Bringing out Clandestine Absinthe
Clandestine Absinthe is bootleg Absinthe which was distributed over the Black Market during Absinthe prohibition.
Absinthe was restricted and made outlawed in France, Switzerland and many other countries in th early 1900s after becoming a popular liquor since its creation in the turn of the 19th century.
Absinthe ended up being especially popular with the Bohemian art set in the Montmartre part of Paris. Artists and writers including Van Gogh, Gauguin, Oscar Wilde and Ernest Hemingway have been all enthusiasts of the Green Fairy, as Absinthe is commonly known.
Anti-alcohol campaigners began to paint a bad picture of Absinthe in the late 19th century and early twentieth century, blaming it for France’s growing troubles with alcoholism and claiming that the chemical substance thujone (from wormwood) was psychoactive and was having psychedelic consequences. Many said that if Absinthe was not banned then France has got to be nation of mad, insane people. Absinthe was even held responsible for an alcoholic murdering his family regardless that he had been drinking other spirits right after the Absinthe. Absinthe was forbidden and prohibition began.
Clandestine Absinthe in Switzerland
During prohibition, there was obviously still a market for Absinthe and in Switzerland bootleg distillers still made and sold Absinthe. Switzerland was the house of Absinthe. It’s claimed that Absinthe was created by a doctor, Pierre Ordinaire, as being a tonic for his patients in 1789 in the Swiss town of Couvet in the Val de Travers, the Swiss Jura. Over time, Couvet became the Swiss capital of Absinthe creation and was obviously badly troubled by prohibition. One distiller, Claude-Alain Bugnon, is considered to have continued distilling Absinthe and distilled it with a recipe of another bootleg distiller Charlotte Vaucher. The Val de Travers was well known for its fantastic bootleg Absinthe.
Absinthe was legalized in lots of countries in the 1990s but legalisation in Switzerland didn’t occur until 2005. Claude-Alain Bugnon immediately sent applications for a license to market Absinthe and was the first distiller to generally be awarded a license for Absinthe manufacturing in Switzerland.
Claude-Alain Bugnon’s firm, Artemisia-Bugnon distilleries now produce various sorts of Absinthe:-
– The well-known La Clandestine Originale – This Absinthe is an award winning premium La Bleue, 53% ABV (alcohol by volume). It’s actually a clear Absinthe inside a blue bottle and a few people say that it got its name from the blue reflections noticed once the Absinthe louches.
– La Capricieuse – This Absinthe was made to fulfill the flavors for pre-prohibition stronger Absinthe and it has an ABV of 72%.
– Recette Marianne – This Absinthe was developed to be marketed to the French market which has strict Fenchone rules and doesn’t allow bottles labeled Absinthe to be sold. Fenchone is the essential oil of fennel and is also regarded as psychoactive. This liquor is 55% ABV and won the prestigious Golden Spoon Award in 2005, 2006 and 2007.
– La Clandestine Originale Alcool du Vin – A distillation of La Clandestine Originale using a wine base.
– Angelique Verte Suisse – Produced for many who want their Absinthe to be slightly more bitter also to have the traditional green color. The stunning label on this bottle is the same as antique labels depicting the Green Fairy.
The Artemisia-Bugnon uses herbs grown in your community like grande and petite Artemisia Absinthium (wormwood), hyssop and lemon balm to flavor its anise flavoured liquor. No man-made colors or additives are widely-used and many talk about the Absinthes possessing a “bouquet” of Alpine meadows, of honey and flowers.
The Clandestine Absinthe of the Artemisia-Bugnon distillery can be obtained to buy on their online shop but if you want to try your hand at producing your own personal Absinthe comprising wormwood then you can make use of the essences from AbsintheKit.com to make your own premium Absinthe.