Another fête de l’absinthe just went by and I left Switzerland with as much memories in my head as glasses I emptied back there.
The first fête de l’absinthe saw the light in 1997 in Boveresse in the Val-de-Travers, cradle of birth of absinthe. At that time, absithe was still forbidden and the distillers were clandestine.
Have you never been to that feast ? Here is a little guided tour; you will probably feel like joining yourself to us next year !
The different stands
The official stand: A new spoon and poster are created each year especially for the feast: this is the place to find them as well as the ones released in the past years.
Les amis du musée (the museum’s friends): Our friends and organisators of the feast display various articles (posters, post cards, DVDs…) and are always delighted to talk about their different activities concering absinthe, especially the absinthe Route, coming up soon !
Benoit Noel: He introduces his different books on the Green Fairy. It is always a great opportunity to discuss interesting topics on the history of absinthe.
The different distillers: About 10 local distillers are there to introduce us to their absinthes at will. It is difficult to resist to such an offer!
Eat and drink: You won’t be missing anything as there is a refreshment area as well as a grill.
Amusement stands: A shooting range and other divertisments keep the little ones (and the big ones?) busy.
Nicolas’ bar: You couldn’t forget it ! However you’ll have to be informed to find it. This bar used to be clandestine and now offers a few 200 absinthes that you can savour in exchange of a few coins. Mmmmh
Boveresse’s absinthe dryer
This real dryer is in the East of the village. It shows what Boveresse used to be for the cultivation of absinthe.
It is also possible to savour may different absinthes in beautiful surroundings in which you will discover various old items: stills, Pernod boxes, etc. The dryer properly speaking is on the top floor.
A true pleasure for each one of our senses !
The fever of Saturday night
After having discovered many things and discussed on different topics about absinthe, the time to party has come:
Various people meet under the large white tent with a warm atmosphere in the air. Whether at the bar, on the dancefloor or outside, everybody has lots of fun.
Moreover, everybody agrees on one point: the true “Bleue” from the Val-de-Travers that is served there is delicious !
Sunday, the visit goes on
It is the end of the stay for most of us. Time flies !
For those who have not too far to go to get back home, it is still possible to take advantage of this last day to make the most of this beautiful region:
- visit of the asphalt mines: they are located in Travers and form a true labyrinth of galeries dugged between 1712 and 1986 (almost three centuries!) to extract a rare and precious mineral : asphalt.
- BBQ in Kallnach at the Matter Luginbühl distillery: tasting of absinthe saussages as well as various specialities of the distillery, of course.
- drive through Pontarlier: mainly in order to visit the two distilleries, Pernot and Francois Guy.
You will now or then have to head towards home but don’t worry…
… the Green Fairy will be back next year and happy to welcome you !
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Have a look on all the photos of the fête de l’absinthe on our Facebook page.
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