Absinthe: Dancing with the Green Fairy > Absinthe: Meeting the Green Fairy - Absinthe's history, ingredients, famous drinkers... > Absinthe in the USA Popular! - Green and legal, but is it the real Green Fairy? > Century 100: A rare absinthe reviewed Popular! - My verdict: The world's (second) best absinthe. > Buy Absinthe .Net New! - Recommended absinthe buyer's guide. Tips, tricks & reviews. > Cassandra's absinthe recipe & herbs - Guide to the herbs by my herbalist friend. > Dick's absinthe recipe - Original recipe from the 19th century, with detailed ingredient info. > Absinthe art and photos - Green Fairy, the muse of the artist. Paintings and posters. Absinthe is back! Are you ready to fly with the Green Fairy? By MsJekyll  Posted April 1997 To be updated soon. Absinthe was invented in 1797 by Dr. Pierre Ordinaire.

Henri-Louis Pernod opened the first absinthe distillery in Switzerland and then moved to a larger one in Pontarlier, France in 1805. By the 1850's it had become the favorite drink of the upper class. Originally wine based, a blight in 1870's on the vineyards forced manufacturers to base it with grain alcohol. Everyone could now afford it. The bohemian lifestyle embraced it. The Green Fairy (la fee verte) as it became commonly known, was most popular in France. Most days started with a drink and ended with the "green hour" (l'heure verte) as one or two or more were taken for its aperitif properties. It is interesting to note that it also has aphrodisiac and narcotic properties. Authors and artists were proponents for using it to induce creativity. Absinthe's popularity soared from 1880 on. Advertisements touted it as being healthful. It was exported to New Orleans and reached the same acclaim in the United States. It was one of the few drinks considered lady-like and women freely enjoyed it in the coffee houses where it was most commonly served.

Victorian era men however, found women freely enjoying absinthe distasteful. In 1905, Jean Lanfray who was very intoxicated, murdered his wife. He supposedly only had two glasses of absinthe but none the less, his trial became known as the "Absinthe Murder". Prohibition movements were underway. Absinthe was singled out as the maddening culprit and became synonymous with alcohol. Experiments started to be conducted often by injecting large doses of the oil of wormwood into animals. Absinthism was named as a disease. On July 25th, 1912, the Department of Agriculture issued Food Inspection 147, which banned absinthe in America, and finally France followed in 1915. But is it (real) absinthe? Updated March 2009 A lot has changed since absinthe was banned in the beginning of the 20th century. In Europe, the Green Fairy flies freely again following recent re-legalization, and there are some excellent absinthes to be had. Unfortunately, absinthe-thirsty Americans are not so lucky yet.

Although the US authorities have now permitted the use of the term "absinthe" on bottle labels (subject to approval and conditions), all "absinthes" sold in the US must test thujone-free. But once you remove thujone—the natural essential oil of the Artemisia plant—it's no longer absinthe; it's just a green drink that will get you drunk fast, but no effect beyond that. As someone who has drunk absinthe since 1997, I am very disappointed – because as long as these absinthe-like imitations continue to plague U.S. liquor stores, posing as the genuine article, there will be no pressure on the US authorities to relent and allow real European absinthes into America's stores and bars. Essentially, the FDA/TTB policies have done absolutely nothing for America's absintheurs; they have just opened doors to producers with a buck on their mind and green-colored vodkas to sell. I want to take this opportunity to recommend the Buy Absinthe guide, which aims to be a no-nonsense resource for newcomers and seasoned absinthe drinkers alike.

Though still quite new, the guide is already packed with useful tips that any absinthe buyer will appreciate. I've known the writer for years and I can confirm his opinions are well worth listening to. But what is absinthe? Absinthe is an alcoholic drink made with an extract from wormwood (Artemisia absinthium) . It is an emerald green drink which is very bitter (due to the presence of absinthin) and is therefore traditionally poured over a perforated spoonful of sugar into a glass of water. The drink then turns into an opaque white as the essential oils precipitate out of the alcoholic solution (louche). Absinthe was once popular among artists and writers and was drunk by Van Gogh, Baudelaire, and Verlaine, to name a few. It appears to have been believed to stimulate creativity. However, in the 1850's, there began to be concern about the results of chronic use. Chronic use of absinthe was believed to produce a syndrome, called absinthism, which was characterized by addiction, hyperexcitability, and hallucinations.

