Famous French Aperitifs and liqueurs "Made in Vendée"
Famous French aperitif and liqueurs are a tradition in the Vendée. These regional specialities will add that “je ne sais quoi” to your food experiences leaving an everlasting effect. From the age old Troussepinette aperitif drink, with its delicate almond flavour to the Kamok’s rich distinctive coffee liqueur... it’s impossible to resist!
La Troussepinette an authentic aperitif dating back to Antiquity
The famous Troussepinette is an essential aperitif drink to discover when you are in the Vendée. This authentic aperitif dating back to Antiquity is made from the maceration of black thorns, alcohol, and wine! With its sweet, slightly almond taste on the palate, it is impossible to go to the Vendée without tasting it or even bringing it back home! It is produced by wine growers, but also by lots of individual families.
The Lise Baccara company manufactures its Troussepinette in a traditional artisanal way.
Their shop can be found at 26 rue des Grands Bois - Saint Martin Lars en Sainte Hermine.
Le Kamok a famous French liqueur from the Vendée
The Kamok, is a typical Vendean liqueur born from a blend of coffee and alcohol, the original recipe was well kept secret.
It was created in 1812 by Henri-Aimé Vrignaud, the founder of the Vriganud distillery in Luçon. At that time, the commercial port of Luçon was flourishing, and ships unloaded fruits, plants, and spices from all over the world. A real heaven for a distiller-liquorist!
From the end of the 19th century, thanks to its creative imagination, the Vrignaud Distillery received worldwide recognition for its expertise, which was honoured by two gold medals at the Universal Exhibitions of Paris in 1889 and 1900: The highest reward for liqueurs!
Since that time, this secret recipe was bought by Cafés Albert in La Roche sur Yon and then more recently by the Mourat vine estate.
The best Arabic grains are selected to be mixed with beetroot alcohol and the secret ingredients are added. It is then aged for more than 3 years in oak barrels. The Kamok, is something you must work for!