Massenez, Poire Prisonnière
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The pear grew inside the bottle.
Villé, Alsace · Williams pear eau-de-vie · A whole pear in the glass
Why it's here
Every guest asks the same question, and the answer is better than any trick. In spring, growers in Alsace slip an empty bottle over a budding branch and tie it to the tree. The pear swells inside the glass all summer. In autumn the bottle is cut down, washed and filled with pear brandy. It costs very little and delights everyone, which is a rare combination.
The object
Massenez has distilled fruit in the Villé valley since 1870. The spirit is pure Williams pear, clear and intensely perfumed, made in copper pot stills from a great weight of fruit per bottle. The pear inside is real and whole.
At the table
Keep it in the freezer door and pour it very cold in small glasses after a heavy dinner. Top the bottle up with more pear brandy as the level drops and the fruit will keep for years.
Origin: Villé, Alsace, France
Spirit: Williams pear eau-de-vie
Size: 700 ml
House founded: 1870
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