French Absinthe

France is the producer of some of the most authentic, traditional absinthe in the world. And it's no surprise, as France is where absinthe first became a national obsession. In the 19th century, absinthe was a part of every day life.

Absinthe in France, during the Belle Epoque:



Although absinthe was invented in Switzerland (Val-de-Travers), it is in France that it really expanded. And it is in Pontarlier, in 1805, that the most well-known distillery was founded: Maison Pernod Fils.

Absinthe was a originally a drink of the sophisticated upper class, however eventually it spread. By 1860 it had seduced every stratum of society, including the working class. It then had achieved such a success that it became France's national drink as much by its production as by its consumption. Indeed, at that time, more than 200 distilleries existed, and it was by far the most popular drink in cafés and restaurants!

The demand and consumption increased so much, especially amongst artists, it slowly became a symbol of alcoholism and was persecuted by temperance organizations. Wine growers, unhappy that they had lost so much custom to absinthe, joined forces with the anti-alcohol campaigners to fight against absinthe, and that is why the government decided to ban the drink and similar spirits in 1914, just after the first world war was declared.

Absinthe in France today:



A few absinthes started reappearing in 1999 after almost a century of Prohibition. Since then, the number of absinthes on the market has not stopped increasing, although the distilleries are much fewer than they used to be.

In the town that we can call the capital city of absinthe, Pontarlier, 2 distilleries are still active: the Francois Guy distillery and the Pernot Klainguer one. As a comparision: Pontarlier counted 25 distilleries in 1914!

The second most popular city for absinthe producers during the Belle Epoque was Fougerolles. A handful of small distilleries there are still making absinthe, including The Paul Devoille distillery, and Lemercier distillery.

In Saumur, in the Loire Valley, there is the Combier distillery whose work has been fundamental in the modern recreation of top quality absinthe. Appropriately, Combier's distillery building was designed by engineer Gustave Eiffel (of 'Eiffel Tower' fame), and its stills came from the Pernod distillery at the end of the 19th century. Combier does sterling work distilling the Jade Liqueurs line of absinthe - recreations of historic absinthe.

Traditional absinthe today contains all the same plants and ingredients as it did over a hundred years ago.
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29 items,

An ultra premium artisan absinthe, and winner of the gold medal at the Absinthia...

La Maison Fontaine is an ultra premium absinthe, handcrafted amongst the beautiful Jura Mountains in Pontarlier. When you discover the absinthe capi ...

 £71.50/Liter  £50
In stock

Absinthe Blanchette - 50cl

France / 60%
(17 Reviews)

Replica of an ancient absinthe, beautifully combining the fruity flavours of fe...

It is the replica of an ancient absinthe, beautifully combining the fruity flavours of fennel to those of a powerful Grand Wormwood. A success. IT was awarded the “Cuillère d'Or” at the 2006 Absinthiades in Pontarlier, France, ...

 £57/Liter  £28.50
In stock

A strong, floral and complex Blanche from France. Its wine alcohol base adds spi...

Intended for absinthe connoisseurs, Enigma Blanche has particularly harmonious and complex aromas. It is an authentic absinthe distilled according to a traditional 19th century absinthe recipe from Switzerland.Absinthe expert Marc Thuillier revie ...

 £69.50/Liter  £48.50
In stock

An ultra premium artisan absinthe, and winner of the gold medal at the Absinthia...

La Maison Fontaine is an ultra premium absinthe, handcrafted amongst the beautiful Jura Mountains in Pontarlier. When you discover the absinthe capi ...

 £140/Liter  £7
In stock

An ultra premium artisan absinthe, and winner of the gold medal at the Absinthia...

La Maison Fontaine is an ultra premium absinthe, handcrafted amongst the beautiful Jura Mountains in Pontarlier. When you discover the absinthe capital of the world, Pontarlier (France), has 200 years of Absinthe heritage and the world's oldest ...

 £100/Liter  £20
In stock
Organic

A complex and clear absinthe from Brittany, with a refreshing citrus aroma. Orga...

Finn – this name is derived from the Gaelic word fionn, meaning white or bright. A very fitting name for this clear absinthe. Julien Fanny, distiller of Absinthe Finn Blanche, has used 7 incredibly high quality organic her ...

 £70.50/Liter  £49.50
In stock
Organic

An organic certified blanche absinthe using wormwood grown at high-altitude.

For La Loulette, the Aymonier distillery have used wormwood grown at 1100 metres above sea-level, grown by the distillery’s owners themselves.Loulette is a light and very aromatic absinthe, which is rounded off by a sweet fennel note. As with all the absint ...

 £64.50/Liter  £45
In stock

Absinthe Un Emile Blanche 68 - 70cl

France / 68%
(3 Reviews)

Fruity, this white absinthe is produced according to a Swiss recipe.

Un Emile 68 absinthe is characterised by its fruity fennel. It is produced according to a Swiss recipe. No artificial substance is used, and neither star anise nor sugar is part of the recipe.

 £64.50/Liter  £45
In stock

This absinthe has particularly harmonious and complex aromas. It is for amateurs...

Enigma Blanche has particularly harmonious and complex aromas. It is for amateurs of authentic absinthes. It is an authentic product produced according to a traditional Swiss recipe drawn from a treaty on the production of spirits in the 19th ce ...

