The Mobile Distiller

While walking down through Ecueillé to find the best site to watch the Tour de France the other day we discovered that a mobile distiller had set up on the river bank so we stopped off to photograph and chat. This spot is on his regular annual rotation. He provides a service to those who want to convert their excess fruit into eau de vie. Local clients arrive with plastic bins full of fermenting plums, grapes, pears or strawberries and he runs each batch through the still. Several days later they return to pick up their clear fruit brandy. Until the late 20th century cherry would have been one of the main fruits used, but hardly anyone makes this now. The mobile distiller is paid a fee for doing the distilling and collects the duty for the authorities. This product is strictly for private consumption only, it is not commercialised. Once everyone around Ecueillé's fermented fruit gloop has gone through the still he will pack it all up and move on to the next town. You can see that the whole distilling rig is mounted on a trailer.