Coinciding with French Whisky Month in September, the publication of a new historical book on French Whisky is set to hit shelves in France. Written by Matthieu Acar, Une Brève mais Intense Histoire de Whisky Français (A Brief but Intense History of French Whisky) covers the whisky landscape in France from experiments and early bottlings in the 1980s to the present day.

The book is published by Flammarion and will be released on 27 September in France.

Author Acar, born in Paris, first discovered whisky through family friends and has developed a passion ever since, with trips to Scotland exploring the Highlands, Islay and Orkney. In 2013, he travelled France in search of whisky producers, eventually joining La Maison du Whisky in 2016. In 2017, Acar launched a website dedicated to launching French whisky, and has played an active role in the launch of La Maison du Whisky’s Version Française range.

The description of the book reads:

“France, the land of wine, cognac, Armagnac and Calvados... and now whisky! Since the first forays into malt distillation carried out in the 1980s, whisky distilleries have spread through the country. From Brittany to Provence via Alsace and Corsica, dozens of producers have embarked on the adventure with passion, curiosity and pragmatism. Today, there are some hundred producers brewing, fermenting, distilling and maturing their whiskies on the French mainland. In this richly illustrated book, Matthieu Acar, a specialist with encyclopaedic knowledge, takes us through this incredible tale of destiny.

“Lose yourself in the short but intense history of French whisky and discover the rich expertise of more than 80 producers dedicated to offering craft spirits that embody the essence of their terroirs.”

The 288-page book is set to release at an RRP of €45. It features 84 producers who sold whisky in the year of 2023, with the history of each distillery, production characteristics and general profile include.

The photographs in the book have been supplied by Darmesh Varane.