This concern over the health effects of absinthe was amplified by the prevailing belief in Lamarckian theories of heredity. In other words, it was believed that any traits acquired by absinthists would be passed on to their children. Absinthe's association with the bohemian lifestyle also worked to compound fears about its effects, much as has happened with marijuana in America. Absinthe was subsequently banned in many countries in the beginning of the 1900's. Ingredients of the emerald drink Simon and Schulter's "Guide to Herbs and Spices" tells us that Henri-Louis Pernod used aniseed, fennel, hyssop, and lemonbalm along with lesser amounts of angelica, star anise, dittany, juniper, nutmeg, and veronica. These ingredients were macerated together with wormwood plants. After leaving the mixture to sit, water was added and the mixture was distilled. Dried herbs, including more wormwood, were added to the distillate, which was then diluted with alcohol to give a concentration of about 75% alcohol by volume.

Different absinthe manufacturers used slightly different ingredients, sometimes using calamus, which has been purported to have psychoactive effects. In addition to these ingredients, manufacturers sometimes added other ingredients to produce the drink's emerald green color. Normally, this color was due to the presence of chlorophyll from the plants. However, in the event that the product was not properly colored, absinthe makers were known to add things like copper sulfate, indigo, turmeric, and aniline green. Antimony chloride was also used to help the drink become cloudy when added to water. Presumably modern makers of Pernod and absinthe use safer ingredients for their concoctions! Does absinthe really cause hallucinations? | HowStuffWorks Does absinthe really cause hallucinations? Is the "Green Fairy" myth true? Eric Litton used under CCAS 2.5 License When absinthe -- also known as the Green Fairy -- was banned in France, Switzerland, the Un­ited States and many other countries in the early 1900s, it had become associated with illicit behavior. In fact, it was accused of turning children into criminals, encouraging loose morals and inspiring murders.

That regular old alcohol received similar treatment during the Prohibition period in the United States turns out to be pretty apropos: We now know that properly manufactured absinthe -- an anise-flavored, alcoholic drink -- is no more dangerous than any other properly prepared liquor. What about the tales of hallucinations, Oscar Wilde and his tulips, family massacres and instant death? Not absinthe's fault, technically speaking. Absinthe does have a very high alcohol content -- anywhere between 55 and 75 percent, which equates to about 110 to 144 proof. It makes whiskey's standard 40 percent (80 proof) seem like child's play, which is why absinthe is supposed to be diluted. Absinthe is not a hallucinogen; its alcohol content and herbal flavor sets it apart from other liquors. More on Alcohol Alcohol Quiz Traditional absinthe is made of anise, fennel and wormwood (a plant), and various recipes add other herbs and flowers to the mix. The anise, fennel and wormwood are soaked in alcohol, and the mixture is then distilled.

The distillation process causes the herbal oils and the alcohol to evaporate, separating from the water and bitter essences released by the herbs. The fennel, anise and wormwood oils then recondense with the alcohol in a cooling area, and the distiller dilutes the resulting liquid down to whatever proof the absinthe is supposed to be (based on brand variations or regional laws). At this point, the absinthe is clear; many manufacturers add herbs to the mixture after distillation to get the classic green color from their chlorophyll. ­ ­The chemical that's taken all the­ blame for absinthe's hallucinogenic reputation is called thujone, which is a component of wormwood. In very high doses, thujone can be toxic. It is a GABA (Gamma-aminobutyric acid) inhibitor, meaning it blocks GABA receptors in the brain , which can cause convulsions if you ingest enough of it. It occurs naturally in many foods, but never in doses high enough to hurt you. And there's not enough thujone in absinthe to hurt you, either. By the end of the distillation process, there is very little thujone left in the product.

Modern science has estimated that a person drinking absinthe would die from alcohol poisoning long before he or she were affected by the thujone. And there is no evidence at all that thujone can cause hallucinations, even in high doses. In view of modern analysis of the drink and its ingredients, any absinthe-related deaths can most likely be attributed to alcoholism , alcohol poisoning or drinking the cheap stuff, which, like moonshine , can have poisonous additives in it. Do not buy absinthe from some guy in an alley -- you're looking at the same dangers you'd face drinking moonshine sold off the back of a truck. And unless you've got a distiller in your garage, those make-it-yourself kits sold on the Internet are going to help you create a really terrible tasting liquor-soaked-herb beverage, not absinthe. For the record, that man who killed his family in Switzerland in 1905, spurring a whole slew of absinthe bans and even a constitutional amendment, was under the influence of absinthe -- which he'd been drinking since he woke up that morning and throughout the rest of the day (and the day before that and the day before that). And Oscar Wilde?

