Distillerie Pagès

“Verveine du Velay, emblem of the Auvergne Region’s fine food specialties since 1859!”
It was in 1859 that an inspired herbalist, Joseph Rumillet Charretier, apothecary by profession, discovered the formula for Verveine du Velay; he did so by combining the juices of over thirty-two plants in his dispensary, with the help of a small copper still.In 1886, 27 years after the creation of this Verveine du Velay, J. Rumillet Charretier, who had become both an industrialist in the region and a deputy, hired Victor Pagès (a distant relative) to be director and continued working in the company until 1891.
Victor was therefore the first in the Pagès dynasty to invest himself in Verveine du Velay and to contribute to its expansion. Naturally he gave his family’s name to the liqueur that became "Pagès Verveine du Velay” and a mandarin orange liqueur that we still make today, called “Mandarine Baron Victor".Victor in his turn passed the flame of Verveine du Velay to his son-in-law, Alphonse Julien-Pagès, who headed the company from 1921 to 1949, while being seconded from 1929 by his own son: Raymond Julien-Pagès, who became Chairman of Pagès in 1953.
It was Raymond who created the Velay laboratory and the Pagès Teas and Infusions branch, direct outgrowths of the experience and know-how of a company become specialized in plants - since they are the raw material used in making Verveine du Velay.

But Raymond also completely invested himself in the economic development of tourism in his region: he was the founder of the “Logis de France” of which he was long President, and also of the “Gîtes Ruraux”.

In 1984, Raymond Julien-Pagès – who wished to prepare for his departure from the company and to hand the reins over to another independent and 100% French family concern – chose for his successor the Renaud Cointreau family, which has managed the Pagès company since in the person of our President and Managing Director, Mr. Jean-Pierre Cointreau. As the heads of the Verveine du Velay company have succeeded each other for now close to 150 years, its spirit has remained the same; we are still a small family concern on a human scale, and we are attached to tradition.

The Pagès company is a reputed liqueur-maker, making its spirits with a respect for tradition – plant-based liqueurs and before-dinner alcohols, from the most classic to the unique.