Hill’s Liquere was founded in 1920, in a small Czech town called Brusperk and produced Radigast, Borovicka, Rum and, using the recipe of Albin Hill – Absinth.
There is no evidence nor documents left that would prove the existence of Hill’s Absinth throughout the 30‘s except in the memories of the locals and mentionings in Czech literature from that period.
The truth is that this drink was very popular and in the 40‘s, the company had to open a new branch in Valasske Mezirici. The rations during Second War were based more on the quantity of alcohol rather than its strength and soon they found out that if they wanted to increase the effect of the ration, they could buy Hill’s Absinth and reduce it with water.
But the success did not last for long. When the war ended, the communist regime confiscated the factory and from 1948 on, the official production was stopped. Almost everything was either stolen or destroyed, even the machines, cars and also personal property of Hill’s family. Fortunately, Radomil Hill saved the recipes of his father as well as another book of original recipes of the period.
Between the years 1948 and 1990, the official production did not exist. Radomil used his skill and worked for state companies but never used his own recipes.
It was only after the Velvet Revolution in 1989 and after the country joined in in the free market when Radomil began to create the family business again. The old factory was in a bad state and in 1992 a new branch was opened in a small town in the south of the Czech Republic, in a town called Jindřichův Hradec.
The modern Hill’s Absinth tastes similar to the original Czech drink produced by Albin Hill. It does not taste and smell so strongly of anise as its French or Swiss relatives. It was because the customs in Bohemia led to a smaller use of anise in the production of the drink which also explains the fact that Hill’s Absinth does not change its colour to milk white (louche) when water is added.
While the heavy taste of anise in other drinks is too strong for cocktails ( it impedes the creation of cocktails), Hill’s Absinth has a gentle taste that is a true dream for every barman. That is why Hill’s Absinth is the only original absinth produced in the Czech Republic and other factories are only trying to imitate it.
Back in business after 50 years
For more than 50 years with the communists, he did not lead his family firm. Nowadays, the Czech producer is back in business producing absinth. His chances to recreate the family firm came after the fall of communism in 1989.
In May 1990, Hill‘s factory, founded for the first time in 1920, was back in business. In the first place, Hill bet on the guarantee and produced only 5 drinks – rum, vodka, mint liqueur, coconut liqueur and coffee liqueur. But later, a friend of his, and artist, convinced him to produce again the emerald green drink with high content of alcohol – absinth. This can also be highly toxic, it only depends on its preparation.
In spite of the fact that Hills produces 54 different drinks, absinth creates 75% of the production and the vast majority is exported to countries such as Austria, Germany, Slovakia etc.
Contrary to what most consumers of absinth would like to believe, neither Hill’s Absinth nor other legally produced kinds in Europe, contain ingredients that would have an influence on one’s mind. The regulations limit the amount of thujone, extracted chemically from wormwood, responsible for the psychoactive quality of absinth. So modern consumers should not expect any hallucinations. Hill’s Absinth contains 70% alcohol and has a clear Czech taste – less anise and a little bit more peppermint than most kinds. „I have made my absinth in such a way so it does not taste like sweets for children“, said Hill.
„A good producer of liqueur reads a recipe and knows what the liqueur is going to be like. It is like a musician who when he looks at the music he hears it“.