Well, no doubt the poet did see tulips on his legs as he walked out into the morning light after a night of drinking absinthe at a local bar -- chalk it up to creative license. Absinthe is now perfectly legal in every country in which alcohol is legal. In fact, in 2007, the United States lifted its 100-year-long ban, provided that the absinthe is free of thujone. So once again European distillers are importing the Green Fairy stateside, and once again mixologists and absinthe enthusiasts are debating whether the newest version is truly authentic [source: Time ]. ­ Absinthe Drink: All about Absinthe, the Iconic Drink of La Vie Boheme What is absinthe? Absinthe is an alcoholic drink made from Artemisia absinthium (a plant better known as grand wormwood ) and a range of other herbs such as fennel, anise, melissa and hyssop. Actual recipes have always varied by country and manufacturer, as has the quality of each absinthe brand.

Traditionally, the drink was quality-classified as either absinthe suisse (the best grade; alcohol content of 68-72%), demi-fine (50-68% alcohol) or ordinaire (45-50%). Today, it is thought that there are about fifty brands of the absinthe drink available, produced mainly in France, Switzerland, Spain and the Czech Republic. Absinthe is usually green, although there are a few Swiss varieties that are clear. Best absinthes are made exclusively with all-natural ingredients and have no artificial colourings added. Quality green absinthe always gets its colour from the chlorophyll released from the herbs. Absinthe: The iconic drink of the bohemians Absinthe first gained its notoriety in the latter part of the nineteenth century, when it became the drink of choice among bohemian intellectuals, writers, poets and artists in France and across Europe. Soon, the emerald green liquor was consumed by people from all walks of life.

While the lower classes celebrated l'heure verte (the green hour) in Parisian bars and cafes (a pre-dinner period when patrons drank a glass or two as an aperitif), painters and poets created art and poems dedicated to La Fee Verte (the "Green Fairy" ) as the drink became known. At that time, absinthe was far more than just another alcoholic beverage: absinthe was the very icon of la vie boheme, even a way of life for some. The Fairy reached the shores of America, too, where the drink became especially popular in New Orleans. Absinthe was originally served with chilled water, which was poured into a glass of the green spirit over a sugar cube that was placed on a perforated spoon resting on the top of the glass. Although other methods of drinking absinthe have evolved since, especially in the late 1990s, the original nineteenth-century ritual of preparing absinthe , known as la louche, remains an important part of the absinthe experience for all serious absinthe connoisseurs. A drink with strange powers?

It is believed that the louche process of adding water to the strong alcohol allows the release of essential oils from the herbs from which the absinthe drink is made, particularly thujone-bearing wormwood . These oils, drinkers believe, not only counter the usual intoxicating effects of alcohol, but they also bring the mind to a peculiar state of alertness, enhance one's sensory perception and even unlock hidden creative powers -- hence absinthe's popularity among nineteenth-century avant-garde artistic community. Perhaps the most remarkable celebrity absinthe drinker of that age was the Dutch post-impressionist painter Vincent van Gogh. Painters Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec and Paul Gaugin were also fond of absinthe, as was the child rebel poet Arthur Rimbaud . Paul Verlaine, Charles Baudelaire, Oscar Wilde, Ernest Hemingway and many others writers, poets and artists also drank absinthe for its unusual effects . A fairy or a devil? The amazing popularity of the Green Fairy caused her eventual downfall. Many European governments, as well as the U.S. administration, gave in to the pressures of the anti alcohol lobby and banned the drink in the early years of the twentieth century.

Absinthe proved a relatively easy target for the anti-alcohol movement, which blamed wide-spread "absinthism" -- a mental condition the drink supposedly caused -- for a whole range of social problems. French winemakers, nervous about the sharp decline in wine consumption, also backed the calls for the banning of the "green devil". The drink was never banned in a few European countries, notably in Spain, the Czech lands and the United Kingdom. Consumption was relatively low, however, and it took almost a hundred years for the Fairy to make the grand comeback we are witnessing today. So is absinthe legal again? Absinthe is legal once more across all member states of the European Union, thanks to a 1988 Europe-wide law that re-allowed wormwood as ingredient in alcoholic beverages. In the United States, absinthe still cannot be sold in bars or stores, although personal possession and consumption is legal. Absinthe is sold in Canada, Australia, Mexico and Japan. Laws in other countries vary. Modern-day celebrities who have developed the taste for the drink include Johnny Depp, for example, as well as the controversial Marilyn Manson and Eminem.

