La Clandestine Absinthe
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La Clandestine Absinthe is a popular La Bleue (clear) Swiss absinthe brand produced by Artemisia-Bugnon distilleries. It is a highly alcoholic, anise-flavored, distilled liquor containing the herb wormwood (Artemisia absinthium), and when properly prepared with cold water will louche.
It comes in three styles, the original Clandestine, at 53% abv (alcohol by volume), the stronger 72% abv Capricieuse, and the Recette Marianne 55% abv, a low fenchone absinthe created to meet French fenchone regulations.
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[edit] La Clandestine Absinthe
La Clandestine Absinthe was launched in 2005 by Artemisia-Bugnon, set up by a hitherto "underground" distiller, Claude-Alain Bugnon. It is said to be based on a 1935 recipe from a Swiss distiller known as Charlotte.
La Clandestine had been circulating unofficially for several years prior to 2005, but the Swiss legalisation of absinthe on March 1st, 2005, encouraged Bugnon to apply for an official licence and he was one of the first distillers in the historically important Val-de-Travers region to get such a licence.
While La Clandestine can be drunk in the traditional manner, adding chilled water poured over a sugar cube, its distiller recommends drinking it without sugar.
[edit] La Capricieuse
La Capricieuse, at 72%, was added in summer 2005, in response to the demand for a stronger absinthe in several of its markets worldwide.
[edit] La Recette Marianne
La Recette Marianne, at 55%, was launched in autumn 2005, in response to fenchone regulations in France. It was this absinthe which won the Golden Spoon award at the Pontarlier Absinthiades in 2005 and 2006.
[edit] External links
- La Clandestine Absinthe - Brand website
- Swiss Spirits Awards - Winner of the Best Label and Presentation for all Spirits and Absinthe Gold Medal Winner.
- New York Times article - Story about La Clandestine and other Swiss absinthe.
- Absinthiades results - Recette Marianne: the Golden Spoon winner for the second consecutive year.
