Couvet (NE) · Val-de-Travers · Switzerland

Distillerie d'Absinthe Persoz

In Couvet, at the historic cradle of absinthe, Gaudentia Persoz distils within a family continuity rooted in clandestine times. The first legally recognized female absinthe distiller in Switzerland, she carries forward a recipe inherited from her husband’s grandmother — a formula born of prohibition that became the foundation of the house.

Our Story

The relationship between the Persoz family and absinthe traces back to the 19th century. Jean-François Persoz, chemist, professor at the Sorbonne, and man of science, was already distilling three distinct absinthes whose formulas would leave a lasting imprint on the family heritage. Knowledge of plants and extraction was approached not only as craft, but as disciplined study.

During the years of prohibition, this expertise endured discreetly. At the Mont-des-Verrières post office, Lucie Persoz continued to distill according to the transmitted methods, preserving original gestures and aromatic balances even as recipes evolved with time and circumstance.

Following legalization, Gaudentia assumed responsibility for her husband’s family legacy and, in 2005, became the first woman to legally distill absinthe in Switzerland. In the distillery, now open to visitors, each stage, from distillation to bottling and labeling, is carried out with measured precision, reflecting a heritage shaped by both science and perseverance.

Savoir-faire

For Gaudentia, the use of plants from Val-de-Travers is not merely a preference but a tribute to the Valley’s historic identity, once closely tied to the cultivation of wormwood. Terroir remains central to the house’s aromatic expression.

She continues to distill 19th-century recipes, perpetuates those refined during the clandestine era, and develops new expressions that extend the family’s narrative into the present. Across these creations, one perceives a balance between structure and sensitivity: a distillation practice informed by rigor and guided by intuition.

Each bottle reflects a dialogue between history and contemporary craftsmanship, where scientific heritage, transmission, and personal conviction converge with quiet assurance.