The singer Bjork brought the latest absinthe fever back to her native Iceland a few years back. A host of Hollywood stars are known aficionados of the Green Fairy, as is the former Czech president Vaclav Havel. But even today, the story of absinthe remains one of polarised opinions: romanticised by many, and damned by a few. While an increasing number of people are rediscovering the delights of the Green Fairy, a small minority still wag their fingers and talk of the green devil. Got something to say about the absinthe drink? At Absinthe Fever, we encourage you to get involved. In fact, this whole site is meant as an open forum about absinthe, because we believe that absinthe is more than a drink, or a bit of thujone in a bottle. The Green Fairy -- the affectionate name given to the absinthe drink in the 19th century -- is art, poetry, experience, lifestyle... So join us and share your thoughts anywhere on Absinthe Fever! 32 people have Copyright © 2006 AbsintheFever.com Contributors. All Rights Reserved.

The absinthe drink has been considered the icon of European 'la vie boheme' since the middle of the nineteenth century. (Pictured: A vintage bottle of Pernod absinthe and a Spanish-made Absenta.) About the absinthe drink Erowid's absinthe pages cover just about any absinthe topic you can think of: basic facts, history, chemistry, the drink's legal status around the world, drinker's experiences... Also an interesting collection of paintings and posters. If you are looking for a reliable absinthe buyer's guide, don't miss the appropriately named Buy Absinthe website. It contains brands reviews, a list of good places to purchase from (online and in the 'real world'), tips and tricks for first-time buyers and absinthe-related news. Absinthe in France: Legalising the 'green fairy' - BBC News BBC News Absinthe in France: Legalising the 'green fairy' By Cordelia Hebblethwaite BBC News 4 May 2011 Read more about sharing.

Close share panel Image caption The traditional method of preparing absinthe: pour iced water over a sugar cube until it dissolves into a glass of absinthe underneath Green, incredibly alcoholic and some say mind-altering - these are the qualities that led to absinthe being banned in France almost 100 years ago. But all that's about to change, after the government voted to allow sales of the drink nicknamed the "green fairy". "I will not be seen as a drug addict anymore," says Clement Arnoux, an absinthe drinker and enthusiast. "It changes everything from the point of view of my friends and family," he said. The green, anise-flavoured spirit is associated with many of the country's most famous and esteemed artists and writers - like Edouard Manet, Edgar Degas, Henri de Toulouse Lautrec and Paul Verlaine - but it was banned in France in 1915 for its alleged harmful effect.

Absinthe facts First distilled in Val-de-Travers in Switzerland at end of 18th Century Name comes from its special ingredient Artemisia absinthium, commonly known as grande wormwood, which contains thujone Medicinal use of wormwood dates back to ancient Egypt At height of popularity, there were more than 1,000 distilleries of absinthe in France Was given to French soldiers in Algeria in 1840s as was believed to prevent malaria In the 19th Century the city with the biggest consumption, after Paris, was New Orleans in the US The French drink pastis started to be made after the absinthe ban came in. It has a similar anise flavour The US banned absinthe in 1912 - eight years before prohibition came in; it lifted the ban in 2007 Absinthe is distilled with the leaves of the herb Artemisia absinthium, known as grande wormwood, which contains the drink's "special ingredient", thujone, which reputedly has mind-altering effects.

Later, the rule was relaxed, allowing the drink to be sold as long as it was not called absinthe, and instead labelled "a spirit made from extracts of the absinthe plant". Now the ban is expected to be lifted entirely any day now, after the French Senate voted in favour of the move in mid-April. While drinkers like Clement Arnoux are relieved that the stigma of illegality has gone, not everyone sees the change of law as cause for celebration. Absinthe is usually around 60 or 70% alcohol, though it is not designed to be drunk neat, but mixed instead with water, much like pastis. For some, the drink's high proof is part of its appeal. Young people are "always looking for something more", says Laurent Legay, who works with people with drink problems in the Pas de Calais region. "I've had young people in secondary school who have told me that they are on the hunt for absinthe because it's a strong alcohol," he adds.

