Our artisanal Alsatian eaux-de-vie distillery is driven by passion, innovation and tradition

When Passion becomes an Art

Located in the picturesque village of Ribeauville in the Alsace region of France, the Mette distillery carries on the time-honored craft of distillation. By remaining faithful to a traditional manufacturing process, Nathalie and Philippe Traber produce a range of 87 eaux-de-vie and 28 liqueurs made with love, diligence, and patience.

Honoring Jean-Paul Mette’s memory is of paramount importance to this family of craftsmen. Well-familiar with the mysteries of the still, they are passionate about sharing their love and expertise for distilling. In the discrete rue des Tanneurs, Nathalie and Philippe Traber create subtly distilled eaux-de-vie designed to please and delight connoisseurs and novices alike.

“I share my passion with you through my Eaux de Vie. It’s the Eaux de Vie that’s speak. I still and always will distill in a small scale traditional way.”
Philippe Traber

A history of tradition and innovation

Jean-Paul Mette was only 18 years old when he caught the ‘virus de la chauffe’, a passion for distilling. After his father passed away, he found a mentor in his neighbor who taught him the intricacies of copper stills.

In the mid-60’s, he opened his own distillery and was dedicated to retaining product quality and integrity. Jean-Paul passed on his love of artisan distillation to his godson, Philippe Traber. By introducing him to the various secrets of fruits, fire and copper, he taught Philippe his passion of distilling, thereby grooming him to take over the business when he retired. Philippe’s wife, Nathalie also grew up in a ‘la chauffe’ environment as her grandfather was himself a distiller. Together Philippe and Nathalie added more exotic and modern flavors to an already successful line of spirits.

Mette’s new spirits remain faithful to Jean-Paul’s core values of craft distillation by emphasizing quality over quantity. Each step of the distillation process encompasses not only a specialized skill-set, but also a profound respect for craftsmanship and a passion for quality distilling. Nathalie and Philippe Traber will pass down the artisanal distilling tradition to their son, Timothee, and nephew, Matthieu. They will learn the secrets of the Maitre distiller; rigor, patience, and meticulousness—all the essential skills and qualities that contribute to Mette eaux-de-vie excellence.