a large centralroom : the “alcohol depot”. Here everything is bigger and roo-mier than in a traditional farm.

The Ecomuseum of the land of cherries

11. The foundation

12. The Distilling room

The Conservation Orchard Intended for the preservation of certain local cherryvarieties, the Fougerolles Conservation Orchard wascreated in 1991. It is the fruit of a long ethnologicalsurvey carried out with former local growers. Tocreate this orchard grafts coming from traditionalvarieties were put into place on wild cherry seedlings.Today the orchard has about 40 varieties of trees.

1. The Façade of the Master’s House

The 24 metre-long facade is a reflection of the various functionsof the house. From left to right can be found : the agricultural

section with access by means of a “charri” (open entrance), the storage and dispatching room for the alcohol,

and the living quarters.

1982 : Le Petit-Fahys becomes an ecomuseum, member of the Musées destechniques et cultures comtoises (Museums of Comtois Techniques andCultures) network that is in charge of the scientific aspects and conserva-tion of the collections.

1984 : The site is registered with the inventory of Historical Monuments

2003 : The Ecomuseum become a Musée de France (Museum of France)

2005 : The architectural renovation is awarded the Grand-Est Prize in Architecture

2007 : Museum renovation

The Fougerolles area has been known for its cherries and the production ofcherry brandy, or kirsch, since the end of the 17th century. This agriculturalactivity became a genuine industry in the 19th century. The Ecomusée, as anexample of this originality, presents the activity throughout several buildings

ww

w.a

rtpl

atz.

fr -

200

7

PublicationsFougerolles by Jean-Claude Pirotte, collection“Suite de sites”. Editions Virgile - 2004 / 10 €

FilmLa fabrication du kirsch à Fougerolles (Theproduction of Kirsch in Fougerolles) directed byGeorges Nivoix and the Musées des techniqueset cultures comtoises (Museum of ComtoisTechniques and Crops) - 1989 - 22 min. availa-ble on DVD “Saveurs comtoises” / 15 €

Publication and DVD available in the Ecomuseum or from the Musées destechniques et cultures comtoises (Museum of Comtois Techniques and Crops)

ECOMUSÉE DU PAYS DE LA CERISE

206 le Petit-Fahys, 70220 Fougerolles, FranceTél. 00 33 (0)3 84 49 52 50 Fax : 00 33 (0)3 84 49 52 03

ecomusee.fougerolles@orange.fr

MUSÉES DES TECHNIQUES ET CULTURES COMTOISES

Rue des prémoureaux, 39110 Salins-les-Bains, France Tél. 00 33 (0)3 84 73 22 04 Fax : 00 33 (0)3 84 37 99 69

secretariat@musees-des-techniques.orgwww.musees-des-techniques.org

Further information

Most of the stills presented in the ecomuseum come from old Fougerolles distilleries

4pages anglais 12/12/07 11:31 Page 1

Alcohol associated with rite of passage

B irths, weddings, drafts, mourning... alcohol is pre-sent in the ceremonies that mark life’s important

events. And, of course, there are also cafés. These are pla-ces where people meet, get the latest news and have adrink at the same time. Until the 70’s French cafés werean essential part of French social life. As if becoming aman entailed drinking and being able to “hold one’sliquor”.

Development end Commercialisation

In 1893, the Syndicat des distillateurs de kirsch deHaute-Saône gathered together 41 firms including 28

located in Fougerolles. With the arrival of the railroad thisactivity would further develop and diversify ; sometimeseven including the production of casks. Modern marke-ting techniques have been gradually used (advertising,promotion …).

Aging and mixing

A s opposed to wine, Kirsch is aged in attics where thetemperature variation is great. The traditional

method places the kirsch in open demijohns so as toremove the taste of the still. It is only following the eva-poration of this so called “angels’ share” that the agingbegins in closed demijohns protected by wickerwork.Industrial production includes aging in stainless steel vatsor demijohns and is then mixed. Kirsch produced in seve-ral different years is mixed so as to obtain the desiredtaste and aroma.

Basketry and cooperage

Lhe development of distillation in Fougerolles wasaccompanied by the development of related activi-

ties : transport, printing, cooperage, basketry… at the endof the 19th century nearly 250 people were workingeither directly or indirectly in cooperage. In the 1900’sbasketry employed 250 professional workers and 150

farm hands. The installation of walkways in the barnallows you to appreciate the vastness of this area that wasused for storing straw and hay. In the past the beams andthe large oak pillars, assembled and pegged, bore theweight of a roof made of “laves”, a sort of sandstone tile.

The decline of distillation in Fougerolles

The law of 16 March 1915 prohibited the sale ofabsinthe and similar liqueurs. Then, during the

period between the two world wars, there was a largeincrease in the taxes that were placed on alcohol.Attitudes changed and the movement towards the pre-vention alcoholism began. The slow decline of distillationin Fougerolles began. At the same time rural populationsbegan moving towards the cities. Confronted with a cri-sis in the kirsch industry, the farmers of Fougerolles begancultivating other crops than cherries. One by one the dis-tilleries closed, those that remained using imported cher-ries more and more frequently.

