Absinthe bottle and glasses

Absinthe by Tania Brasseur

The Movis Prize for Wine and Spirits Books was awarded to “Absinthe: A Journey to the Land of the Green Fairy” by Tania Brasseur, on January 13 at the Hôtel de Bourrienne in Paris (10th arrondissement).

The Words of Wine and Spirits Association (Movis) presented its literary prize for the second time.

In this book, Tania Brasseur takes readers deep into the Val-de-Travers, the birthplace of absinthe, where she explores the mysterious plant, the legendary spirit it inspired, and the passionate individuals who preserve its unique craftsmanship.

 

Spirits Hunters: Tania Brasseur, you have received several awards for your book Absinthe, the most recent being the Movis Prize in Paris. What motivated you to write about absinthe?

Tania Brasseur: The idea for this book came from a suggestion by my publisher, Helvetiq, with whom I had previously published Simply Swiss – Products from the Past, Recipes for Today, co-authored with chef Marina Kienast Gobet. That book showcased lesser-known culinary treasures of Swiss heritage.

I have always been fascinated by food and dining from cultural, historical, and imaginative perspectives. With absinthe, I had the perfect subject!

 

Spirits Hunters: What was your approach to writing this book?

Tania Brasseur: I wanted to create a work for a general audience. There are already excellent books on absinthe written by specialists for an informed readership.
Because I wasn’t an expert, I could take readers along with me on a journey of discovery—almost like an investigation.

I started at absinthe’s birthplace in the Val-de-Travers, Switzerland, then traveled through the Jura region, which straddles France and Switzerland and is now known as the Land of Absinthe. I explored the area extensively, meeting distillers, producers, and witnesses of the clandestine absinthe trade. You wouldn’t believe how many stories, anecdotes, and legends surround absinthe—it’s a real saga!

Of course, I also conducted extensive research, drawing on my academic training (I hold a doctorate in literature). Separating fact from fiction was essential, as so many myths surround absinthe.

 

Spirits Hunters: The book is beautifully illustrated. How did you gather the visuals?

Tania Brasseur: This book owes much to the talent and sensitivity of photographer Tamara Berger. We worked closely together—she beautifully captured the magic of the Jura landscapes. It’s no coincidence that the Green Fairy was born in this region of forests, springs, and mountains.

Tamara is from Val-de-Travers, and she shared her favorite spots with me. She also photographed the Maison de l’Absinthe in Môtiers, Switzerland, a museum I highly recommend. It feels like walking through an open book.

The book also features drawings by Ajsa Vera Zdravkovic, which depict what photographs couldn’t capture while avoiding the clutter of archival images. Together, the visuals create a harmonious experience.

 

Spirits Hunters: What surprising or remarkable things did you learn about absinthe during your research?

Tania Brasseur: So much! First, there’s the plant itself, long regarded as a cure-all since ancient times. Then, the shift from absinthe as a medicinal remedy to a popular aperitif is fascinating.

It’s incredible to see how absinthe’s rise accompanied the entire 19th century—colonialism, art, literature, industrialization, advertising, and even women’s emancipation—it played a role in all these areas.

The clandestine period, meanwhile, reads like a crime novel!

Spirits Hunters: Did absinthe truly cause madness, or was it a matter of excessive consumption?

Tania Brasseur: Even today, absinthe suffers from a bad reputation due to thujone, a neurotoxic molecule found in the plant. Nowadays, thujone content is limited to 35 mg per liter of alcohol. A lethal dose would require a person weighing 70 kilos to consume 70 liters of pure absinthe—well before that, they’d succumb to alcohol poisoning! It’s undeniable that absinthe caused harm before its prohibition, much like alcohol in general. The scale of alcoholism at the time is hard to imagine. Blaming absinthe was a convenient way to ignore the detrimental effects of industrialization on the working class.

Absinthe was also targeted by an unlikely alliance of temperance leagues and the wine industry. Winemakers, already reeling from the phylloxera crisis, saw absinthe as serious competition—it was even called the “national drink.”

 

Spirits Hunters: Could you share a cocktail recipe with us?

Tania Brasseur: I recommend the Fairy Trip, created specially for the book by Yann Klauser. (Stay tuned for the recipe!)

Fairy Trip

Recipe by Yann Klauser

Born in Val-de-Travers, Yann Klauser is a graduate in cooking. Absinthe is a part of his DNA. He studied at the École Hôtelière in Lausanne. After having worked in multiple establishments, he currently the Director of the Maison de l’Absinthe in Môtiers. In 2018, he published a book on absinthe-based recipes with Aurélie Brunner. He created this Fairy Trip especially for us!

 

Ingredients 

For 4 cocktails

 

Emulsion

-20ml of white absinthe at 54-55% vol.

-80ml orgeat syrup

-8 basil leaves

-2 egg whites

 

In the glass

-80ml of white absinthe at 54-55% vol.

-24ml fresh water

-12 ice cubes

-12 fresh raspberries

-4 dashes of raspberry liqueur (40ml)

 

Garnish

-4 basil heads

 

Material 

-4 long drink glasses

-4 absinthe spoons

-1 blender

-1 mesh strainer

-1 siphon with two gas capsules 

 

METHOD

In the blender, mix the basil leaves with the absinthe and the orgeat syrup, strain the liquid with the strainer placed on top of the siphon.

Add the egg whites and close the siphon. Keep in the fridge for 2 hours.

Add two gas capsules and shake upside down.

In each glass, pour 20ml absinthe and 60ml water. Add 3 ice cubes and 3 fresh raspberries. 

Pour one dash of raspberry liqueur (10ml).

Garnish with a nice spray of emulsion and decorate with the basil heads. Serve with an absinthe spoon, which will help you mix the emulsion with the cocktail.

About Tania Brasseur

Tania Brasseur’s cosmopolitan roots span Belgian, Greek, German, French, and Swiss heritage. She grew up in a world shaped by her parents’ travels across continents. Her childhood in Strasbourg, Alsace—a region renowned for its gastronomy—was filled with family meals where her father, a talented cook, introduced her to the delights of market-fresh ingredients.

Her love of both words and food led her to literature after studying languages. Her doctoral thesis explored the figure of the eater in the works of Colette, merging her two passions.

Professionally, Tania worked as a freelance translator and editor, specializing in environmental and cultural topics. She coordinated L’Environnement, a magazine from the Swiss Federal Office for the Environment, for eight years and served as project manager at Slow Food Switzerland, advocating for “good, clean, and fair” food.

Currently, she is developing the Sustineo Academy in French-speaking Switzerland, a continuing education program on sustainable dining, where she also teaches.
Today, she blends her love of gastronomy and literature as an author, journalist, speaker, and consultant on sustainable food. She also leads creative writing and reading workshops centered on taste and food.

(https://www.taniabrasseur.com/)

 

Photo: Dorian Rollin

 

Don’t drink and drive. Enjoy responsibly.

 

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