Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

The Cherry-Rocher Liqueurs Museum is housed in the historic premises of the distillery founded in 1705 in La Côte-Saint-André by Barthélémy Rocher. The latter, originally from Dauphiné, discovered distillation techniques in a local monastery where he helped a Canon uncle in charge of the hospices. Passionate about botany, he developed floral elixirs and macerated fruit liqueurs, creating the first distillery of France in this city. The vaulted cellars and ancient tools, such as the stills and oak barrels, still bear witness to this artisanal know-how transmitted through the centuries.

The reputation of the distillery spread rapidly, attracting prestigious orders, especially to celebrate events related to the Dauphin court or royal passages in Grenoble. Over the generations, the company developed and absorbed other regional distilleries, such as Neyret-Arnaud (founded around 1830 in Bourgoin-Jallieu) or Chavin, before merging under the name Cherry Rocher Neyret-Chavin. In 1857, Brother Emmanuel, a Marist herbalist, created the Arquebuse de l'Hermitage, a herbal liqueur, which is now marketed under the brand name L-Hermitage.

The museum, located on the original site of the distillery, maintains a collection of ancient posters, historical labels and production tools, illustrating the evolution of techniques and recipes since the 18th century. The places, including a laboratory and medieval cellars, offer a journey in the industrial and gastronomic history of the region. The distillery, still active, perpetuates this heritage by cultivating 6,000 cherry trees in Vivarais for its emblematic productions.

Successive mergers with other local distilleries, such as the one in Ruy-Montceau (near Bourgoin-Jallieu), allowed the company to diversify its range, while centralizing research and development on this site. Today, Cherry Rocher Neyret-Chavin markets its products under four brands, including Cherry Rocher (fruit lickers and creams) and L-Hermitage (eaus-de-vie and genepi), perpetuating an artisanal heritage recognized for more than three centuries.

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