Jules Theuriet

Jules Theuriet is a French crèmes and liqueurs brand rooted in Dijon, Burgundy. Its name comes from Jules Theuriet (1848–1912), a wine trader whose premises stood at 12 Rue Berlier in Dijon — the same site the firm occupies today. The business passed through his daughter Juliette Theuriet, who married Antoine “Edmond” Briottet. From 1912 Edmond managed the Theuriet business, kept the Theuriet name, but began using Briottet as the primary name of the enterprise. Alongside wine trading he started producing Crème de Cassis, the blackcurrant liqueur for which Dijon is famous. Today the brand sits within Maison Briottet, a family house now led by the sixth generation, Vincent and Claire Briottet. The operation is deliberately artisanal: the whole of Maison Briottet works with a team of only eight people. Production follows traditional methods — careful selection of blackcurrant berries, maceration of the fruit for around two months in neutral French over-fine alcohol and water, racking to draw off the “virgin juice,” pressing for a second “press juice,” and filtration. This craft approach underpins the crèmes and liqueurs sold under the Jules Theuriet name. Since 2018 Maison Briottet has held the “Living Heritage Company” (Entreprise du Patrimoine Vivant) label, a French State recognition created to distinguish companies with exceptional artisanal know-how. The label is rare — only 1,061 companies held it in 2023 — and signals a commitment to high standards of craftsmanship and product excellence. In export markets such as the United States, Jules Theuriet is represented by Heavenly Spirits, an import and wholesale company founded in 2008 by Daniel and Christine Cooney that specializes in small, family-owned French distilleries. The brand therefore combines a long Dijon lineage with a modern, curated route to international consumers.

The story of Jules Theuriet begins with its namesake, Jules Theuriet (1848–1912), a wine trader whose premises were located at 12 Rue Berlier in Dijon — the site the firm still occupies. The business passed to his daughter, Juliette Theuriet, who married Antoine “Edmond” Briottet. From 1912 Edmond managed the Theuriet business. He retained the Theuriet name but began using Briottet as the primary name for the enterprise. Beyond wine trading, he started producing Crème de Cassis, the blackcurrant liqueur closely associated with Dijon and Burgundy. Over the following generations the house developed into Maison Briottet, a family-run producer of artisanal crèmes and liqueurs. Today the sixth generation, Vincent and Claire Briottet, continue the family tradition. The operation remains small and craft-focused: Maison Briottet works with a team of only eight people, described as a true artisanal operation. Production methods have remained traditional. For Crème de Cassis, the process begins with careful selection of the best blackcurrant berries, since a large quantity of good fruit is essential to the quality of the liqueur. The berries are macerated for around two months in neutral French over-fine alcohol and water — maceration being the most widely used technique for making liqueurs. The first juice, known as “virgin juice,” is then drawn from the vat. The fruit is pressed to obtain a second juice, the press juice, which is filtered. In 2018 Maison Briottet was awarded the “Living Heritage Company” (Entreprise du Patrimoine Vivant) label, a mark of recognition from the French State created to distinguish French companies with exceptional artisanal know-how. The label brings together manufacturers committed to the highest standards of craftsmanship and product excellence, and only a select few companies — 1,061 in 2023 — hold it. Internationally, the Jules Theuriet brand reaches consumers through importers such as Heavenly Spirits, an import and wholesale company founded in 2008 by Daniel and Christine Cooney. Christine, born in the Cognac region and a former Cognac Ambassador in San Francisco, and Daniel built the company to select and represent small and medium-sized, family-owned French distilleries in the United States. Heavenly Spirits also curates single cask selections chosen by the Cooneys alongside the artisans they represent, reflecting the same emphasis on small-lot, family-made French spirits that characterizes the Jules Theuriet range.

• 2023

  Only 1,061 companies hold the Living Heritage Company label, underscoring the rarity of Maison Briottet's recognition.

• 2018

  Maison Briottet is awarded the French “Living Heritage Company” (Entreprise du Patrimoine Vivant) label.

• 2008

  Heavenly Spirits is founded by Daniel and Christine Cooney to import and represent French spirits in the United States, later including Jules Theuriet.

• 1912

  Antoine “Edmond” Briottet takes over management of the Theuriet business, keeps the Theuriet name, and begins using Briottet as the primary business name; he starts producing Crème de Cassis.

• 1848

  Jules Theuriet is born; his wine trading premises at 12 Rue Berlier in Dijon later become the firm's current site.

Artisanal, family-run French crèmes and liqueurs with a Dijon heritage and Living Heritage Company recognition.

• Crème de Cassis

  Blackcurrant liqueur made by macerating selected berries for around two months in neutral French over-fine alcohol and water, then racking virgin juice and pressing for press juice.

• Artisanal crèmes and liqueurs

  Range of high-quality, artisanal crèmes and liqueurs produced by Maison Briottet under the Jules Theuriet name.

1. 1Jules Theuriet Crèmes and Liqueurs by Briottet — Heavenly Spiritsheavenlyspirits.com
2. 2A Passion for Quality French Spirits | Meet the Cooneys — Heavenly Spiritsheavenlyspirits.com
3. 3Single Casks | Explore Heavenly Single Casks — Heavenly Spiritsheavenlyspirits.com
4. 4Jules Theuriet — Wikidatawikidata.org