Pernod (brand)

During the Belle Époque, the Pernod Fils name became synonymous with absinthe, and the brand represented the de facto standard of quality by which all others were judged.

According to legend, it was during this time in Neuchâtel, Switzerland, that Dr. Pierre Ordinaire created a distilled patent medicine that would represent the earliest origins of the drink.

The recipe then came into the hands of Henri Louis Pernod through the means of a business deal, and in 1797, he and Daniel-Henri Dubied [fr] opened the first absinthe distillery in Couvet, Switzerland.

[4] The coloration process was done primarily to impart additional flavor and aroma to the absinthe, but the ensuing light olive tint also had the added benefit of enhancing its visual appeal.

The absence of a proper appellation of control and regulated production standards invited cheap, industrial versions of the drink into urban markets.

These poor-quality absinthes appealed to alcoholics of low socioeconomic status and were commonly adulterated with a variety of toxic substances to make certain attributes (e.g., color) of these inferior brands more convincing.

This opened the door for the detractors of absinthe to accuse the drink of being harmful and deleterious, making it a convenient scapegoat for societal ills.