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absinthe tourist route), we tuck into a steak flambéed

in the spirit and served in a deliciously aromatic

absinthe sauce. As we chat about the approaches of

distillers on either side of the border, Hérard says he

finds it interesting that the French, for all their reputed

rebelliousness, simply accepted the ban, whereas the

Swiss—often typecast as rule-driven—carried on in

secret in Val de Travers. If they hadn’t, the recipes

and production methods could easily have been lost.

Val de Travers is a wide green valley, peppered

with villages whose histories are bound to absinthe.

Klauser, head of Maison de l’Absinthe, in the village

of Môtiers, meets me in the museum’s bar. Lines of

shelves showcase bottles from local distilleries, and

the sleek modernity of the bar makes quite a contrast

to the quaint Swiss village outside.

It’s too early for a drink, so Klauser shows me

around. The museum, set in a former judge’s office,

tells how absinthe never really went away. “They used

to drink ‘Ovaltine’ in the bars in opaque mugs,” he says.

“But inside it was absinthe.” The exhibits explore the

ingenious methods used to hide the distillation process

(tires were burned and silage pits stirred to disguise the

smell) and the various ways the finished product was

concealed (for example, in recycled pineapple tins).

One audacious flaunting of the law occurred during

the visit of then French president François Mitterrand

in 1983. A local chef prepared a dessert for the

president: a cold soufflé, with one special ingredient—

absinthe. According to Klauser, a French journalist

covering the visit was so taken aback he blurted out,

“But isn’t absinthe banned?” The chef was unmoved,

replying nonchalantly, “Oh yes.” When I try the dessert

later, at lunch, it’s delicious—the absinthe lending a

spearmint flavor to the delicate cream.

Back in the bar area, I admire the 28 different

brands made by 17 different Swiss distillers—all with

labels beautifully adorned with fairies, art nouveau

curves, or scenes from historic posters. While most

distilleries here create a clear spirit, there are a few

brands of green absinthe. “The green color comes from

chlorophyll in the nettle or mint, or hyssop, or even

spinach, but it’s very difficult to get the balance and

the color right,” explains Klauser.

In the next village, Boveresse, Philippe Martin runs

his family’s once-clandestine distillery and grew up

with absinthe ever present. “My father was a bootleg-

ger, his uncle as well; someone in the family was always

involved. I remember, as a kid, the bathtub always

being used for the stills’ cooling system.”

Martin’s distillery, La Valote Martin, is one of very

few that oversees the whole process, from growing the

plants to drying them and using them in the spirit. Set

in a large chalet building, his copper stills take pride

of place in one of the huge fireplaces. In the walled

garden, the gray-flowered wormwood plants grow

alongside the other vital herbs and flowers.

For the herbs to be used in the stills, they must first

be dried, which Martin does in the attic of the build-

ing. We climb the creaking stairs, past peeling 1970s

wallpaper, before we reach a final flight that’s almost

as steep as a ladder. At the top, the drying racks come

into view. On lines of musty wooden beams, the gray

flowers hang in bunches. A light, herbal aroma reaches

our nostrils, while shafts of light from the windows give

it a slightly creepy air; I almost expect Miss Havisham

to be sitting in a corner.

We finish with a tasting in the small bar area, where

Martin explains how many distillers today are making

blends that are sweet enough to be drunk without the

sugar cube. As I’m driving, I take only a sip, but the

flavor is refreshing, the tartness of the aniseed softened

by a gentle blend of other botanicals.

Later, I meet Klauser back at Maison de l’Absinthe

and we drive to a trail in the woods that leads to one of

the town’s former illicit drinking dens. Fifteen min-

utes later, we arrive at the spring, top up our glasses

of absinthe, and raise a toast. “Santé!” we say—good

health. After this foray into the Green Fairy’s heart-

land, I know both my santé, and sanity, are safe.

CAROLYN BOYD ( @carolynboyd) often writes about

French fare. CLARA TUMA ( @claratumaphoto

graphy) lives part-time in France. This story was

adapted from National Geographic Traveller Food.

TASTE OF TRAVEL

ABSINTHE

Travel Wise

GETTING THERE

& AROUND

The most accessible

nearby airports are Lyon

in France and Basel-

Mulhouse-Freiburg on

the French-Swiss border in

the Alsace region. You can

also take the train from

Paris to Pontarlier, chang-

ing at Frasne. The area is

rural, so the best way to

get around is to rent a car.

WHERE TO STAY

B&B La Maison d’à Côté, in

Pontarlier, has two double

rooms decorated beau-

tifully with vintage finds.

lamaison-da-cote.fr

HOW TO DO IT

Plan your stops using the

Route de l’Absinthe web-

site, which details distill-

eries, boutiques, museums,

and forest springs on both

sides of the border. To visit

a distillery, be sure to make

arrangements in advance.

routedelabsinthe.com

La Valote Martin distillery

displays fennel, hyssop,

and other botanicals used

for flavoring absinthe.