René Wanner among dried absinthe plants (Artemisia absinthium).
Peter Mosimann
Wanner works to old recipes from Val-de-Travers.
Peter Mosimann
The absinthe is usually 45-85 per cent alcohol by volume.
Peter Mosimann
Ingredients are wormwood, aniseed, fennel and various herbs - but the recipe remains a secret.
Peter Mosimann
A small selection of René Wanner's wares.
Peter Mosimann
Adding water gives the absinthe its milky colour.
Peter Mosimann
In the Gourmet Club in Geneva, Wanner refines the dessert with a touch of absinthe.
Peter Mosimann
Marie-France Bitz, a potter from Val-de-Travers, shows off her absinthe containers.
Peter Mosimann
Cook, taste, talk – the gourmets meet in Geneva once a month.
Peter Mosimann
Paperwork for the federal alcohol administration.
Peter Mosimann
In a wormwood field by Couvet, Val-de-Travers.
Peter Mosimann
Absinthe was banned in Switzerland until 2005.
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Distilling absinthe in Val-de-Travers, canton Neuchâtel, was forbidden between 1910 and 2005. This was considered a great injustice, since the “green fairy” was seen as a popular panacea – and artists and poets appreciated its “inspirational” qualities. However, it was also looked down on as the “poisonous fairy”. Today, René Wanner produces – legally – seven types of absinthe. Photographer Peter Mosimann paid him a visit in 2007.
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