'Redundant' law Absinthe was made legal in the rest of the European Union in 1988, provided the amount of thujone falls within the agreed limit of 10mg/kg, or 35mg/kg for absinthe bitters. When you ask anyone, 'what is absinthe?' they reply 'it makes you mad' Marie-Claude Delahaye, Director of the Museum of Absinthe In France, a decree was passed allowing absinthe to be sold but only if it was not actually called absinthe. "It was a bizarre situation," says George Rowley, Managing Director of La Fee Absinthe, who - though British - was one of the key people behind the resumption of absinthe production in France. "You could distil absinthe in France, bottle it, label it for the rest of the world as absinthe, but you couldn't do that for France. "It was ridiculous; it was a redundant law that needed to be swept away," he said. Queen of the boulevards Absinthe's heyday was in the mid-to-late 1800s.

Image caption Pablo Picasso painted absinthe drinkers "Absinthe was the queen of the Parisian boulevards," says Marie-Claude Delahaye, director and founder of the Museum of Absinthe in Auvers-sur-Oise. Artists would hang out in the Parisian cafes to escape the chill of their studios, and a whole social scene developed around the drink, which was nicknamed la fee verte, meaning the green fairy. Absinthe conveniently filled a gap left by the wine industry, which had been decimated in previous years by the vine disease phylloxera - but it also had its own attractions. "It was cheap, it was an industrial alcohol, and it was very easy to buy," says Jad Adams, author of Hideous Absinthe: History of the Devil in a Bottle. "It was the drink of the poor, and if you were a poor artist, like Vincent Van Gogh, you were going to take the cheapest kind of alcohol you could." By the late 19th Century, France - like other countries in the Europe - was in the grip of a serious alcoholism problem, and this prompted a backlash, the repercussions of which have lasted to this day.

"For the French, it's clear," says Marie-Claude Delahaye. "When you ask anyone, 'what is absinthe?' they reply 'it makes you mad'. "The anti-alcohol lobbies really rammed home the message that absinthe makes you crazy and a criminal," she says. Famous absinthe quotes Oscar Wilde After the first glass you see things as you wish they were. After the second, you see things as they are not. Finally you see things as they really are, and that is the most horrible thing in the world Paul Verlaine Drunk on the sly, with fear of treason and if I drink it no longer, it is for a good reason Johnny Depp I hated cocaine, but I used to like absinthe which is like marijuana; drink too much and you suddenly realise why Van Gogh cut off his ear "So that has stayed within the collective memory; people are afraid of absinthe." The widely held view that absinthe is mind-altering or hallucinogenic has been "greatly exaggerated", according to Ted Breaux, a research scientist and commercial distiller in France who has spent 17 years researching the liquor.

He notes, however, that some drinkers report a "sensation of mental clarity" before the alcohol kicks in. One big question, though, is whether the absinthe available now is the same as that drunk by the big names in the 19th Century - and that is contested. Absinthe producers insist they are carefully following original recipes and the drink is exactly the same - they even cite papers printed in scientific journals . Others argue that the few remaining pre-ban bottles will have degraded so much over time that they are now impossible to assess. There was no regulation of absinthe in the days of Van Gogh, meaning there was probably "significantly more thujone" than would be allowed under modern-day EU rules, according to Jad Adams. Swiss challenge Absinthe was first made, not in France, but just across the border in the Val-de-Travers region of Switzerland. For us to be the last to authorise it, is not just ironic, it's almost insane! Clement Arnoux, French absinthe drinker And a Swiss judge recently approved a request to give the region exclusive rights to produce it.

For the moment, this ruling applies only in Switzerland, which is not a member of the European Union - and so has limited impact. But because of Switzerland's close ties with the EU, it is possible that the Swiss could seek to extend the ruling across the block. Producers say that this is what has galvanised the French government to lift the ban now. France would be the biggest loser if such a ruling were to be extended, but with the drink still technically illegal at home, it would have found it virtually impossible to contest. Absinthe drinker Clement Arnoux hopes that many more bars and shops will start to sell absinthe now. But most of all, he wants France to reclaim what he sees as part of its heritage. "We have forgotten that for half a century, absinthe was the national spirit in France, not wine. "So for us to be the last to authorise it, is not just ironic, it's almost insane! "We have forgotten almost everything about it, and are re-learning it from foreigners," he laments.

