Kübler Absinthe Superieure is a brand of

absinthe Absinthe (, ) is an anise-flavored Liquor, spirit derived from several plants, including the flowers and leaves of ''Artemisia absinthium'' ("grand wormwood"), together with green anise, sweet fennel, and other medicinal and culinary herbs. His ...

, distilled in the

Val-de-Travers Val-de-Travers is a Municipalities of Switzerland, municipality in the canton of Neuchâtel in Switzerland. It was created on 1 January 2009, when the former municipalities of Boveresse, Buttes, Neuchâtel, Buttes, Couvet, Fleurier, Les Bayards, ...

region of Switzerland also known as the "birthplace of absinthe". Kübler Absinthe was first produced in 1863 and was the first brand to be sold legally in Switzerland after the national ban on absinthe was lifted in March, 2005. The legalization of absinthe in Switzerland is largely due to Kübler's lobbying efforts. The United States

Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau, statutorily named the Tax and Trade Bureau and frequently shortened to TTB, is a bureau of the United States Department of the Treasury, which regulates and collects taxes on trade and imports of alc ...

(TTB) approved the formula for Kübler Absinthe in 2004, and approved the product for sale in the United States in May 2007 after three years of discussions among Kübler,

Food and Drug Administration The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA or US FDA) is a List of United States federal agencies, federal agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Health and Human Services. The FDA is respo ...

, TTB, and

U.S. Customs and Border Protection United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is the largest federal law enforcement agency of the United States Department of Homeland Security. It is the country's primary border control organization, charged with regulating and facilita ...

. These discussions proved to be instrumental in opening the door for many brands of absinthe to be legally sold or produced in the United States. Kübler was launched in 1863 by J. Fritz Kübler in Môtiers, Switzerland and is now a part of the Altamar Brands portfolio. Môtiers is the capital of the Val-de-Travers, the birthplace of absinthe. This region sits near the eastern border of France. Fritz opened the Blackmint Distillery in 1875, and received numerous awards and medals in competitions around the European theater before the Swiss government banned absinthe in 1910. In 2001, the Swiss ban was lifted and the brand was revived by Fritz's great grandson Yves (a fifth generation Kübler), who runs the distillery only a few miles from its original site in the Val-de-Travers.

Crafting process

The principal ingredients in Kübler Absinthe are the herbs grande wormwood (

Artemisia absinthium ''Artemisia absinthium'', otherwise known as common wormwood, is a species of '' Artemisia'' native to North Africa and temperate regions of Eurasia, and widely naturalized in Canada and the northern United States. It is grown as an ornamental ...

) and

anise Anise (; '), also called aniseed or rarely anix, is a flowering plant in the family Apiaceae native to the eastern Mediterranean region and Southwest Asia. The flavor and aroma of its seeds have similarities with some other spices and herbs, ...

. Kübler uses a grain neutral base spirit distilled from Swiss

wheat Wheat is a group of wild and crop domestication, domesticated Poaceae, grasses of the genus ''Triticum'' (). They are Agriculture, cultivated for their cereal grains, which are staple foods around the world. Well-known Taxonomy of wheat, whe ...

and also includes

hyssop ''Hyssopus officinalis'' or hyssop is a shrub in the Lamiaceae or mint family native to Southern Europe, the Middle East, and the region surrounding the Caspian Sea. Due to its purported properties as an antiseptic, cough reliever, and expect ...

lemon balm Lemon balm (''Melissa officinalis'') is a perennial herbaceous plant in the mint family. It has lemon-scented leaves, white or pale pink flowers, and contains essential oils and compounds like geranial and neral. It grows to a maximum height o ...

coriander Coriander (), whose leaves are known as cilantro () in the U.S. and parts of Canada, and dhania in parts of South Asia and Africa, is an annual plant, annual herb (''Coriandrum sativum'') in the family Apiaceae. Most people perceive the ...

star anise ''Illicium verum'' (star anise or badian, Chinese star anise, star anise seed, star aniseed and star of anise) is a medium-sized evergreen tree native to South China and northeast Vietnam. Its star-shaped pericarps harvested just before ripen ...

fennel Fennel (''Foeniculum vulgare'') is a flowering plant species in the carrot family. It is a hardy, perennial herb with yellow flowers and feathery leaves. It is indigenous to the shores of the Mediterranean but has become widely naturalized ...

, Roman wormwood and

mint Mint or The Mint may refer to: Plants * Lamiaceae, the mint family ** ''Mentha'', the genus of plants commonly known as "mint" Coins and collectibles * Mint (facility), a facility for manufacturing coins * Mint condition, a state of like-new ...

. All ingredients are analytically certified to the standards of the Swiss Expert Committee on the Unification of Pharmacopoeias. Kübler Absinthe is distilled using the same traditional method that has been used for over one hundred years. Following the initial maceration is a slow distillation process. Neither sugar nor artificial coloring is added to the finished distillate. The end product is an all-natural, genuine Swiss clear or 'La Bleue' absinthe, and is bottled at 106 proof (53% ABV).

Family tradition

J.F. Kübler, the patriarch of the family, started the Kübler Absinthe tradition (1863). It continued until the Swiss absinthe prohibition was enacted on October 7, 1910. On October 10, 2001, exactly 91 years and three days after the start of the Swiss prohibition, Yves Kübler's first objective was reached: the distillation and sale of his first 500 liters of Kübler absinthe in Europe. In March 2005, all federal Swiss absinthe laws were repealed, giving Yves the right to continue the tradition his great grandfather created. Kübler Absinthe is now available in many markets, including the United States.

Accolades

Proof66.com, an aggregator of liquor ratings information from expert evaluators, describes the Kübler Superieure as a "Tier 1" spirit in its exotics category. Such spirits are said to have won "the highest recommendation."Proof66 Summary Page for Kübler Superieure http://www.proof66.com/exotics/kubler-absinthe.html

References

External links

Official website of Kübler Absinthe Superieure

Brand website of Kübler Absinthe and other products
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kubler Absinthe Absinthes Swiss distilled drinks