HUTCHEON: The city of Saumur beside the soothing waters of the Loire is best known for the big house on the hill, otherwise know as le Chateau. 00:10
A thousand years old, Le Chateau is a symbol of continuity and pride to the locals. 00:20
Combier distillery
But Ive come here to find another famous relic -- 00:28
Inside distillery
The quaint Combier Distillery has operated continuously since 1834. 00:35
Ted in distillery
Its where youll find New Orleans native Ted Breaux. Last years devastating hurricane destroyed his house, but this is fast becoming his new abode. 00:46
The distillerys ironwork, known as a Pasarelle, was designed by Gustav Eiffel of Eiffel Tower fame. 01:07
All the equipment here belongs in a museum, but Ted Breaux believes its impossible to make authentic absinth with modern equipment. 01:13
Apart from alcohol, the holy trinity of ingredients -- as Ted calls them - are fennel, green anise and the controversial herb wormwood. 01:29
Ted shows wormwood
Ted: This particular variety is grown in the foothills of the alps, near the border between France and Switzerland and you can see its in its flowering stage. 01:40
HUTCHEON: Can I smell it, is it going to do anything to me if I smell it? 01:50
No, no, go right ahead and have a whiff there. Its very aromatic. 01:54
Ted in distillery
Music 02:00
HUTCHEON: The herbs go into the giant copper alembic together with the alcohol this makes whats known as a maceration. 02:07
Close on maceration
Jane: Very aniseedy, very bitter, very medicinal. 02:17
Ted: Yes, yes, not something you would sit down and drink. This is not absinth, not yet absinth.
Music Ted: This is not absinth. Its not yet absinth. 02:27
Ted When I get these stills going, and we apply the heat, and the distillate comes over and you taste the distillate, then well see the difference. 02:37
Pan along still Music 02:44
HUTCHEON: Before too long, the clear distillate begins to emerge. Then in a giant vat, the absinth is given a natural herbal colouring 02:51
Jane with Ted taking absinth
HUTCHEON: And youve added a bit of water to this? 03:04
Ted: Ive taken the neat liquor which is a clear green, and added a little bit of water, and when you add a bit of water to it, it becomes cloudy. And the French word for that is called louche and it becomes an opalescent jade colour . 03:09
HUTCHEON: As I sample the freshly distilled product, now diluted, Ted Breaux is adamant, Absinth was never an evil drink.
HUTCHEON: Wow, thats very nice. 03:27
HUTCHEON: But for most of the twentieth century people believed it induced madness. 03:39
Ted: I was curious what it is in Absinth that could possibly be deleterious, what could cause anyone to go crazy, what could support all these myths and I found nothing, nothing. 03:45
Opera House/Bars Music 03:54
HUTCHEON: In its heyday, absinth was so popular the French referred to cocktail time as lheure verte, the green hour. 04:05
Exterior of Vert dAbsinthe Music 04:14
Inside Vert dAbsinthe. Jane tastes absinth
HUTCHEON: Im spending my green hour in Pariss only Absinth boutique run by the debonair Luc Santiago. 04:23
Monsieur Santiago demonstrates how to carefully dilute the 140 proof drink, sweetening it with a sugar cube perched on of a delicate absinth spoon. The sweetness he says, not only fights the bitterness, it brings out new flavours. 04:43
Luc: 100 years ago everybody drank absinth. Its the same today, they like it. No matter if they are old or young or if they have money or no. 05:07
Absinth poster
HUTCHEON: It still has that je ne sais quois?Luc: Yeah, exactly. 05:25
Extreme CU on absinthe Music 05:28
HUTCHEON: Its somewhat hypnotic, watching the process of preparing absinth 05:35
Jane tastes absinth
or perhaps its the wormwood taking effect.Luc: There is the fruity taste of the fennel, the herbs and the plant at the end of the glass its the bitterness. 05:40
HUTCHEON: Ive got about two minutes of standing time remaining, but Monsieur Santiago isnt short of customers. 05:54
Customers in boutique Woman: Im not worried about Absinth, but Im not going to drink a big glass of it. This is for cooking -- simply for cooking. 06:04
Man: In America, at least we have no access to it, so theres a sense of rebelling against the government a bit, so thats always nice!
