Biology Researchers question the Swiss origin of absinthe
The absinthe plant is probably not from Switzerland after all. Research by the Neuchâtel Botanical Garden suggests that the wormwood from which absinthe is made was probably brought to Switzerland by the Romans.
06.03.2025, 12:21
SDA
"Uncultivated wormwood populations do not naturally thrive on a large scale in the Jura," said Blaise Mulhauser, director of the Neuchâtel Botanical Garden, to the Keystone-SDA news agency on Thursday. He was confirming an article by Arcinfo.
Wormwood (Artemisia absinthum) is a common plant in Switzerland, particularly in Valais, where it has adapted well to the climate. However, its origins appear to lie in the Mediterranean region.
Wormwood was already known for its medicinal properties in ancient times. The Romans already knew a wormwood wine that was mixed with aniseed, fennel and wormwood. Ingredients that can also be found in today's absinthe.
Val-de-Travers still the cradle of absinthe
According to Mulhauser, the protected geographical indication (PGI) for absinthe for Val-de-Travers NE is nevertheless justified. Even if the recipe for the elixir was probably created elsewhere, Val-de-Travers is the cradle of the type of absinthe we know today. The actual know-how for distilling the drink was refined in Couvet NE.
"There are other recipes for distilling absinthe throughout Europe, but the most successful absinthe that emerged in the course of industrialization was actually the so-called 'Swiss' absinthe in the 19th century," says Mulhauser.
As part of further ongoing studies - in partnership with the University of Neuchâtel and the Geneva Botanical Garden, among others - the researchers now want to find out whether the absinthe plant takes on a Neuchâtel characteristic when it is cultivated in the region.
