Maison Ferrand
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Alcoholic beverages |
| Founded | 1989 |
| Founder | Alexandre Gabriel |
| Headquarters | Ars-sur-Formans |
| Products | Cognac, rum, gin |
| Website | maisonferrand |
Maison Ferrand is an independent French company specialized in the production and distribution of spirits worldwide. The company's products include cognac (Cognac Ferrand), rum (Planteray) and gin (Citadelle). The company's foundation is rooted in the history of the centuries-old Ferrand family from the Cognac region.
Since 2017, Maison Ferrand has been the owner of the West Indies Rum Distillery (WIRD) in Barbados, and a 1/3 shareholder of the National Rum Company of Jamaica.[1]
History
[edit]Cognac's Ferrand family
[edit]The presence of the Ferrand family in the Cognac region can be traced back to 1469. Elie Ferrand was born in 1630 and gave his first name to the first-born of the following 10 generations of his family. In the early 17th century, Elie Ferrand the 6th became the owner of a vineyard, and started to produce and sell wine and spirit.[2] The cognac made by Elie Ferrand the 8th was awarded a gold medal at the 1900 Universal Exhibition in Paris.[3] Elie Ferrand the 10th died during World War I, and the last male of the Ferrand lineage passed away in 1930.[2]
The Ferrand family house, which was built around 1860, was acquired by Maison Ferrand in 2016 and became the Fondation Maison Ferrand.[3]
Expansion to gin and rum
[edit]In 1989, Alexandre Gabriel and Jean Dominique Andreu acquired Pierre Ferrand's vineyard and cognac distillery in La Nérolle, Segonzac.[4][5] The two founders also had access to stocks of aged Grande Champagne cognac from the neighboring Logis d’Angeac distillery. They packaged and registered the Pierre Ferrand Cognac brand, and flew to the US to start sales.[4] A decade later, Pierre Ferrand fought for the ownership of the brand but lost in court.[6][7]
Distribution grew slowly in the US. In the early 2000s, cognac became a trendy drink of the hip hop community, leading to a boost in sales in the US,[4] and mixology became a worldwide trend, giving room for smaller brands to exist through iconic drinks.[5] In 1996, the company launched the gin Citadelle, France's first craft gin.[8][9] Then in 1999, the company launched the rum brand Plantation.[10] Jean-Dominique Andreu left Cognac Ferrand in February 2008.[11]
In 2017, Maison Ferrand acquired its first distillery in the Caribbean, the 19th-century West Indies Rum Distillery (WIRD) in Barbados, and 1/3 of the National Rum Company of Jamaica (Clarendon and Long Pond Distilleries).[1] In 2021, the company inaugurated a new distillery in Ars, Charente, entirely dedicated to the production of Citadelle gin.[12] In 2023, the company inaugurated the world's first floating spirits cellar in a typical Parisian barge (péniche), the Barge 166 which is moored on the Seine.[13][14]
Description
[edit]Maison Ferrand is a French company specialized in the production and distribution of spirits worldwide. The company owns the following brands:
| Brand | Type | Launch year | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ferrand | Cognac | 1989 | Historic brand. |
| Dry Curaçao[15] | Orange liqueur | 2012 | |
| Citadelle | Gin | 1996 | France's first craft gin.[8] |
| Planteray
(formerly Plantation) |
Rum | 1999 | The rum's connotated name 'Plantation' was changed to Planteray in 2024.[16][17] |
The Planteray rum is first distilled and aged in Barbados and other rum-producing countries in Latin America, the Caribbean and Asia-Pacific, and aged a second time in Ferrand cognac barrels in France.[18]
Foundation
[edit]The Ferrand Foundation was launched in 2016 to study and preserve the intangible cultural heritage of cognac and rum. The foundation is located in the historic house of the Ferrand family, the Manoir de Mademoiselle, in Segonzac, Charente.[3]
References
[edit]- ^ a b Hopkins, Amy (13 March 2017). "Plantation Rum owner buys Barbados distillery". The Spirits Business.
- ^ a b "Maison Ferrand". Cognac Reverie. 2020-11-20. Retrieved 2024-08-12.
- ^ a b c Monti, François (2019-03-09). "La maison de Mademoiselle : Maison Ferrand celebrates its history". www.spiritshunters.com. Retrieved 2024-08-12.
- ^ a b c Fisher, Daniel (2006-04-28). "Gate Crashers". Forbes. Retrieved 2024-09-13.
- ^ a b Bruce-Gardyne, Tom (2 September 2019). "Maison Ferrand: a brand history". The Spirits Business.
- ^ "Un petit producteur de cognac condamné pour contrefaçon". leparisien.fr (in French). 2 November 2000.
- ^ "Spiritueux Magazine : L'affaire Pierre Ferrand - "Le producteur de cognac condamné pour contrefaçon"". .spiritueux magazine.
- ^ a b Grimes, William (2 December 1998). "Fully Armed, a French Gin Storms the Gates". The New York Times.
- ^ Davet, Stephane (31 May 2022). "Citadelle, au paradis des alambics". Le Monde (in French).
- ^ Micallef, Joseph V. (2021-08-11). "Alexandre Gabriel On Ferrand And The Future Of Cognac". Forbes. Retrieved 2024-09-13.
- ^ "Jean-Dominique Andreu - Jean-Dominique Andreu: A life in spirits". TheDrinksReport.com. 2020-10-12.
- ^ (in French) Stéphane Davet, Citadelle, au paradis des alambics, Le Monde, 31 May 2022
- ^ Pomranz, Mike (2021-10-22). "This Barge Is the 'World's First' Floating Aging Cellar for Cognac and Other Spirits". Yahoo Life. Retrieved 2024-08-12.
- ^ Bureau, Olivier (2023-02-18). "À Issy-les-Moulineaux, la Seine berce rhums et cognacs : « Nous sommes le seul chai flottant au monde »". leparisien.fr (in French). Retrieved 2024-08-12.
{{cite web}}:|last=has generic name (help) - ^ Jason, Wilson (2012-05-22). "My favorite curacao is so 19th-century". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2024-09-13.
- ^ Ferron, Rachelle (25 October 2022). "Plantations kept slaves. They were a place of horror. Why exploit them as a sales brand?". The Guardian.
- ^ Carruthers, Nicola (30 June 2020). "Plantation Rum to change name". The Spirits Business.
- ^ Hermine, Frédérique (2019-05-31). "30 ans et des tonneaux d'idées pour la Maison Ferrand". Terre de Vins (in French). Retrieved 2024-09-13.