"That part is sad." Absinthe, Buy Absinthe, Vintage Absinth Absinthe is flavoured distilled liquor, emerald green in colour, turning to cloudy, opalescent white when mixed with water. Absinthe inspired many prominent artists, writers and poets. Just to name a few - Vincent Van Gogh, Oscar Wilde, Manet, Ernest Hemingway - in fact his masterpiece " For Whom The Bell Tolls " was written under the influence of "The Green Fairy". Absinthe was first produced commercially in 1797 by Henry-Louis Pernod, who purchased the formula from a French exile living in Switzerland. Wormwood Artemisia Absinthium is the chief flavouring ingredient, native to Europe and Asia.; other aromatic ingredients include aniseed, licorice, hyssop, fennel, angelica root, star aniseed... Wormwood is a long-lived plant, with greyish-green leaves and the flowers have a greenish-yellow tint, and like leaves give off a strong aromatic odor and are bitter to the taste. Our absinthe contains the same amount of thujone found in the 19th century absinthe.

Absinthe with Wormwood The Green Fairy; Storied, once-banned absinthe catches on locally. - Free Online Library The Green Fairy; Storied, once-banned absinthe catches on locally. <a href=" Citations: APA style: The Green Fairy; Storied, once-banned absinthe catches on locally.. (n.d.) >The Free Library. (2014). Retrieved Jan 20 2017 from Byline: Mark Melady Since last November, the drink list at the Sole Proprietor restaurant in Worcester has included a libation called "The Green Fairy." If drinks could talk, what a tale the fairy would tell, providing she could remember the next morning. Absinthe, the often emerald colored, highly potent spirit, banned for most of the 20th century in Europe and until 2007 in the United States for supposed madness-inducing properties, was called The Green Fairy by its devoted touts, whose number included so many artists and writers that absinthe's nom de plume became the Green Muse. Pablo Picasso, Vincent Van Gogh and Edward Degas made the drink the subject of paintings.

Oscar Wilde, Charles Baudelaire, Edgar Allen Poe, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec and Ernest Hemingway all chased the fairy, as its ritualistic imbibing was known. Hemingway devised his own version mixed with cold champagne that he called Death in the Afternoon. He recommended drinking three to five slowly. "We don't allow our customers to have more than two," said Nichols Quinn, night manager at the Sole on Highland Street. "Absinthe is not a shot," said Brian McNally, proprietor of the Old Timer in Clinton, which added the drink to its bar late last year. "No one is going to sit down and wax 'em back." The reason for that has nothing to do with absinthe's infamous legend - "The Devil in a Bottle," one writer titled his work on the subject - but because of its wallop. Typically the alcohol content of consumer hard liquors ranges from 80 to 100 proof. The Swiss Kubler brand absinthe sold at the Sole is 106 proof. The Old Timer carries Kubler and a French brand, Lucid Superieure, which is 124 proof.

"I don't sell anything more powerful than that," Mr. McNally said. "I wouldn't want to." Absinthe (pronounced with the "th" ending) is an herbal concoction that starts with wormwood. According to the Absinthe Buyers Guide.com, regarded as the definitive source on the drink, wormwood is usually blended with anise, fennel and, variably, other spices and herbs once associated with curing vapors or eradicating parasites. Most absinthes are distilled, the Czech or Bohemian varieties being a major exception. Distillation results in a clear liquid called a blanche or la bleu (Kubler). The cheaper versions are artificially colored green. The better green absinthe brands achieve the color through a natural steeping process of the herbs. Wormwood (artemisia absinthium) was used as a medicinal potion by the Egyptians but the modern-day cocktail began with a French doctor in the Val-de-Travers section of Switzerland in the late 18th century.

His 135-proof elixir recipe based on wormwood eventually became the basis for the absinthe produced by the French distiller Pernod, which by the 1850s was making 20,000 gallons annually and selling absinthe worldwide. In part because a grape bug ravaged many of the vineyards in France, creating a wine shortage and driving up wine prices, the readily available absinthe became a rage in France in the 1880s and 1890s - so much so that the 5 o'clock bell at cafes and cabarets throughout the country became known as l'heure verte (the green hour) and absinthism became its own sub-category of alcoholism. Absinthe had the tempting aura of forbidden fruit and its fairy-conjuring mixing smacked of illicit alchemy and downright decadence. The drink is made by dripping icy water over a sugar cube nestled in a slotted spoon, which is balanced over a glass holding an ounce and a half of absinthe. As the water passes through the sugar cube, the absinthe turns a milky white, a transformation known as the louche.

