Absinthe Verte de Fougerolles
Verte de Fougerolles is, in my humble, uneducated (in the world of Absinthe, anyway) opinion, an outstanding absinthe.
Unfiltered and made from a combination of several aromatic herbs and plants, including grande and petite wormwood, anise, fennel and hyssop, this is a premium absinthe. It uses a grape-base alcohol, has no added sugar, and is bottled at 72°, in order to hold its natural green colour and present its aromas to the fullest. It is made by following the distillery’s own technique of distilling each plant separately, blending the resulting full alcohol distillates and then finishing with an ‘esprit vert’ (‘green spirit’ – a natural maceration of additional plants, including veronica (Speedwell) in grape spirits) which is mixed in during the final colouring stage of production. It louches beautifully, and is complex and intense.
This absinthe is produced in Fougerolles, which after Pontarlier, was the second major center for Absinthe during the Belle Epoque. I find it to be a little spicy, with the sweetness of the alcohol perfectly balancing the bitterness and astringency of the wormwood.
If you’re wanting to try some, I suggest getting a seat at my bar, and slyly suggesting in as covert a way as possible that you may be interested in some. As I only purchased the one bottle, we will not be advertising the fact that we have it, but will be suggesting it to people who we feel might be interested and have an appreciation for it.
On another note, isn’t curious that even though absinthe is legal in Canada, no-one will ship here because of our lovely Customs Agents, yet in a country where it is illegal, such as the States, the online shops have no problem shipping! One has to love government. Further research has led me to discover that while it is illegal to sell Absinthe in the U.S., it is not illegal to possess or drink.
** Note that this is an extremely old, regurgitated post, and I no longer have this bottle, and I am no longer in Canada**
Picture taken by:
Jamie Boudreau
SpiritsAndCocktails.com 
But is it legal in the States to serve cocktails made with Absinthe in a licensed bar?
Unless a state law has been passed stating that it is ok to serve the drink in that state (which currently there is not in any state) then no. It is illegal to sell any type of absinthe in the states. I am a resturantuer from NY and looked into this quite extensivley. No matter how you serve the absinthe it is still illegal to SELL it. However depending on your state resturant/liquor laws you may be able to serve it for free. Hope this was helpful.
Thanks D. I simply wish to make and serve a very authentic Sazerac cocktail. I may be splitting hairs here but it seems I would no more be selling the absinthe that goes into a Sazerac than I would be selling the Angostura bitters that goes into a Manhattan. On a side note then, which is the preferred Absinthe substitute? Herbsaint? Pernod?
Sorry, many days late and dollars short on this blog. Walt, Herbsaint is definitely the preferred Absinthe substitute in a Sazerac. At least in my opinion…but I’m sure I’m not alone.
Cheers,