Interview with Roxane, Co-Creator of the Maison M Distillery
Because it’s essential to know who is behind your mountain spirits, we invite you to learn more about Roxane, the co-founder of Maison M distillery. Roxane shares all about her daily life, her approach to working alone and with a partner, her love for the mountains, and the distillery’s projects.
What was the inspiration behind the creation of Maison M Distillery ?
The idea was to start a business and create a concept where our passions for craftsmanship and creativity could meet. I studied design, and Philippe is a craftsman; we’ve always been immersed in that world. For the distillery part, we’ve always loved stills—distilling was even a dream for Philippe. We chose distilling because we are surrounded by high-quality raw materials. We grew up in the mountains of Savoie, which are rich in resources. Many plants are consumable and very interesting from a flavor perspective. It was important for us to highlight these plants and introduce our customers to the richness of our territory. We decided to prioritize foraging over buying from an herb supplier. This allows us to have high-quality products and control the entire process. Lastly, we wanted to win back consumers and help them rediscover products. For instance, génépi might have a poor reputation among some people. We wanted to show that, when made with quality, génépi is no longer an old-fashioned liqueur but a luxurious, refined product. A successful bet! 99% of people who dislike génépi are pleasantly surprised after our tastings.
What challenges did you face when starting the project ?
Many ! First, we started with a concept that didn’t exist, so we had to create everything from scratch. Also, coming from a family where no one is an entrepreneur, I was never raised in that environment. Everything was a challenge: managing administrative paperwork, leading a team, and even managing the cash register (laughs). Then, there are a lot of taxes and duties on alcohol, which require careful tracking with customs. It’s quite burdensome administratively. Fortunately, we have an amazing team that helps a lot, and the customs teams in Chambéry are fantastic !
How does the region influence your creations ?
It’s the raw materials that influence our production. When we created Maison M, we wanted to highlight everything we could find in the mountains around Valmorel in Savoie. Additionally, because the region is touristy, sales benefit from it. This allows us to expand nationally and internationally, in places like Paris or Belgium, for example.
How does the distillation process work for your spirits ?
We own a column still, typically used for perfume or essential oils. We have several processes:
• Steam distillation (extracting essential oils): we pass alcohol through the plants to extract essential oils from the flowers.
• Double or triple distillation for brandies (natural fermentation without added sugars). The more times it passes through the still, the higher the alcohol content.
Our method of extracting essential oils from flowers is not common in the spirits industry. However, it creates a silkier mouthfeel and less burning alcohol.
What do your typical days look like depending on the season ?
Indeed, our activities vary with the seasons. In winter, I’m in the shop welcoming our customers and handling administrative tasks (customs monitoring, orders, emails, communication, labeling, bottle design). In spring, I focus on preparing and shipping orders for professionals. Summer is intense because I juggle administrative work, the shop, and foraging. Finally, in autumn, I manage orders and events like trade shows.
Which spirit represents you the most, and why ?
Good question! I’d say the le Génépi 40. It’s an explosive génépi that reflects my dynamic, original, and modern side. Its aesthetic bottle also reminds me of my love for beautiful things.
Working with your life partner is an adventure. How do you balance your professional and personal lives ?
Great question ! When Philippe worked in his parents’ family restaurant, I helped him during my holidays. During that time, we said we would never work together! (laughs). But we did it anyway! At first, it wasn’t easy, as each of us has our own way of working. I’m the organized one to avoid panicking. Over time, we’ve learned to work together. We complement each other well, and both of us have contributed to the distillery’s success. I’m a go-getter, which is partly why the distillery grew so quickly. Philippe is a handyman, thoughtful, and finds solutions to all problems (like breakdowns, etc.).
The distillery has grown thanks to all the projects he takes on. As for our personal life, Maison M takes up a lot of space, and it’s hard not to talk about work at home… But we’ve decided to make time for the kids, otherwise, we’ll regret it one day !
How does your passion for the mountains and hiking influence your commitment to sustainability ?
We are careful about our environment by changing foraging locations to avoid depleting resources, allowing them to regenerate year after year. This is possible because we have a small production that doesn’t require intensive foraging. We also choose to harvest invasive plants with great aromatic power, like meadowsweet. For génépi, we have foraging quotas set by the DDT. For example, we must cut the génépi, not uproot it. As for bilberries, we can’t pick them with rakes before August 15. In general, if humans want to continue living somewhat well, we need to be very careful with nature, and that starts with this.
What does this job personally give you ?
Seeing our business grow, witnessing the enthusiasm around our project, and the satisfaction of our customers is an immense source of pride. We really started from scratch; we created everything from A to Z, and we weren’t sure it would work. Today, five years later, the distillery is recognized. We feel a sense of accomplishment, even though we’re not stopping here !
Does design play an important role in presenting your products ?
Yes, it’s the key ! It’s incredibly important when it comes to consumer choice. The beauty and aesthetics are what make people want to taste one bottle over another.
What is your vision for the future of the industry ?
Maintaining a financially healthy distillery isn’t easy because a large part of the revenue goes to the state. On the positive side, I notice more and more micro-distilleries opening, and I find that encouraging because it’s an ancestral craft that was fading away. That gives hope !
What are your upcoming projects for the distillery ?
We bought a farmstead in the heart of the village that has a beautiful Savoyard charm. Our project is to build a production facility and a semi-buried lab with a botanical garden on the roof. The roof will be vegetated with a botanical garden and a mazot (mountain chalet). The public will be able to walk around and learn more about the plants in our mountains. We also plan to transform the barn, which is 200m², into an event space (hosting cultural events, weddings, or seminars). We’ve been working on this for two years, so it’s a major project for us right now. As for news, we will soon participate in the Salon Alpin in Albertville. Last year, our stand made quite an impression. After the fair, we shipped 33 pallets and made the front page of Le Dauphiné !