Absinthe Tourism: Distillery Tours
Absinthe has made a comeback in many locations that saw it flourish during its golden era in late 19th-century Paris, for instance, was known for heavy drinking artists like Toulouse-Lautrec and Henri Matisse who indulged in its consumption regularly. Paris now provides numerous spots where you can sample this ethereal green fairy and enjoy it to its full potential – pour it over ice with a spoon, swirl around a fountain or simply sip straight in bars
Discovering absinthe is best done at a distillery, such as those along the French and Swiss Absinthe Trail. Here, wormwood-based spirits such as Pierre Guy Distillery of Pontarlier can be sampled alongside an informative museum that documents absinthe’s controversial past by featuring its backlash: including a 1906 petition filed by anti-alcohol campaigners accusing it of inducing madness.
Artemisia Bugnon in Couvet, Switzerland is among the many artisanal distillers offering tours. Their award-winning Absinthe Verte Sapin uses an age-old recipe and is never over-filtered to preserve the natural herbal flavours and deep green hue.
Rebel City Distillery of Cork, Ireland has begun offering distillery tours. Utilizing an 1871 book as their basis and adding their unique twist of grande wormwood, green anise and Florence fennel for their crystal clear Absinthe, you can experience their legendary product either served up as a shot or with ice and sugar for the signature Rebel City serve!