This is a message for you, David, about your triangular bottle. It seems to me that the bottle could perharps be the same as mine.

Is it possible for you to insert somewhere on the web a photo ? Or to send one at that adress : bullox[at]free.fr.

It could help me because I’m still searching for informations about the age of that bottle.

Thanks,

See you (on the web or by mail),

Jean-Pascal

I’ve a new information.

It seems that French Montbenoit Abbey was closed in year 1773 ( 16 years before the French Révolution).

Who made Mazarine between 1773 and 1903 (Cusenier trademark) ?

Did the French Monks left France to live in Argentina ? And if so, did they found all the herbs to make Mazarine ?

How is the Absinthe Legend of 1894 possible if Abbey was closed ? Did the monks stayed in France in another place ?

Last thing, my bottle is triangular as the bottles of Terry who left a message on this blog three years ago…. but there are only the words “Mazarine” with Lorraine Cross in old letters on two faces. No Cusenier, no number. Strange.

Here is a link to my photos space on Flickr where you’ll see one of my bottle : http://www.flickr.com/photos/viandox007/sets/72157623320915335/

I’m gonna search.

It’s mysterious.

bye,

J.P.

Hi everybody,

I was doing a web research on ” Mazarine ” when I discovered your discussion. I bought this morning in a secondhand trade two very old triangular bottles with twice the word ” Mazarine ” and two crosses with three branches (in France, it’s the Lorraine country cross : I’m a Lorrain guy, that’s why I bought those bottles… South is far from north-east of France that sometimes deeply miss me - but Lorrain people are so strong that they never cry. Once a year, that’s all).

I can give you now a few informations about that french “religious” alcohol.

First of all, Mazarine was a liquor made by the religious people of the Montbenoit abbey. Montbenoit is one part of Franche-Comté country in North East of France. It’s a famous country for its yellow wine, its”saucisse de morteau”, its cheese called Comté and… and for another magic and dangerous alcohol : “L’absinthe, la Fée Verte” ( in the city of Pontarlier not far from Montbenoit).

Those Religious men invented that special drink, called “élixir Mazarine” because it had a good effect on health, during the year 1637 (France was living the Ten Years War). There was “Anis” herb in its making.

And now, the story becomes very interesting.

Cusenier, French Liquors specialist, made a deal with the Abbey in the beginning of 20th century. The familial firm registered the “Mazarine” mark (with the Lorraine Cross) in 1903. Have a look here ( http://www.legilux.public.lu/leg/a/annexes/1903/annexe_02/annexe_02.pdf ) and do a research using the “mazarine” keyword : you’ll find the registration ( number 1144) for… Luxembourg country and it will answer at many questions I’ve seen in the blog. First of all, You’ll recognize the label of your bottle. And you’ll find some explanations about the liquor and the abbey. Sorry, the document is in french that is the official language of Luxembourg Country (just find a translator like Reverso. That’s what I’m doing to give you the best understanding).

Let’s talk now about the legend :

According to an old book dating of about one century ( “La Nature” - 2nd of June 1894), the invention of the extract of absinthe would be due to a doctor witch name was “Usually” (Yes, “Ordinaire” in French). According to that same legend, the product would have been discovered by the monks of the abbey of Montbenoit and it would be possible very well whether it is of these last ones that Dr Ordinaire held the secret of the preparation of Absinthe.

Amazing ! Is Mazarine The ancestor of the absinthe ?

You know now all what I’ve found this afternoon on the web about the history of Mazarine liquor and of my two bottles which are very differents of yours. I think that mine are 19th century bottles (before Cusenier makes its business deal with the Montbenoit monks).

To conclude, our biggest poets and French artists of the end of the 19th century abused some absinthe which drove crazy but made them so creative and brilliant. We praised it, we sang it, we painted it, we made it poems; it drove crazy and unchained the passions !

Thanks Mazarine !

Bye,

J.P.

P.S. : I don’t know how to add, if it is possible, photos on the blog. I would have liked to show you the very old bottles.