Noilly Prat dry vermouth produced in Marseillan, South France

 

One of the claim to fames of Marseillan, a nice little coastal town in the Languedoc region of South France, is that for the last 200 years it has been the home of Noilly Prat, the French vermouth drink. Noilly Prat is most famously used as the base for Dry Martini. The Noilly Pratt factory is located on the edge of the harbour in Marseillan and is today used as a museum, a cocktail bar and centre for events.

Marseillan is one of the oldest settlements in France, first founded by the Phoenecians. The Romans later developed the port in Marseillan and the town grew as a trading centre and fishing village. Marseillan is located close to the old Roman road Via Domitia and retired Roman soldiers were given land around Marseillan. They grew vines and exported the local variety of picpoul wines back to Rome. Today Marseillan is a popular town for holiday-makers and the large beach resort of Cap d'Adge is close-by.

Marseillan is located on the shores of the Etang du Thau, the largest salt water lake in France, where the best Oysters and Mussels are produced. The Huitres de Bouzigues, harvested in a fishing village on the lake, regularly feature on the menus of Michelin star restaurants in Paris and across France.

 

 

The original Noilly Prat dry vermouth was invented back in 1813. It is a straw coloured drink that uses around 20 different local herbs and ingredients. Nowadays, there are actually three different varieties of Noilly Prat - Red, White and the Orange. The red and ambre versions of Noilly Prat were introduced in the last 30 years.

Noilly Prat Dry vermouth is 18% alcohol by volume. Although not a particular fan myself, the Orange Noilly Pratt vermouth (Ambre) definitely tasted the best. The dry Martini cocktail consists of approximately 1/3 Noilly Prat and 2/3 gin. Noilly Prat was also the name given by T. S. Eliot to his cat (although why this is of any interest to anybody momentarily escapes me!).

 

Noilly Prat vermouth history

 

Joseph Noilly, a herbalist, developed the first formula in 1813. Apparently, the process for making Noilly Prat has changed very little over the last 200 years. The process starts off by combining two types of white wines and leaving them to mature in oak barrels for eight months. The barrels are then opened and left exposed to the sea breeze. This process alters the characteristics of the wine and it becomes darker in colour and fuller flavoured. Joseph Noilly then came up with a secret blend of 20 or so herbs that are added to the wine.

The actual business of Noilly Prat was established in Marseillan in 1855, by Noilly's son, Louis Noilly and his son-in-law Claudius Prat. In 1971 the Noilly Prat brand was acquired by Martini & Rossi and is now a part of the Bacardi-Martini family of brands.

 

 

Noilly Prat visitor centre, Marseillan

 

The Noilly Prat cellars overlooking Marseillan harbour are open from March to November. Unbelievably the visitor centre attracts over 80,000 visitors a year. The tour (which costs around €3.50) explains the manufacturing process and finishes off with a taste of the three different varieties of Noilly Prat vermouth (hurrah!!). There is also a cocktail bar where a bar man will create your very own cocktail, using a variety of Noilly Pratt as the base alcohol. You can also buy bottles of Noilly Pratt in the shop in lovely presentation boxes and there is a really nice cocktail receipe book which is an excellent addition to any coffee table.

 

Noilly Pratt Marseillan

Address: You will find the Noilly Prat Visitor Centre at 1 rue Noilly, Marseillan

Hours: open Monday to Friday from 10.00 to 12.00 and 14.30 to 16.30

Reservations:  please call +33 04 67 77 20 15 or visit www.noillyprat.com

 

 

 

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Where to next . . . ?

If you are visiting the South of France this summer, then get the inside track on the best Places to see & visit in the South of France in 2026 (written by people who live in Southern France all year around). Read about the best restaurants to eat at, get local information on the best beaches to visit and discover the best tourist sites, markets and festivals to see during your stay.

 

Best beaches in South France Find the best beaches in South France to visit during 2026. From glitzy private beach clubs on the French Riviera to the long sandy beaches on the Languedoc coast.	Best restaurants South France Discover our favourite restaurants to eat at in South France from Michelin star restaurants to beach restaurants and local restaurants where you can still enjoy a Plat de Jour for €13 euros.
Best festivals in South France  The summer comes alive in the South of France with crazy festivals. Discover everything from large music festivals to local festivals celebrating the humble apricot and Water Jousting!	Best markets in South of France Search out the best local markets to visit during your stay in the South of France this summer. We cover everything from local village markets to antique fairs and truffle markets in Provence.
Villas with private pools in South France Book a villa in the South of France for this summer through Go Languedoc and avoid all the hefty additional bookings fees of Airbnb, VRBO and Booking.com.	Best tourist sites to visit in South France in 2026 Read about the best tourist sites to visit during 2026. Our articles cover Provence, the French Riviera and the old Languedoc region of Southern France.

 

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