VERBIER

THE ABSINTHE MAKER

EDELWEISS DISTILLERY

Ask Matthieu Frécon what’s so great about absinthe and he’ll tell you: it gets you “good drunk”. And he should know — he’s been making the spirit for over 25 years.

Originally from France, Matthieu is now based just outside the Alpine village of Sarreyer, in Bagnes Valley in the Valais canton — and as we make the ascent towards his home distillery, I look out across the valley at the verdant, tree-covered slopes and snowy peaks, and can easily understand the area’s appeal.

Unlike Matthieu, absinthe is of Swiss origin, having first been distilled in the canton of Neuchâtel, 100 miles north of here. The powerful, anise-flavoured spirit is made from a distillate flavoured with wormwood and other herbs, and the local environment gives Matthieu plenty to work with. As we walk, he points out the plants he forages, including mint, lemon balm, pansies and sage. “The most important thing is to use what nature gives me,” he explains. “We have lots of aromatic and medicinal plants growing here, which we use to make herb spirits — not just absinthe, but also gin and pastis, as well as medicinal balms.”

Absinthe is, I confess, a drink I’ve never tried. Our plan this morning is for me to not only remedy