It could be the ultimate Swiss souvenir: a jar of Authentic Mountain Air collected from a secret location in the Alps. London-born Basel resident John Green is behind the initiative, selling this most atmospheric of products for a breathtaking US$97 for 500ml and $167 for one liter. A bit steep? “Everything in Switzerland is expensive,” says Green, “and this is the best air in the world. Also, unlike cheese and chocolate, it’s zero calories.” There’s a charitable aspect as well: 25 percent of Green’s profits go to World Vision to support a clean water program in Africa. And if that’s not enough to sell you, the jars’ price tag also includes worldwide shipping as well as a certificate stating the GPS coordinates of the air’s source, which we’re told is somewhere in a pine forest near Zermatt.
The ultimate Switzerland souvenir
This article originally appeared in the April/May 2017 print issue of DestinAsian magazine (“Bottled Up”).
