Around 1740, after Mère Henriod had distilled her first versions of absinthe in Switzerland, this new spirit moved on to the Vorarlberg state (or Land) in western Austria. Vorarlberg is situated at the borders of Switzerland and Germany, near Bodensee, the largest lake in Europe. Vorarlberg’s mild alpine climate played a key role in the development of absinthe due to the wide variety of fruits, herbs and meadow grasses used as ingredients. Local customs also played a role in the development of the spirit. Traditionally local farmers have enjoyed ‘distillation rights’ and thus were able to distil a wide variety of homemade schnapps and bitters, using cherry, pear, raspberry, apple, rowan berry, gentian to name but a few. These skills and techniques were later applied in the art of absinthe distillation. References to absinthe distillation can be found in the Vorarlberg chronicles from the middle of the 18th century. In 1868, Kaspar Alois Greber developed the first main features of today’s Upsynth Original absinthe. The family recipe was passed on to the descendants and was then improved and further developed. The Greber Family Famously, absinthe reached a peak of popularity in the ‘fin du siècle’ era in France. Artistic figures including Baudelaire, Rimbaud, Maupassant, Picasso and van Gogh regularly enjoyed absinthe. Reactionary opponents of absinthe succeeded in making the product illegal in many countries, although, interestingly, it has always been legal in the United Kingdom. Belgium was the first country to abolish absinthe in 1906, followed by the Netherlands, Switzerland and France. In 1923, Austria also imposed a ban. Early hand bottling of absinthe in the kitchen after distillation The ban was ignored by the traditional schnapps distillers including the Greber family. As a result, the ‘green fairy’ went underground and absinthe became a black market product. It was clandestinely distilled in the mountains in strict secrecy. For almost 80 years, the aromatic hard liquor was banned and any available product was illegal. In the 1970’s, Christian Greber was given the recipe as had been the family tradition. The 21st century saw absinthe regain legal status in most countries where it had been banned. Upsynth Pty Limited now brings Upsynth Original and Upsynth Euphorizer exclusively to Australia and New Zealand for the first time outside Europe. The secret of the Upsynth brand is that it is distilled from 20 different herbs, including wormwood, fennel, anise and gentian. Some of the herbs grow high in the mountains, at heights of up to 2000 metres above sea level. They are still harvested there and used for the production of Upsynth. The dried herbs are macerated in a neutral spirit and then carefully distilled a second time. This secondary distillation is necessary to make an authentic absinthe. This, and the quality of ingredients, gives Upsynth Original its characteristically smooth finish which is ideal for use in cocktail recipes. The distillate is produced under the most strict and rigorous quality conditions. The unique Upsynth taste is absolutely natural and derived only from alpine herbs.