Maison Dolin

Maison Dolin stands as the last independent producer of Vermouth de Chambéry, a distinction earned through two centuries of Alpine craftsmanship in the French Alps. Since 1821, this family operation has maintained the traditional methods that secured Chambéry its unique Appellation d'Origine for vermouth, the only such designation in the world.

History & Heritage

Joseph Chavasse founded the distillery in 1821 in Les Echelles, later relocating to Chambéry in 1830 to focus on vermouth production. The Dolin name arrived in the 1840s when Chavasse's daughter Marie married Louis-Ferdinand Dolin, who purchased the operation and transformed it into Vermouth Dolin. Under Marie's leadership following her husband's death in 1869, the company earned international recognition, including a gold medal at the 1876 Philadelphia World Fair. The Sevez brothers acquired the distillery in 1919 and have preserved its traditional methods through four generations.

The Vermouth

Dolin produces Vermouth de Chambéry in three expressions: Dry, Blanc, and Rouge, each crafted through maceration of up to 54 real Alpine botanicals including wormwood, hyssop, and rose petals. The process begins with an Ugni-Blanc wine base, with sweetening achieved through sugar, grape must, or wine rather than artificial additives. Their Rouge derives its color from specific plants and caramelized sugar, not red wine, resulting in vermouths known for their freshness, purity, and lighter character compared to commercial alternatives.

Why It Matters

As the sole guardian of Chambéry's vermouth tradition, Dolin represents authenticity in an age of industrial production. Their expressions serve as benchmarks for classic cocktails, with the Dry earning recognition as essential for proper Martinis and the Rouge named among the world's six best vermouths by Cocktail Society. The Reserve Whiskey Library includes these expressions as essential spirits that predate and complement whiskey's rise.