About us
The MARALPA Distillery
We are an independent, small-scale distillery where everything is done in-house — from foraging to bottling. Our creations are conceived as pure expressions of the surrounding terroir, with no additives and no compromises.
For our liqueurs, we work exclusively with fresh, seasonal ingredients, handpicked either by us or by our trusted partners. This deliberate choice compels us to adapt our recipes to the natural rhythm of the harvest — not the other way around. It’s our way of staying true to our vision of drinking better and consuming locally
Through our gins, liqueurs, and aperitifs, we aim to craft balanced products with refined aromatic profiles — appealing to both curious newcomers and seasoned professionals. Working with us means choosing a committed, artisanal, and local distillery, constantly striving to find harmony between innovation and tradition
With Maralpa, it’s real, it’s good, it’s living.
Our Founder
Julian Servolle
Master Distiller / Founder
My name is Julian, and my journey has been shaped by detours, opportunities, and sometimes unexpected choices. I grew up in a family where everyday gestures were steeped in tradition: making jam, distilling fruit brandy, preserving in jars… It was simple, natural, and profoundly alive
As a teenager, I imagined my future on the basketball court: a young athlete in a training academy, dreaming of a professional sports career. But life led me down a different path — one filled with another kind of intensity: the world of flavor and craftsmanship. I trained in viticulture and oenology in Beaune, and had the privilege of learning the ropes at Ramonet, in Chassagne-Montrachet
From there, everything unfolded naturally. The cellars led me to sommellerie, sommellerie to mixology — with enriching experiences at the Four Seasons in France, then at the Intercontinental in London. I later settled in Sweden, where I worked for two years as a sommelier and maître d'hôtel.
When I returned to France, somewhat uncertain about the next step, I temporarily turned to real estate. But it was the birth of my daughter that brought me back to what truly mattered: the need to create, to pass things on, and to reconnect with what genuinely made me come alive
Since I was 18, I had been making wine. At 22, I was crafting high-end cocktails in London. At 24, it was cider in Sweden. Syrups, infusions, liqueurs, good food — it’s all been part of me for as long as I can remember
It all started in a small shed turned into an apothecary lab.
There, I taught myself — through trial and error, reading, and observation.
Then came an internship at Ferroni, another at l’Atelier du Bouilleur.
But above all, there were blind tastings with sommelier, bartender, and wine merchant friends — and their enthusiasm was what finally convinced me to take the leap
So in 2023, I decided to fully embrace this path: I founded Distillerie Maralpa in Nice, with the desire to offer honest, artisanal spirits rooted in the terroir of the Alpes-Maritimes
Today, I offer creations born of meticulous artisanal work, guided by the desire to craft something genuine and unadorned — with the sole ambition of sharing what I love..
A Life of Passion
An Artisanal, Thoughtful, and Local Approach