The Rebirth

In the 1950’s farmers once again began cultivatingcherries and renewing their orchards. Grafting increa-

sed and new varieties of cherries began being produced.In 1970 the creation of a group of growers, the Syndicatd’Intérêt Collectif Agricole began developing awarenessof the know-how of small growers and distillers. Theyalso began marketing “kirsch fermier” (traditional kirsch)and lobbied for the granting of a label guaranteeing theorigin of the product (appellation d’origine contrôlée).

The story of an estate that hasbecome an eco-museum

In 1829, like many other farmers in Fougerolles, Desle-Joseph Aubry began producing kirsch in Petit-Fahys.

Generation after generation the firm’s activity grew andthe family grew richer and richer until Desle-Joseph’sgrandson squandered the totality of the family’s wealth.The estate was auctioned off in 1888.

The estate belonged to several owners who helped thefirm grow through the 20th century before merging withthe Fougerolles distillery M.-T. Saguin in 1979. M.-T.Saguin made use only of the brand and trade names andstopped production at the Petit-Fahys distillery. That sameyear the city of Fougerolles and the Société d’Agriculture,Lettres, Sciences et Arts de la Haute-Saône bought theestate with the intention of creating an ecomusée.

Inventories that reflect a way of life

The inventory carried out after the death of Desle-Joseph Aubry in 1840 lists the goods and possessions

of the deceased. This information shows that there wasvery active agricultural activity on the estate and that thequantity of cherry brandy in storage was impressive. TheAubry family appears to have been well-off yet quite fru-gal, no luxurious objects were catalogued.When the family home was sold in 1888, the auctiondocuments show that the family had become muchricher and possessed numerous luxurious objects, thefirm however appears to have been deeply in debt.

The birth of an industrial activity

Initially a secondary activity to farming in Fougerolles,distillation expanded and in the middle of the 19th,

transformed certain farmers into genuine businessmen.So as to reduce transport costs they purchased the localharvest. They hired day-workers, bought stills, becamewholesalers, producers and retailers…sometimes all atthe same time. Certain families grew rich and tried tobecome assimilated to the city’s “middle-class” thatmade up their clientele by losing any signs of their coun-try origins. At the end of the 19th century, when the rail-road arrived in Fougerolles, trade in alcohol increasedsharply and full train-loads left the station to supplyFrance with Fougerolles Kirsch.

The packing workshop : from the raw material to the finished product

A t the beginning of the 20th century distillers diversi-fied their production and also began selling other

brandies : cherry plum (mirabelle), sweet purple plum(quetsche) and even absinthe. Fougerolles farmers lear-ned how to control the process in which the fermentedfruit, a perishable commodity, could be transformed intoa crystalline liquid, a symbol of purity. They learnedhow to control the degree of alcohol present andthe cold filtering of the liquid that guaranteed itslimpidity. They also put into place machines, gene-rally used by women, for bottling and labelling.

2. Kitchen

3. Dining Room

4. Office

5. Storage room

Cherry brandy became KirschIt is purely for economic reasons that in the beginningof the 19th century cherry brandy took on the nameof kirsch. A more “prestigious” name having as originthe German “kirschwasser”.

From Kirsch to absintheIn 1900 absinthe, originally produced in Pontarlierin the Doubs, was fashionable in France. Using theirknow-how the distillers in Fougerolles beganmaking absinthe and some even managed to selleight times as much absinthe as kirsch.

Blown-glass bottles or “bôs”The “bô”, from the old word “boteille” (bot-tle), is a dark-coloured hand-blown bottle. Itcan be recognized by its sharp bottom, thenumerous air bubbles present and its irregu-lar shape. Manufactured around 1780, it wasused for the storage of cherry brandy andused in Fougerolles until the 20th century.

Alcohol consumptionIn Fougerolles, as elsewhere, the consumption ofalcohol was very great. In 1898 it has been estimatedto have been 35 litres of 50° alcohol per year per per-son ! In that year there were 424,575 cafés or bars inthe country, i.e. 1 for every 20 men.

7. 2nd floor - Room3

The production of kirsch in Fougerolles

• In 1744 : 52 hl* cherry brandy

• In 1820 : 4000 hl cherry brandy

• In 1914 : 2500 hl of kirsch fin, 20 000 hl of diverse liqueurs and 55 000 hl of absinthe

• In 1980 : 92 hl of kirsch

• In 1984 : 675 hl of kirsch

*hl : hectolitre ( 1hl = 100 litres)

8. Attic

9. Mezzanines

10. Decline and the Future

6. 2nd floor - Rooms 1 and 2

4pages anglais 12/12/07 11:31 Page 3