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Absintherie Celle à Guilloud – A legend with a past and future

The homeland of absinthe is an area which defies borders: from Val-de-Travers in Switzerland to Pontarlier in France. A wormwood herb with an exceptional flavour grows here in the French-Swiss Jura, which gives absinthe its shared heritage – historically, industrially, socially and culturally. After being re-licensed in Switzerland and France, the region has set itself the goal of promoting the original absinthe and its origins. This has given rise to the ‘Route de l’Absinthe’ with interesting places, events and products relating to the ‘green fairy’ along the way. One such station is the small Absintherie Celle à Guilloud in Fleurier, Val-de-Travers.

For centuries, the location in the canton of Neuchâtel has been a centre of the watch-making industry and the homeland of two Nobel Prize winners. Here, the legend of the valley (formerly also a centre of absinthe distilling) lives on. Daniel Guilloud’s different versions of the mysterious, aromatic drink are far from the industrial standard – visitors can see this for themselves on a tour of the distillery. The beautifully furnished store sells absinthe in various forms, as well as limited editions, hand-blown glass bottles, accessories and much more; above all, though, riveting stories about the mysterious past of absinthe, told by Pierre-André Matthey, Daniel Guilloud’s successor.

This year again, the modern varieties were able to convince the jury at the World Spirits Award: there was double gold for Absinthe La Guilloudtine 68, and gold for Absinthe Celle à Guilloud 54°.

H. Reimers Liqueur GmbH – A lifestyle of cheerful relaxation

After a 3 year development period, the goal was finally achieved in 2009: the Hilaritas spice liqueur, created by food technician Hans Reimers and his wife, Meike. This exclusive product is made from natural ingredients. When it comes to the selected spices used (vanilla, aniseed and cinnamon), it is about fine-tuning and not quantity, not forgetting the lengthy maturation period for the macerate. The ‘composer’ says of his work: “It is not the quantity of sounds but rather the beauty of the melody which creates the music. We wanted to compose a balanced harmony of flavours.” A great deal of time was also invested into the bottle and label in order to visually express the company philosophy through stylish forms.

The name Hilaritas is derived from Latin and stands for cheerfulness and serenity; when applied to this modern product, the result pays homage to a casual and relaxed way of living. The product aims to appeal to ‘gourmets (male/female) with a penchant for luxury, taste and aesthetics’ who want to philosophise with their palate. And it doesn’t take much to achieve this. Hilaritas is best drunk straight and at room temperature but also tastes great with a coffee and dessert. Connoisseurs value the fruity orange tones which lend the spice liqueur a surprising sense of freshness.

Generous fans can opt for the most sophisticated packaging – an exclusive gift tin. As Hans Reimers says, “Celebrating is almost as important as pleasure itself. We apply the same high quality standards to the ingredients and to the packaging.” The Single range is also amassing ever more fans and is now exported to Italy, France and Austria.

The sophisticated product impressed the strict jury at the World Spirits Award and won a gold medal.