The cognoscenti claim that about 20 minutes into the drinking, a tranquil lucidity overcomes them unlike any other alcohol experience. But there also were stories about the drink causing epilepsy, hallucinations and even madness. The rise of alcoholism in France at the end of the 19th century, and commensurate with it the growing Temperance movement, made the country's most popular drink the target of social critics, the church and teetotalers. A turn-of-the-century murder trial in which a Swiss man charged with killing his family was shown to have drunk two absinthes on the day of the killing (along with several bottles of wine and other forms of alcohol) gave impetus to the ban absinthe movement. The drink was prohibited by governments in Switzerland, Belgium, the Netherlands, Brazil, the U.S. (in 1912), France and Australia. Spain, Portugal and the United Kingdom, among others, did not ban absinthe. Beginning in the 1990s, European countries, including France, lifted their bans. Thujone, a toxin found in wormwood, was fingered as early as the 19th century as the dangerous element in absinthe.

Thujone can, in large quantities, provoke renal failure or convulsions. But a more recent analysis of thujone, which is also found in sage, showed that absinthe would have to be drunk in such a large quantity to reach the threatening levels of thujone that the drinker would be long dead from alcohol poisoning. Reduced thujone levels in absinthe prompted the U.S. Food and Drug Administration last year to approve the sale of absinthe that had less than 10 parts per million of thujone. Mr. McNally said once it became legal here, he ordered a few bottles. "It was banned for so long and it has such a storied past, I thought there would be a huge curiosity for it," he said. "There's some. I've sold nine bottles since November." At the Old Timer, absinthe goes for $9 per drink. At the Sole, the price is $9.99. The slotted spoons to hold the sugar cube never arrived, so Old Timer bartenders substituted another legendary beverage implement - the Guinness spoon, used in the pouring of the British stout that is brewed in Dublin under the name the St. James brewery.

"It works," said Mr. McNally, "but then probably anything would. I've read that in 19th century bars in Europe there were gargoyles on the wall with several spigots that dripped water for absinthe drinkers." Mr. McNally said he tried the drink - in an I-did-not-inhale Clintonian sort of way. "I put it up to my lips," he said. "It had a licorice-ish taste. Not my cup of tea." Mr. Quinn actually drank his and can recommend it as an interesting aperitif. "It produces a little bit of buzzing throughout the body," Mr. Quinn said. MargaritaGrill in Auburn, Block Five in Worcester and The Olde Post Office Pub in North Grafton do not carry it, have not had any calls for it, and have no immediate plans to stock absinthe, according to on-duty bartenders. The bartender at the Olde Post Office Pub had never heard of it.

Told that it was once believed to have hallucinogenic properties, she replied, "Oh, great, just what we need." Her curiosity about a drink that had once been banned was sufficiently piqued, however, that she planned to ask her liquor salesman about its availability. "How do you spell it?" she asked. The Sunday night bartender at Block Five, an upscale bistro on Green Street, said there had not been any call for it, perhaps because Monday morning comes too quickly for a dance with the green fairy. "It's not as popular as we would like," Mr. Quinn acknowledged. "It's hard to find a niche for it in a restaurant-bar. Right now it's mostly the late-night bar crowd that's most interested." For the rest, it could simply be that absinthe makes the liver grow feebler. ART: PHOTOS PHOTOG: T&G Staff Photos/STEVE LANAVA CUTLINE: (1) Absinthe has become a feature at the Old Timer Pub in Clinton and the Sole Proprietor restaurant in Worcester. (2) Brian McNally, owner of the Old Timer Pub in Clinton, demonstrates the proper method of creating wormwood.