HUTCHEON: So you plan to bring it into the country?Man: Of course. Absolutely! 06:11
Ted with Franck
HUTCHEON: Back at the Distillery, Ted Breaux and Combiers president Franck Choisne, put the stamp on what they hope will be liquid gold 06:35
Ted: Its profitable, but for me, its art. I cant paint, but if I were to equate it, making absinth is my painting. The big alembic is my easel. 06:46
Bottle of absinth
HUTCHEON: Production is just 5,000 bottles a year, but for Ted Breaux its not about quantity its about keeping the Green Fairy magical. 07:04
Close on absinth Music 07:20
Credits: Reporter: Jane HutcheonCamera: Michael CoxResearch: Justine KerrEditor: Garth Thomas
A thousand years old, Le Chateau is a symbol of continuity and pride to the locals. 00:20
Combier distillery
But Ive come here to find another famous relic -- 00:28
Inside distillery
The quaint Combier Distillery has operated continuously since 1834. 00:35
Ted in distillery
Its where youll find New Orleans native Ted Breaux. Last years devastating hurricane destroyed his house, but this is fast becoming his new abode. 00:46
The distillerys ironwork, known as a Pasarelle, was designed by Gustav Eiffel of Eiffel Tower fame. 01:07
All the equipment here belongs in a museum, but Ted Breaux believes its impossible to make authentic absinth with modern equipment. 01:13
Apart from alcohol, the holy trinity of ingredients -- as Ted calls them - are fennel, green anise and the controversial herb wormwood. 01:29
Ted shows wormwood
Ted: This particular variety is grown in the foothills of the alps, near the border between France and Switzerland and you can see its in its flowering stage. 01:40
HUTCHEON: Can I smell it, is it going to do anything to me if I smell it? 01:50
No, no, go right ahead and have a whiff there. Its very aromatic. 01:54
Ted in distillery
Music 02:00
HUTCHEON: The herbs go into the giant copper alembic together with the alcohol this makes whats known as a maceration. 02:07
Close on maceration
Jane: Very aniseedy, very bitter, very medicinal. 02:17
Ted: Yes, yes, not something you would sit down and drink. This is not absinth, not yet absinth.
Music Ted: This is not absinth. Its not yet absinth. 02:27
Ted When I get these stills going, and we apply the heat, and the distillate comes over and you taste the distillate, then well see the difference. 02:37
Pan along still Music 02:44
HUTCHEON: Before too long, the clear distillate begins to emerge. Then in a giant vat, the absinth is given a natural herbal colouring 02:51
Jane with Ted taking absinth
HUTCHEON: And youve added a bit of water to this? 03:04
Ted: Ive taken the neat liquor which is a clear green, and added a little bit of water, and when you add a bit of water to it, it becomes cloudy. And the French word for that is called louche and it becomes an opalescent jade colour . 03:09
HUTCHEON: As I sample the freshly distilled product, now diluted, Ted Breaux is adamant, Absinth was never an evil drink.
HUTCHEON: Wow, thats very nice. 03:27
HUTCHEON: But for most of the twentieth century people believed it induced madness. 03:39
Ted: I was curious what it is in Absinth that could possibly be deleterious, what could cause anyone to go crazy, what could support all these myths and I found nothing, nothing. 03:45
Opera House/Bars Music 03:54
HUTCHEON: In its heyday, absinth was so popular the French referred to cocktail time as lheure verte, the green hour. 04:05
Exterior of Vert dAbsinthe Music 04:14
Inside Vert dAbsinthe. Jane tastes absinth
HUTCHEON: Im spending my green hour in Pariss only Absinth boutique run by the debonair Luc Santiago. 04:23
Monsieur Santiago demonstrates how to carefully dilute the 140 proof drink, sweetening it with a sugar cube perched on of a delicate absinth spoon. The sweetness he says, not only fights the bitterness, it brings out new flavours. 04:43
Luc: 100 years ago everybody drank absinth. Its the same today, they like it. No matter if they are old or young or if they have money or no. 05:07
Absinth poster
HUTCHEON: It still has that je ne sais quois?Luc: Yeah, exactly. 05:25
Extreme CU on absinthe Music 05:28
HUTCHEON: Its somewhat hypnotic, watching the process of preparing absinth 05:35
Jane tastes absinth
or perhaps its the wormwood taking effect.Luc: There is the fruity taste of the fennel, the herbs and the plant at the end of the glass its the bitterness. 05:40
HUTCHEON: Ive got about two minutes of standing time remaining, but Monsieur Santiago isnt short of customers. 05:54
Customers in boutique Woman: Im not worried about Absinth, but Im not going to drink a big glass of it. This is for cooking -- simply for cooking. 06:04
Man: In America, at least we have no access to it, so theres a sense of rebelling against the government a bit, so thats always nice!
HUTCHEON: So you plan to bring it into the country?Man: Of course. Absolutely! 06:11
Ted with Franck
HUTCHEON: Back at the Distillery, Ted Breaux and Combiers president Franck Choisne, put the stamp on what they hope will be liquid gold 06:35
Ted: Its profitable, but for me, its art. I cant paint, but if I were to equate it, making absinth is my painting. The big alembic is my easel. 06:46
Bottle of absinth
HUTCHEON: Production is just 5,000 bottles a year, but for Ted Breaux its not about quantity its about keeping the Green Fairy magical. 07:04
Close on absinth Music 07:20
Credits: Reporter: Jane HutcheonCamera: Michael CoxResearch: Justine KerrEditor: Garth Thomas