Many Absinthe aficionados wish to know more about
the drink of the Green Fairy and its particular history. So, let’s discover where is the birthplace of Absinthe.
Legend has it that Absinthe was developed by Dr Pierre Ordinaire, a French doctor from the Swiss Val de Travers area of Couvet. Ordinaire developed Absinthe as an elixir or tonic for his patients and it was said to have miraculous benefits on his patients.
The important ingredient of Ordinaire’s elixir was the botanical herb worwmood, artemisia absinthium, a plant titled after the goddess Artemis. Wormwood has been used for thousands of years in medicine so it was a good option for Ordinaire’s tonic. Wormwood posesses a chemical called thujone and it was this substance that induced the banning of Absinthe in early 1900s. Thujone was believed to be psychoactive and also to result in psychedelic effecs exactly like THC in cannabis. We now know that thujone is not like THC and, although it can effect the GABA receptors inside the brain, a person needs to ingest huge amounts of thujone for this to happen and Absinthe only is made up of very tiny amounts.
Couvet is in the Swiss canton of Neuchatel within the Val de Travers region. It’s known for being the birthplace of Absinthe and for being home of the distillery of bootleg Absinthe distiller and artisan, Claude-Alain Bugnon. Bugnon was given an Absinthe recipe by a friend that his aunt, distiller Charlotte Vaucher, had been using since 1935. Bugnon decided to make use of the recipe to distill his very own bootleg clandestine Absinthe while in the Absinthe ban. He was the first Absinthe distiller to ask the Swiss government for a license to distill Absinthe in 2004. In March 2005, the Absinthe ban was raised and Bugnon was able to legally distill his Absinthes and also La Clandestine was put on sale.
Bugnon’s distillery “C A Bugnon Artemisia Distillerie Artisanale” now distills his excellent variety of Absinthes making use of the best standard Absinthe herbs and alpine plants. His selection includes:-
La Clandestine Originale РThis was the primary Absinthe to get distilled by the Artemisia distillery in 2005. It is actually produced from 10 distinct herbs, such as wormwood and anise (or anis̩) and it is a winner of a gold medal while in the Concours Nationale des Spiritueux Suisses. La Clandestine is 53% abv or 106 proof. La Clandestine is really a classic Swiss La Bleue (clear) Absinthe.
La Clandestine with wine alcohol base – This is simply similar to La Clandestine but is manufactured using wine alcohol that was used by Pernod in the nineteenth century but is not a conventional base for Swiss clandestine Absinthes. Bugnon identifies this Absinthe as supplying a “roundness in the mouth”.
La Capricieuse – This Absinthe is a stronger Absinthe with a higher alcohol content (72% abv, 144 proof). It is in accordance with the recipe for La Clandestine however with a greater alcohol content.
Recette Marianne – Bugnon produced this absinthe as he wished to take part in the Absinthiades in Pontarlier, France. France continue to have stringent rules governing Absinthe – Absinthe drinks can’t be labeled Absinthe and as well as complying to EU regulation with regards to thujone, they likewise have to possess low fenchone levels. Fenchone is the compound found in fennel, a classic Absinthe ingredient. Bugnon produced this low fenchone Absinthe especially for the French market and it won the Golden Spoon award at the Absinthiades in 2005, 2006 and 2007. It features an abv of 55% (110 proof).
Angelique Verte Suisse – It’s a classic Swiss verte, or green, style Absinthe and it’s manufactured using 12 herbs such as wormwood and angelica. It features an abv of 72% (144 proof) and was released by Bugnon in 2007.
Bugnon’s Absinthes are available to buy on many sites including his own absinthe-suisse.com.
You could make your own personal Swiss style La Bleue by utilizing the Absinthe Clear essence via AbsintheKit.com. This essence can be ordered online for $3.95 for 20ml which makes one 750ml bottle of Absinthe or as part of a kit to produce 14 bottle of Absinthe for $29. AbsintheKit’s essences are manufactured by distilling natural Absinthe herbs and you simply have to mix the essence with vodka or everclear to produce a true wormwood Absinthe.
So, where is the birthplace of Absinthe? Couvet is the birthplace of Absinthe and is particularly the place to find some great present day Absinthes.