The Art of Fine Absinthe Crafting

From an old French distillery recognized as a historical landmark, Jade Liqueurs brings forth its globally acclaimed absinthes.

The absinthes produced by Jade Liqueurs are uniquely crafted using only the original equipment and methods employed by the artisans of the past, without compromises or shortcuts. These absinthes are carefully constructed using the full strength of selected herbs, including Artemisia absinthium (Grande Absinthe), and are absolutely authentic down to exacting details. To 'refine' or modernize our absinthes in the typical industrial fashion would be to negate their authenticity, which is unfair to the discriminating connoisseur, and equally unacceptable to us.

Upon savoring the bouquet and flavor of the absinthes offered by Jade Liqueurs, the connoisseur is taken back to a time where artisanship and quality were honorable traditions. At Jade Liqueurs, uncompromised historical accuracy and authenticity is our only recipe.

Botanicals

Unlike the typical modern 'absinthes' that litter the market presently, the authentic absinthes offered by Jade Liqueurs are crafted directly from select whole herbs, and never from cheaper assemblages, macerations, extracts, or oils. Of critical importance to the production of historically authentic absinthes is the type and quality of the herbs employed. Herbs vary widely in quality and essential oil characteristics depending on cultivation methods, terroir, climate, and harvesting techniques. Most herbs in commerce today (even those marketed as "organic") are unacceptable for our purposes. Jade Liqueurs employs rigorous scrutiny and quality control methods in selecting only the most fragrant herbs of the correct original variety, regional origin, and essential oil characteristics. Our attention to these details raises our materials costs substantially, but the difference in quality speaks for itself. In fact, our standards are so demanding that the availability of our absinthes is always limited by the availability of suitable herbs.

Spirits

While modern absinthes are almost always made using commercial spirits derived from grain, beets, or cane, Jade Liqueurs utilizes only the most historically correct base spirits to create its vintage-style absinthes. The most desireable original absinthes were made using a specific class of spirits derived from certain wine producing regions of France, and were oftentimes transported by rail over very long distances from the vineyards to the distilleries. Unfortunately however, most wine spirits in commerce today tend to differ substantially in construction and content from the spirits in commerce in the 19th century, and are therefore unacceptable to us. The absinthes offered by Jade Liqueurs are crafted only with spirits prepared from selected French marc du vin that adheres strictly to our specifications, and are derived only from specific grape varietals and terroir. Our selectivity with respect to spirits raises our costs dramatically, but the use of anything less would compromise the historical accuracy and supple nature of the Jade absinthes.

Distillation

The delicate process of fine absinthe distillation demands considerable knowledge, expertise, and attention to detail. For various reasons that are not obvious to the casual enthusiast, a historically accurate absinthe cannot be realistically recreated from a paragraph or two of 'recipes' or other generic information lifted from old encyclopedic references, the Internet, or otherwise. The absinthes offered by Jade Liqueurs are uniquely derived from actual full, sealed bottles of the finest original absinthes, and represent the results of a decade of careful analyses.
Jade Liqueurs' absinthes are crafted entirely by hand, and enjoy the unique privilege of being distilled in original 1,150L copper bain marie alembics that were acquired directly from the Pernod Fils* distillery in Pontarlier, France approximately one hundred years ago. These beautiful antique absinthe stills are quite a prize, having been purpose built entirely by hand circa 1870s, and feature full hydro-rectification to ensure an incomparably smooth product. These fabulous icons of the absinthe era have been returned to their full glory, producing the finest absinthes today just as they did for Pernod Fils* over a century ago.

In the spirit of the finest originals, Jade Liqueurs' absinthes are never adulterated with sugar, flavorings, inferior herbs, added chlorophyll or artificial dyes. The authentic, natural tint of the Jade absinthes is derived solely from a traditional, delicate herbal process that is conducted entirely by hand using only original equipment. This expensive step is the only way to obtain the correct tint and final flavoring, and perfecting this antique process on the required scale is no small feat.

Bottling

The absinthes crafted by Jade Liqueurs are never packaged in cheap, screw-cap bottles. The Jade absinthes are properly bottled and corked by hand in quality heavy glass. Like a fine wine, age brings to these fine absinthes a certain mellowing and marrying of flavors that can only be achieved through the passage of time. Fine absinthe, like fine wine, deserves to be bottled and stored properly. The delicate natural coloring of these absinthes must be bottled in dark green glass in order to preserve the delicate natural color from oxidation. Each bottle is encapsulated by hand in the traditional wax, and each receives the Jade Liqueurs seal of authenticity.

* "Pernod Fils" is a trademark of Pernod-Ricard, SA. Jade Liqueurs, LLC is not affiliated with Pernod-Ricard, SA.