Cave à liqueur

Insanely rare and expensive accessory ... but definitely worth it!

In all languages, the liqueur bar is usually expressed in the French phrase cave à liqueur as it was invented, spread from, modified and then improved im France.

The cave à liqueur is a compact "cabinet" with an expensive crystal set inside (usually 2-4 decanters and a multiple of 4 the number of glasses - from 8 to 32), fixed with a stand called "serviteur". They were taken in order to “cheer up” during the long road.

The first cave à liqueurs appeared at the end of the 18th century, but they really came into fashion in the 19th century and became an indispensable accessory for the already nascent bourgeoisie. At the beginning of the century, caves were laconic in design with small amount of marquetry (you can read more about this technique in our article). The era of the Restoration and the July Monarchy (which is 1815-1848) generated a demand for luxury goods among the bourgeoisie - people without aristocratic origins, but with money.

All these, as well as the abolition of guild rules, allowed wood craftsmen to open their own ateliers and "compete" in the pomp and elegance of luxury items. Cave à liqueurs acquired different shapes (oval, octagonal, rectangular, etc.), they began to be made of very valuable types of wood, various elements were used for their decoration (brass, gold, crystal, from a tortoise shell or ivory, etc.) and such eminent crystal manufacturers as Baccarat, Saint Louis, Clichy and others began to produce breathtakingly beautiful sets for caves. In the 1840s. there was also a fashion for colored glass - for example, Bohemian or uranium - which was also used to create a sets for cave à liqueurs. Some of them, extremely rare, were equipped with musical and other mechanisms (for example, rotating). The famous cave à liqueur manufacturers of that time were Tahan, Alphonse Giroux, Théodore Aimée, Diehl.

However, by 1900 and thereafter, the prevalence and, accordingly, the volume of production of liqueur bars began to decline. The beginning of the twentieth century was marked by intensive processes of mechanization (for example, 1914 is considered the year of the "birth" of conveyor production - in its modern sense - at the Henry Ford plant): now what was previously done by one master was distributed among other specialists - sculptors, varnishers, carpenters, etc. But, despite this, the process of creating cave à liqueur was still too expensive. In the 1920s-1930s. Baccarat has released a simplified version of the yacht cave in the form of a portable trunk with three decanters and glasses.

A few words should be mentioned about alcohol - a thing, these caves were designated for.

Firstly, there are two very similar terms for alcohol in English - liquor and liqueur. Liquor refers to alcohol-based, unsweetened spirits that are distilled (such as gin or whiskey). Liqueur - what is stored in the cave à liqueur - are fermented sweet, weaker, alcoholic drinks (brandy or liqueurs).

Secondly, it is impossible not to mention the new trends in alcohol consumption in France. In the 19th century, French began to prefer sweet wines, fruit brandy, and herbal and fruit liqueurs. By the middle of the 19th century, the popularity of liqueurs had skyrocketed. Until the 1840s liqueurs were produced mainly at home, based on brandy and garden fruits. They turned out to be very sweet and therefore highly valued by women, even more than sweet wines. Simultaneously with the success of liqueur bars, liqueurs began to be produced on an industrial scale. Famous brands of fruit liqueurs appeared: la Crème de cassis Lejay-Lagoutte (1841), Cointreau (1849), Lapostolle (until 1827, and since 1871 - "Grand Marnier" (you can read about this liqueur in our article) , la Chartreuse jaune (1838), la Bénédictine (1863).

Between the middle of XIX to XX centuries in England was popular their variant of cave à liqueur called tantalus. It was intended for strong alcohol, liquor. It was an open wooden rack for 3, seldom 2, crystal decanters. The handle, fittings and decorative inserts were of metal. The most notable feature of tantalus is the lock that secured the bottles: it prevented the theft of precious alcohol. You see in front of you 2 or 3 varieties of amazing whiskey in crystal decanters, but you cannot take it because of lock...

In ancient Greek mythology, Tantalus was a Phrygian king, very close to the gods of Olympus. According to the most widespread version of the myth, he wished to experience the omniscience of the gods. The king killed his son, cooked him and served for dinner to Gods, but his plan was revealed (however, the goddess of fertility Demeter accidentally tasted the shoulder of the son of Tantalus). For such insolence, the king was doomed to eternal torment from hunger and thirst in Hades: standing knee-deep in water, he could not sip it, and, seeing juicy fruits in front of him, could not taste them. That is why the English cave got its name tantalus...

Our gallery presents to your attention several antique liqueur bars from different periods and manufacturers, which are confirmed by attribution of French auction houses.