La Muse Verte Absinthe Traditionnelle

Black and white photo of an absinthe fountain dispensing water into glasses through a slotted absinthe spoon with a small sugar cube.
Black bottle of La Muse Verte with a silver spoon attached by a black strap, and a green label featuring an artistic woman representing the Green Fairy with green hair.

An Original 1900s Absinthe Recipe

This original family recipe from the early 1900s is the result of tedious research and the delicate blending of about eight plants, reminiscent in flavor and color of the original absinthe.

The Grande Absinthe (wormwood) brings out the fresh bitterness, but it really is the secret blending with the other plants that gives a perfect balance between the bitterness, the alcohol and the aromas.

This product brings us back a century, to the times of the Muse Verte, or the Green Fairy, which inspired artists such as Beaudelaire, Verlaine, Hemingway, Van Gogh, and Rimbaud...

A man in a brown sweater standing in front of large wooden barrels in a cellar room.

Artisanal Production by A Family Producer

Jean-Philippe Brunello co-founded the family business, Artez, in 1995, on 12 hectares (30 acres) of land located in the Western part of the Bas Armagnac.

Jean-Philippe developed a passion for Armagnac and spirits from an early age under the guidance of his grandfather, a cellar master in Ognoas.

In 2003, Artez expanded by acquiring the family recipes of Jean-Michel Berneau, a retiring longtime producer of absinthe and pastis in Gironde, which they continue to make in the same time-honored fashion, entirely by hand.

A lush green farm field with rows of absinthe plants under a partly cloudy sky, with trees in the background.

Fresh Cut Baby Absinthe Leaves and Additive-Free

La Muse Verte Absinthe Traditionelle is one of the rare absinthes on the market with a historical alcohol content of 68%.

It’s the only absinthe made with totally fresh, cut baby absinthe leaves (used within 5 min. of harvest) grown on the property (depicted at right). This unique particularity from the original recipe gives La Muse Verte its beautiful, luminescent jade color.

La Muse Verte Absinthe contains no sugar or additives, and is entirely natural. For this reason, it is packaged in a black opaque bottle, so that the light does not spoil its color or taste.

A hand holding a star anise pod over a variety of dried herbs and spices on a wooden surface.

Infusion, Decantation and Filtration

All the infusions are then assembled with great care over different periods of time. Some of the plants macerate for more than 3 weeks.

The final product undergoes a meticulous decantation and natural filtration process with wool and paper, just like in the ancient times: quality comes first.  

Botanical Selection

Each of the eight plants in La Muse Verte Absinthe is carefully selected and is steeped in neutral alcohol of various alcohol content depending on the plant, in order to extract its best essential oil. 

Plants include: 

  • grande absinthe

  • star anise

  • lemon balm

  • sage

  • fennel

  • hyssop 

Bottles, glasses, and a bowl on a kitchen table with a person in the background pouring a drink.

How to Prepare Absinthe: Obtaining a Proper Louche

6 to 8 volumes of water for 1 volume of La Muse Verte Absinthe.

Add the water slowly, preferably one drop at a time to the absinthe. Water may be passed through a sugar cube to sweeten the beverage. The absinthe is ready when the film of oils on the top has totally integrated. This process is known as the louche.

La Muse Verte Absinthe

A glass of pale yellow absinthe with a sugar cube on a spoon, placed on a coaster, next to a dark bottle of La Muse Verte absinthe with a colorful artistic label.

Absinthe Traditionelle

Tasting Notes

Color: bright jade green

Nose: subtle vegetal notes and hints of spring scent.

Palate: herbaceous underwood, floral, spicy hints of anise.

Reviews

95 points. Top 100 Spirits
"Classic aromas of clean and spicy licorice and anise are pungent from this pretty mint green spirit. Spicy and crisp licorice flavors dominate the palate, making this well suited for solo sipping or mixing- a little goes a long way." - Ultimate Spirit Challenge 2022

96 points. "Extraordinary, Ultimate Recommendation
"Rich green hay color that turn milk cloudy when mixed with water in the glass. Fragrant mint, tarragon and fennel seeds are dominant and enticing. The palate is hot with matcha spice, licorice and balancing sweetness leads into a long finish." Ultimate Spirits Challenge 2018


Chairman's Trophy, 97 points "Extraordinary, Ultimate Recommendation" - Ultimate Spirit Challenge 2013
“...very good purity...wonderful scents... a quality that’s unusual and pleasing... more in line with how I envision real absinthe to be.” - Spirit Journal


"...for a real show-stopping spectacle, transport yourself to a bygone era with the La Muse Verte Absinthe. This traditional absinthe tower cocktail is crafted from a pre-prohibition family recipe, ensuring an authentic taste. Savor the green elixir as it dances on your palate, delivering a real and unforgettable absinthe experience." Sandra MacGregor, Forbes

A circular badge with a red background and white text reading "Ultimate Spirits Challenge 2013". It shows a score of 97 points, with the words "Extraordinary Ultimate Recommendation" and a small illustration of a glass at the bottom.
A circular badge with a red background and white border, featuring text about an Ultimate Spirits Challenge. It reads "Top 100 Spirits 2022" and "Ultimate Spirits Challenge," with decorative elements and a small image of a whiskey glass at the bottom.
A circular badge with an orange background and white and dark orange text that reads "Ultimate Spirits Challenge 2018 96 Points. Extraordinary Ultimate Recommendation" and a small illustration of a glass at the bottom.
Badge from the Ultimate Spirits Challenge 2022 awarding 95 points for an extraordinary ultimate recommendation.
Circular badge design for the 2018 Ultimate Spirits Challenge, featuring the text 'Chairman's Trophy' and a glass of whiskey at the bottom.

Absinthe & Pastis Cocktails

Assorted bottles of alcohol and a cocktail with lemon slice on a gravel surface underneath a tree.
Two glasses of light-colored liqueur, a bottle of Artez Arvani bar blend vanilla liqueur, a bottle of La Muse Verte absinthe, and fresh mint leaves on a tray on a wooden table against a wooden slat backdrop.
A glass of pale yellow absinthe with a small spoon on top, alongside a dark bottle labeled 'La Muse Verte' with colorful artwork, placed on a wooden surface in front of a shelf filled with various liquor bottles.

Explore More Products from Artez

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A bottle of Artez vanilla liqueur with botanical and toucan illustrations on the label, indicating it is from Armagnac, France.
A bottle of La Muse Verte Pastis, an anise-flavored spirit from France, wrapped in yellow paper with a label showing a glass of yellow Pastis and a perforated spoon attached to the neck.

Press

  • Photo of black absinthe bottle with drawing of a green lady on the label and a silver absinthe spoon on the bottle's neck

    On The Shelf: Spirits

    La Muse’s recipe is almost 100 years old and is made with the utmost attention to detail in regards to how the various botanicals are handled and macerated into the bottling. The finished product is filtered through wool and paper in a true toast to the original preparation process.

    Feast
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    These Cocktails Need To Be On Your Special Menu This Bastille Day

    French importer and distributor, Heavenly Spirits, challenged six bartenders across the country to develop unique cocktails to celebrate Bastille Day.

    Chilled Magazine
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    Classically Aged: Eight of Our Favorite Armagnacs to Try Now

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    Three Little Brandies Perched on My Doorstep

    All of these are PHENOMENAL and they have such different distinct characters, so because of that I can't express enough how cool of an experience this 3 pack is, but if I had to choose just one to drink for the rest of my life it would be the Ugni Blanc because it's just so perfectly balanced in every aspect. Artez is damn good stuff, guys. You won't regret trying all three of these.

    The Wine Stalker