La Clandestine Absinthe is a Swiss La Bleue, or clear, absinthe brand produced by Artemisia-Bugnon distilleries. It is an anise-flavored, distilled liquor containing the herb wormwood (Artemisia absinthium), and when prepared with cold water will louche. La Clandestine Absinthe comes in four main styles, as detailed below.
| Type | Absinthe |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Artemisia-Bugnon |
| Country of origin | Switzerland |
| Introduced | 2008 in United States |
| Alcohol by volume | 53.0% |
| Proof (US) | 106 |
La Clandestine Absinthe
editAccording to the manufacturer, La Clandestine is based on a 1935 recipe by Swiss distiller Charlotte Vaucher [1] which Bugnon had been circulating unofficially for several years prior to the Swiss lifting a near one-hundred-year ban on absinthe March 1, 2005.[2] [3] Following the lift, Bugnon applied for an official license and became one of the first distillers in the Val-de-Travers region to be granted one. It is now commercially produced and sold by Artemisia-Bugnon. In June 2008, the US Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau approved a version of La Clandestine for sale in the United States,[4] and USA launch followed in October 2008.
La Clandestine, which is produced at 53% abv (alcohol by volume) is served in a manner similar to the traditional 19th-century French method, differing only in the use of sugar. The manufacturer recommends that La Clandestine be served without sugar.[5]
La Capricieuse
editLa Capricieuse, at 72% abv, was added in summer 2005.
La Recette Marianne
editLa Recette Marianne, at 55% abv, was launched in autumn 2005, in response to fenchone regulations in France.[6]
Angélique
editAngélique, at 72% abv, is the first Verte (or green) Suisse absinthe from the La Clandestine distillery, and was launched at the 10th Annual Absinthe Festival at Boveresse, Switzerland, in June 2007.
References
edit- ^ Brand history Retrieved 17 September 2009
- ^ San Francisco Chronicle article reproducing New York Times story of November 4, 2004 Retrieved 2 January 2008
- ^ First La Clandestine absinthe bottle of 2004, produced for export only. Retrieved 19 July 2018
- ^ US Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (2008). "Certificate of Federal Label Approval, La Clandestine Absinthe Superieure". Retrieved 2008-06-20.
- ^ Reference to drinking "au naturel," i.e. without sugar Archived 2007-09-27 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved 20 May 2007
- ^ Reference to fenchone regulations from brand website Retrieved 2 May 2009
External links
edit- La Clandestine Absinthe - Brand website
- Fée Verte Review Archived 2007-05-17 at the Wayback Machine - Independent website confirming that La Clandestine had been sold for "years" prior to its official launch.