i s t i l l e r
i s t i l l e r
Property
a s e r D s t l e r
Some 200 years after the birth of absinthe, Claude-Alain Bugnon, a native of the region and previously employed in the oil refining business, became interested in the production of absinthe, a spirit which had been banned in Switzerland since 1910 but was widely available throughout the Val-de-Travers region.
In 2000, he began producing moonshine absinthe in the basement of his house, all the while having to negotiate with his wife for more space to distill in the room where she did laundry!
In 2005, as absinthe awareness spread worldwide and the spirit was about to become legal again in Switzerland, Claude-Alain became the first moonshine distiller from the birthplace of absinthe to undertake all the necessary procedures with the federal authorities, thus becoming a legal producer and paving the way for all other clandestine distillers.
Why Couvet?
At the helm of the Artemisia Distillery, Claude-Alain and his wife Karine follow a simple mantra: to produce the best quality absinthes in the purest tradition, using only the carefully cultivated wormwood plants from Val-de-Travers.
This approach and philosophy have led to Claude-Alain becoming Europe’s foremost absinthe master distiller and the sole recipient of five consecutive Golden Spoons at the Pontarlier Absinthiades (absinthe’s most prestigious award). These complement a multitude of other awards which he has been honoured to receive.
Sébastien, their second son, has worked closely with his parents for a number of years and is currently being mentored by his father to take on the role of Master Distiller in the future, thus maintaining a proud family tradition.
