Understanding Where is the Birthplace of Absinthe?
Many Absinthe aficionados want to know a little more about
the drink of the Green Fairy as well as its history. So, let’s discover where is the birthplace of Absinthe.
Legend has it that Absinthe was created by Dr Pierre Ordinaire, a French doctor in the Swiss Val de Travers town of Couvet. Ordinaire created Absinthe being an elixir or tonic for his patients and it was believed to have amazing outcomes on his patients.
The key ingredient of Ordinaire’s elixir was the plant worwmood, artemisia absinthium, a plant named after the goddess Artemis. Wormwood has been used since ancient times in medicine so it was obviously a good option for Ordinaire’s tonic. Wormwood has a chemical known as thujone and it was this chemical that induced the banning of Absinthe in early 1900s. Thujone was reported to be psychoactive and to lead to psychedelic effecs similar to THC in cannabis. We now know that thujone is just not like THC and, even though it can effect the GABA receptors inside the brain, a person needs to ingest huge amounts of thujone to do this and Absinthe only is made up of really small amounts.
Couvet is within the Swiss canton of Neuchatel within the Val de Travers region. It’s noted for being the birth place of Absinthe and for being the home of the distillery of bootleg Absinthe distiller as well as artisan, Claude-Alain Bugnon. Bugnon was presented with an Absinthe recipe by a friend that his aunt, distiller Charlotte Vaucher, had been using since 1935. Bugnon chose to use the recipe to distill his personal bootleg clandestine Absinthe during the Absinthe ban. He was the first Absinthe distiller to inquire about the Swiss government to get a license to distill Absinthe in 2004. In March 2005, the Absinthe ban was lifted and Bugnon can legally distill his Absinthes as well as La Clandestine was put on sale.
Bugnon’s distillery “C A Bugnon Artemisia Distillerie Artisanale” now distills his top rated variety of Absinthes using the best traditional Absinthe herbs as well as alpine plants. His variety includes:-
La Clandestine Originale РThis was the very first Absinthe to become distilled by the Artemisia distillery in 2005. It is made out of 10 distinct herbs, which includes wormwood and anise (or anis̩) and is also a winner of a gold medal within the Concours Nationale des Spiritueux Suisses. La Clandestine is 53% abv or 106 proof. La Clandestine is actually a classic Swiss La Bleue (clear) Absinthe.
La Clandestine along with wine alcohol base – This is simply like La Clandestine but is made using wine alcohol that was utilized by Pernod in the 19th century but is not a conventional base for Swiss clandestine Absinthes. Bugnon explains this Absinthe as offering a “roundness inside the mouth”.
La Capricieuse – This Absinthe is a tougher Absinthe with a higher alcohol content (72% abv, 144 proof). It is based on the recipe for La Clandestine though with a larger alcohol content.
Recette Marianne – Bugnon developed this absinthe since he wished to participate in the Absinthiades in Pontarlier, France. France still have rigid rules regulating Absinthe – Absinthe drinks cannot be labeled Absinthe as well as complying to EU regulation relating to thujone, they also have to possess low fenchone levels. Fenchone is definitely the substance present in fennel, a classic Absinthe ingredient. Bugnon made this low fenchone Absinthe especially for the French market plus it won the Golden Spoon award at the Absinthiades in 2005, 2006 and 2007. It has an abv of 55% (110 proof).
Angelique Verte Suisse – It is a classic Swiss verte, or green, style Absinthe and is manufactured using 12 herbs such as wormwood and angelica. It features an abv of 72% (144 proof) and was launched by Bugnon in 2007.
Bugnon’s Absinthes are accessible to buy on some websites including his own absinthe-suisse.com.
You could make your own personal Swiss style La Bleue by using the Absinthe Clear essence via AbsintheKit.com. This essence can be ordered online for $3.95 for 20ml that makes one 750ml bottle of Absinthe or as part of a kit to produce 14 bottle of Absinthe for $29. AbsintheKit’s essences are made by distilling natural Absinthe herbs and you just have got to mix the essence with vodka or everclear to produce a real wormwood Absinthe.
So, where is the birthplace of Absinthe? Couvet is definitely the birthplace of Absinthe and is also home to some great current day Absinthes.