Amazing news from France, discovered on Twitter this morning, announced on a French absinthe forum, and revealed in full on a new French absinthe website. The long-awaited re-launch of Pernod Fils absinthe!
For those who don't know all about absinthe: a short history. Many real absinthe lovers have expressed their disappointment with Pernod's 21st century absinthe. They were sad that Pernod-Ricard, a company that had its roots in real absinthe, initially in Couvet, the birthplace of absinthe, and then in Pontarlier with Pernod Fils Absinthe, chose to launch Pernod Aux Plantes d'Absinthe Supérieure
an absinthe with artificial colours and clearly nothing like the original Pernod Fils absinthe. An absinthe that was world-famous in the late 19th century, an absinthe whose pre-1915 ban bottles are sought by absinthe collectors globally even now.
To cut a long story short (and not wishing to translate the whole of the French webzine), an entrepreneur contacted Pernod-Ricard with a business plan to re-introduce Pernod Fils Absinthe. After many months' work, using the code name Colvert and in collaboration with Pernod-Ricard's master distiller, Eric Brochet, they are nearly ready to launch. And because of the massive economies of scale that Pernod-Ricard can make, they plan to launch at an amazing €30 for a liter bottle.
There are no pack shots available yet (these pictures are of an empty Pernod Fils bottle purchased this week on Ebay UK for £0.99), and no tasting notes are yet available.Full story available in French here.
For a blogger like myself, this is a story as big as the Swiss re-legalisation of absinthe or the lifting of the ban in the USA. If not bigger. What do my readers think of this amazing story?
UPDATE: April 2, 2010
As far as I know, the original French story is a very elaborate April Fools' Day Joke. Sorry to disappoint everyone. Or maybe it isn't. Only time will tell, and for those who've waited 95 years to try newly-made Pernod Fils absinthe, what's a few more years?
Good to see that Pernod themselves have retained a sense of humour about this. Later on April 1, 2010, this tweet appeared:
Santé, PernodAbsinthe!
4 comments:
Thanks for sharing the news Alan !
We're very excited here, with the "Colvert" project coming to an end.
I've had a glimpse at the final bottle design this morning, and it's definitely looking good, with a classy "vintage-ish" label and so on.
Bottling will start very soon, I hope I'll be able to take pictures of it.
Sorry for not publishing in English, taking care of La Gazette de l'Absinthe in French is already too much work
Wow ... i've never tried the newer version nor the vintage stuff ... this should be good and easier to obtain/ less expensive ... hurray ... may it find its way to the U.S.A. before long ...
This is like the news of a first born baby! I am so excited with this!
-Absintheman.com
Wow, the first of April sure does bring exciting news. I'm glad the original PF is making a comeback with the authentic FD&C food coloring added. And for only €30! It's almost too good to be true :P
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