The Art of Fine Absinthe Crafting

From the famed Combier distillery, recognized as a historical landmark in France, Jade Liqueurs® brings forth its globally acclaimed absinthes and artisanal spirits.

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 compliment 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 many industrial modern 'absinthes' that are cold mixed with commercial flavorings and artificial dyes, the absinthes of Jade Liqueurs® are distilled directly from select botanicals, and are never fabricated from assembled distillates, commercial flavorings, or synthetic dyes. Of critical importance to the production of historically authentic absinthes is the type and quality of the botanicals employed. Plants vary widely in quality and essential oil characteristics depending on cultivation methods, terroir, climate, and harvesting techniques. Most herbs in commerce today are unacceptable for our purposes. 

Jade Liqueurs® employs rigorous scrutiny and quality control methods in selecting only the most fragrant plants 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 botanicals.  

To ensure an ongoing supply of botanicals of correct variety, our team cultivates the most critical plants in the Loire, including two distinctly different, historically significant cultivars of Grande Wormwood.




Spirits

While modern absinthes are almost always made using inexpensive alcohols, Jade Liqueurs utilizes only the most historically correct base spirits to create its vintage-style absinthes. The most renowned original absinthes were crafted using a specific class of spirits derived from certain wine producing regions of France, and were oftentimes transported by rail over a considerable distance from the vineyards to the distilleries. Unfortunately however, the few 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 a proprietary French eau de vie 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.  As such, it can be said that the origin of Jade absinthe lies in the ancient vineyards of the Loire.




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 literature, 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 in the historic Combier distillery, and enjoy the unique privilege of being distilled in original 1,150L copper bain marie alembics that were acquired a century ago from what was perhaps the most famous original absinthe distillery in Pontarlier, France. 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 during the 19th century.

In the spirit of the finest originals, Jade Liqueurs'® absinthes are never adulterated with sugar, commercial flavorings, non-traditional herbs, or chemical dyes. The authentic, natural tint of the Jade absinthes is derived solely from a traditional, delicate process that is conducted entirely by hand, using only original materials and methods. This expensive step is the only way to obtain the correct tint and final flavoring, and perfecting this antique process on a historical scale is no small feat.




Bottling

The absinthes crafted by Jade Liqueurs® are never packaged in screw-cap bottles. Following a settling period that averages at least three years, 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 topped by hand in the traditional wax, and each receives the Jade Liqueurs® seal of authenticity.