 £87.50/Liter  £17.50
In stock
Classic

Absinthe Blanchette - 20cl

France / 60%
(17 Reviews)

Replica of an ancient absinthe, beautifully combining the fruity flavours of fe...

It is the replica of an ancient absinthe, beautifully combining the fruity flavours of fennel to those of a powerful Grand Wormwood. A success. IT was awarded the “Cuillère d'Or” at the 2006 Absinthiades in Pontarlier, France, ...

 £72.50/Liter  £14.50
In stock
Organic

An organic absinthe with floral notes.

La Perchée is made by the Aymonier Distillery in France, just 10 km away from Pontarlier, a town of historically monumental importance when it comes to absinthe. The name Perchée means perched, referring to the fact that the herbs used to make ...

 £90/Liter  £63
In stock

Absinthe A. Junod - 70cl

France / 65%
(2 Reviews)

A clear absinthe distilled in Pontarlier that made its way to the Academy Awards...

This clear absinthe is distilled near the Jura Mountains in France using eight herbs and plants. Wormwood, green anise and fennel are the main ingredients to make absinthe.In order to produce Absinthe A. Junod (name of the famous distiller of the Belle Epoque), t ...

 £77/Liter  £54
In stock
Organic

Suave like the name. A light absinthe with a prominent anise flavor, produced by...

Absinthe Suavecita is produced at the Aymonier's family farm and home, at an altitude of 1100m. They use their home grown wormwood that gives all organic absinthes from Aymonier their unmistak ...

 £64.50/Liter  £45
In stock
Organic

An organic absinthe from France with a dominant anise flavor.

The La Blanche is an organic absinthe that is produced by the Bourgeois distillery in France. The distillery is located in Arçon, not far from Pontarlier.This clear absinthe has a dominant anise and fennel flavor. The taste is also charact ...

 £73/Liter  £51
In stock
Organic

A mellow Blanche from the organic distillery Bourgeois in France.

The Absinthe La Fine is produced by Bourgeois, an organic distillery in Arçon, France. The small commune is located not far from Pontarlier.La Fine is a mellow and well-balanced clear absinthe. It has a slightly sweet aroma and a harmoniou ...

 £77/Liter  £54
In stock
Organic

An organic certified blanche absinthe using wormwood grown at high-altitude.

For La Loulette, the Aymonier distillery have used wormwood grown at 1100 metres above sea-level, grown by the distillery’s owners themselves.Loulette is a light and very aromatic absinthe, which is rounded off by a sweet fennel note. As with all the absint ...

 £100/Liter  £10
In stock
Organic

An organic absinthe with strong notes of wormwood.

Sans Frontières, is made following a recipe from the 1890s. The Aymonier distillery uses almost only herbs grown on their own farm, at an altitude of 1100m. Sans Frontières means ‘without borders’, which may be a joke referring to t ...

 £175/Liter  £17.50
In stock
Organic

An organic absinthe with floral notes.

La Perchée is made by the Aymonier Distillery in France, just 10 km away from Pontarlier, a town of historically monumental importance when it comes to absinthe. The name Perchée means perched, referring to the fact that the herbs used to make ...

 £175/Liter  £17.50
In stock
Organic

Suave like the name. A light absinthe with a prominent anise flavor, produced by...

Absinthe Suavecita is produced at the Aymonier's family farm and home, at an altitude of 1100m. They use their home grown wormwood that gives all organic absinthes from Aymonier their unmistak ...

 £100/Liter  £10
In stock
Organic

A mellow Blanche from the organic distillery Bourgeois in France.

The Absinthe La Fine is produced by Bourgeois, an organic distillery in Arçon, France. The small commune is located not far from Pontarlier.La Fine is a mellow and well-balanced clear absinthe. It has a slightly sweet aroma and a harmoniou ...

 £100/Liter  £20
In stock
Organic

An organic absinthe from France with a dominant anise flavor.

The La Blanche is an organic absinthe that is produced by the Bourgeois distillery in France. The distillery is located in Arçon, not far from Pontarlier.This clear absinthe has a dominant anise and fennel flavor. The taste is also charact ...

 £100/Liter  £20
In stock
Organic

A mild and sweet organic Blanche from Pontarlier.

This blanche is mellow, mild and refreshing. La Saugette comes with a strong fennel profile, low on wormwood and tasty green aniseed. Its louche is quick, but like most of the other Bourgeois absinthes, the drink does not turn entirely opaque. Due to that, a ...

 £71.50/Liter  £50
In stock
Organic

A mild and sweet organic Blanche from Pontarlier.

This blanche is mellow, mild and refreshing. La Saugette comes with a strong fennel profile, low on wormwood and tasty green aniseed. Its louche is quick, but like most of the other Bourgeois absinthes, the drink does not turn entirely opaque. Due to that, a ...

 £100/Liter  £20
In stock

This absinthe has particularly harmonious and complex aromas. It is for amateurs...

The Verte de Fougerolles is now known under the name Enigma Blanche. Though the recipe has not changed, the label has, it now displays an Art-Nouveau design, in the vein of 1900 absinthe posters. The Enigma is still the fine wine alcohol-based absinthe that ...

 £70.50/Liter  £49.50
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