“Bienfaisante”, this was the marketing claim for the famous French Absinthe Terminus. Bienfaisante means beneficial and was referring to the healthy qualities of this fine spirit. Indeed Absinthe helps against stomach problems, but of course such a glorification of the spirit is a typical example of how advertising was made during the 19th century. Our blog post is about the vintage Absinthe brand Terminus and their special Absinthe accessory, the Terminus Brouilleur.
Absinthe Terminus: The history
Below, in our gallery, you can see the original 1892 poster for Absinthe Terminus. On the poster two famous stage personalities of the day are shown: Constant Coquelin and Sarah Bernhardt. Benoît-Constant Coquelin (23 January 1841 – 27 January 1909), known as Coquelin aîné (“Coquelin the Eldest”), was a French actor and one of the greatest theatrical figures of the age. In 1900 Coquelin toured in America with Sarah Bernhardt, appeared on Broadway’s Garden Theatre in a production of Cyrano de Bergerac (Bernhardt played Roxane). He made his only film, the duel scene from Cyrano de Bergerac with sound recording on phonograph cylinder. The film is thought to be the first ever made with both color and sound.
The Terminus Absinthe Brouilleur
Besides this iconic advertising Terminus Absinthe is also known for several Absinthe accessories. They produced for example an Absinthe fountain decorated with the French cock and the famous Terminus Absinthe Brouilleur. This legendary Brouilleur is now available as an authentic reproduction. Although the inscription on the Brouilleur is now different, to avoid misunderstandings of what is the original item. In the 19th century Terminus used the following wording:
Absinthe Terminus – Seule Bienfaisante – Pontarlier
The authentic reproduction now reads:
Absinthe Francaise – A votre Sante – Qualite Superieure
Absinthe Brouilleurs are an easy-to-use Absinthe accessory. You simply place them on your Absinthe glass, fill them with ice cubes and add ice cold water. The cooled water then flows through the little holes of the Brouilleur into the Absinthe glass and creates a beautiful louche. You should get yourself such an affordable and beautiful piece of history! We love this Brouilleur!
