Kubler & Wyss Absinthe

A founding member of the Absinthe family revived and true to its history.

Val-de-Travers is a municipality of Switzerland — basically including a long, fertile valley running parallel to Lake Neuchâtel, west of Bern. It’s also where Absinthe was invented. One of the most famous brands was Kübler Absinthe, created by J. Fritz Kübler in 1863 in Môtiers, Switzerland — which is the capital of Val-de-Travers. Business was so good that he open his own production house in 1875 — the Blackmint Distillery. Famously, political machinations and counterfeit products damaged the market and the Swiss government outlawed Absinthe in 1910. Yves Kübler — great grandson of Fritz — lobbied to restore legality to his family business. in 2001 the ban was lifted, and in 2005 all anti-Absinthe laws were repealed. Now, Yves Kübler has built a new distillery just a few miles from the original in Val-de-Travers where they produce the family recipe and a variety of other specialty liqueurs.

Kubler & Wyss Absinthe is the REAL deal. They start with a neutral grain spirit using local Swiss wheat. The Spirit is then exposed to macerated grande wormwood and anise with a dash of hyssop, lemon balm, coriander, star anise, fennel, petite wormwood, and mint. Importantly, this is a "la bleue" or "blanche" Absinthe. This refers to the highest-quality Absinthes that have bee redistilled for purity and complexity and have no artificial colors, flavors, or sweeteners. It’s really good stuff, bottled at 53% ABV. This also means that it pours clear, but may fog if chilled with water. This is called "louche" or "louching" and — when natural — is a desirable sign of quality.


Smartass Corner:
Val-de-Travers is an amalgamation of several towns in western Switzerland. The region was first mentioned in 1150 AD as "Valles Traversis" — Latin for "Valley of Traverse" — because it was a reliable corridor for travel between Bern, Switzerland, and eastern France, even in winter.