Sab's Alembic Bourguignon

Not a half-century ago in Burgundy, a “bouilleur ambulant” or a mobile distillery, was a common sight in winemaking villages. From Marsannay to Meursault, winemakers would hand over their pomace and lees to a distiller, who would arrive at their cellar door in a modest truck fitted with a copper still, and transform on-site these winemaking leftovers into pure spirit — l’eau de vie, or the “water of life.”

Master distiller Mathieu Sabbagh has made it his purpose to preserve the tradition of the itinerant distiller in Burgundy, an artisanal calling that in recent years has been in peril of dying out completely. After many years with international spirits companies in France and abroad, Mathieu’s personal passion for France’s grand tradition of regional, character-rich craft spirits turned into possibility — a family of mobile distillers in Beaune was looking to sell, and in 2019 Sab’s Alembic Bourguignon was born.

Sab’s remains based in Beaune, the “capital” of fine Burgundy and the ideal location to showcase the transformation of one of the world’s greatest wines into a terroir-inspired collection of craft spirits. All of Sab’s creations start with a base of eau de vie de Bourgogne – a pure and vibrantly aromatic distillate of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, sourced from many of Burgundy’s most sought-after and important winemaking families.