Creation of Absinth

Absinth is a vibrant green distilled beverage that caused much pain and joy during its heyday in bohemian cafes in Europe during the late 19th and early 20th century. Absinth may have been most popular during this age, but the history of this controversial drink goes back to the late 18th century. The bright green drink is approximately 68 percent alcohol (or 136 proof) and is commonly made from wormwood, anise, fennel, but may contain angelica root, calamis root, coriander, licorice root, lemon balm, dittany, and sweet flag.

Legend has it absinth was created in Switzerland by a French doctor in 1789. Dr. Pierre Ordinaire was a Frenchman by birth but found exiled himself for unknown political reasons to Switzerland. When living in the town of Couvet in the Canton of Neuchatel, Dr. Ordinaire made the first absinth by mixing wormwood with herbs and alcohol. The result was a 136 proof creation he used for treating his patients. The good doctor had come across wormwood, a powerful herb, while traveling in Switzerland’s Franche-Comte region. Dr. Ordinaire’s creation became a popular cure-all, as his patients swore the green elixir cured whatever had previously ailed them. The drink was dubbed “la Fee Verte,” or the “Green Fairy,” and the secret recipe was passed on to a Swiss woman named Mademoiselle Grand-Pierre after the death of Dr. Pierre Ordinaire. Mademoiselle Grand-Pierre was then rumored to sell the elixir’s recipe to two Swiss sisters living in Couvet.

Some historians argue these two sisters, known as the Henroid sisters, were brewing absinth before Dr. Ordinaire even came to Couvet. Regardless, Dr. Ordinaire is credited for the popularity of the green fairy. The Henroid sisters sold samples to neighboring pharmacies, which began purchasing absinth from the sisters to distribute to the apothecary’s customers. In 1797, just some 18 years after absinth was first created and distributed by Dr. Ordinare, the Henroid sisters sold the recipe to a Frenchman known as Major Dubied. This transaction proved to be the one that set absinth on the map, as Dubied’s daughter married Henri-Louis Pernod. Together with his son, Marcellin, and son-in-law, Pernod, Major Dubied built the first commercial distillery of absinth in Couvet. This distillery was known as Dubied Pere et Fils. Eight years later, in 1805, Pernod opened his own distillery in the town of Pontarlier, France. Pontarlier is directly across the border from Couvet, but due to its location in France, the high import tax encountered when the distilled product was sent the France could be avoided. Pernod’s distillery, named “Maison Pernod Fils” operated two stills and was capable of producing 16 liters of absinth in a day’s time. Over time, Pernod’s son, Louis, purchased land and built an additionally distillery, which was capable of producing over 400 liters of absinth a day. Quickly, Maison Pernod Fils became one of the major absinth distilleries in the world and at the height of production in 1850, the distillery was producing over 30,000 liters of absinth per day. Maison Pernod Fils’ absinth was sent to ports in many countries around the world.

Maison Pernod Fils used wine as the alcohol needed to distill absinth (called the proof-spirit). However, Phylloxera began affecting grape production, thus affecting wine production. Pernod did not follow suit of other absinth companies that began using beets, grains, or potatoes to produce the proof-spirit. For this reason, the absinth produced at Maison Pernod Fils maintained its high quality. Additonally, Maison Pernod Fils actively inspected all ingredients in their absinth—including wormwood, fennel, melissa, and anise. The cleanliness of the factory and the distillery was remarkable, and all these factors resulted in Maison Pernod Fils producing the best quality absinth available at the time.