Dolin Genepy le Chamois Liqueur 750ml
Dolin is a family-owned house based in Chambéry, in the Savoie region of the French Alps, best known as one of the historic makers of Vermouth de Chambéry, a style that earned the town France's only appellation for vermouth back in 1932. The Sevez family has run the company since a transition in 1905 and now oversees its fifth generation at the helm, continuing traditions the house established well before that, including its génépy liqueur, first produced in 1821.
Génépy le Chamois is built around génépy, a small alpine variety of artemisia gathered from high-altitude pastures in the Savoy mountains, often called mountain sage. Dolin distills the herb using its own alembic still at the Chambéry facility, macerating the actual plant material rather than relying on prepared extracts, then sweetens the liqueur with grape must, wine, or sugar before bottling. The finished liqueur is typically released at 40 to 45% ABV depending on market, a proof that helps carry its concentrated botanical character.
The liqueur pours pale green to yellow, with a nose dominated by pungent, concentrated herbal aromatics. The palate opens sweet and coating before shifting into cooling menthol and candy cane notes, closing on a long, warming finish touched with lavender. It is traditionally enjoyed on the rocks, stirred into hot cocoa after a day of skiing, or used as a Chartreuse substitute in classic cocktails.