COPYRIGHT 2008 Worcester Telegram & Gazette No portion of this article can be reproduced without the express written permission from the copyright holder. Copyright 2008 Gale, Cengage Learning. All rights reserved. Article Details Absinthe: Alcohol with Extraordinary Power - Absinthe Fever King of Spirits Absinth: 70% alcohol Do drink responsibly Unexpected over-indulgence is a genuine possibility with absinthe, especially for newcomers who assume the drink compares to other spirits in alcohol strength. Recently, an English aristocrat claimed that absinthe sent him "doolally" (mad) in his defense against a drink-driving charge. It transpired the man had spent some hours "in the company of the Green Fairy " (as absinthe is known), a fact he later used to "explain" the unusually high level of intoxication he was apparently under when stopped by the cops. Putting the blame on the Fairyï¿½s secondary, presumably thujone-induced effects must have seen a convenient excuse. The fact remains, however, that the man admitted having drunk three or four absinthes that afternoon -- and that, in alcohol content, equals some six to eight glasses of scotch.

With absinthe's popularity on the rise again, many other anecdotes of inadvertent over-indulgence are being told -- and newcomers to absinthe are not the only ones at risk. Most seasoned absintheurs also admit to having indulged a little too much at least once or twice: "As far as alcohol intake goes, the Fairy turns out to be a deceptive little devil," says Ben Romano, a retired American professor who lives in the south of France. "Consider the thirst of a hot summer afternoon: would you down a triple whisky? Unlikely. Now, how about a cool, smooth, creamy absinthe-ice water louche? Oh sure, it's easy to have one too many. It tastes good, you know." Louche'ing absinthe with iced water does have the desired effect of diluting the strong green liquor, and, apparently, this is how absinthe should be drunk anyway. To connoisseurs, the ritual of la louche is an essential part of the absinthe experience; drinking absinthe 'neat' is something akin to a crime. But however you drink your absinthe, moderation is the key.

Someone with the idea to get drunk, smashed, pie-eyed or whatever you wish to call it will do so -- with or without absinthe. So long as you remain mindful of absinthe alcohol potency, the Green Fairy will prove the most pleasant of companions. In sensible quantities, she will reward you with a delightfully open-minded, clear-headed inebriation which no other beverage can match. Alcohol? Yes, but there's more to it... With absinthe, the effects of alcohol are countered by the stimulants present in the herbs from which the emerald liquor is made. As a result, absinthe-induced inebriation is quite different to the usual bleary-eyed incoherence that comes from drinking too much vin de plonk or spirits. Frank Kelly Rich, a writer, noted his experience of drinking absinthe: "I had long used a burgundy/whisky/coffee combination to help me write (alcohol for inspiration, coffee for structure) and here was the whole shebang in one compact package." Rich continued: "After my tenth glass I sat down to write, and that's when I got a grip on what that difference was.

I was drunk, yes, but not whisky or wine drunk, I was drunk and clear-headed. I discovered I could write with a strange sense of cognizance when I should have been scratching unintelligible ravings on bar napkins. The alcohol wave was rolling through me, but instead of drowning, I was somehow above it, coolly observing." So there you have it. One of strongest alcoholic drinks ever made, but one that apparently keeps you alert despite its abundant alcohol content. Got something to say about absinthe's strength, effects, alcohol content? At Absinthe Fever, we encourage you to get involved. In fact, this whole site is meant as an open forum about absinthe, because we believe that absinthe is more than a drink, or a bit of thujone in a bottle. The Green Fairy -- the affectionate name given to the absinthe drink in the 19th century -- is art, poetry, experience, lifestyle... So join us and share your thoughts anywhere on Absinthe Fever! 22 people have Czech Absinthe, Green Fairy Shopping Absinthe has made a comeback in Prague as the spirit of choice of alternative trendsetters.

It is very well known as the ‘green fairy’ liquor, due to its normal green colour. Absinthe is a powerful concoction (with 70% of alcohol), flavoured with wormwood, and once in the late 19th and early 20th centuries it was consumed in huge quantities across Europe. Thanks to added wormwood and herb, Absinthe contains a psychoactive neurotoxin called thujone. Leading artists, writers and other louche libertines of the period were attracted by its potency, vibrant green hue and ritual preparation. But Absinthe also had bothersome side-effects, such as blindness and death, which finally led to it being banned. Absinthe was legalised again in the Czech Republic in the 1990s, and has become something of a cultural icon, with several brands available. In most of the European Union, Absinthe may be sold as long as it does not exceed 10mg of thujone.

In Prague’s bars, the drink is served by burning a small amount of Absinthe-soaked sugar on a spoon, which you then stir into your glass of Absinthe and douse with water (1-2 parts water to Absinthe). Any use of fire and/or pyrotechnics may look impressive, but has no connection with the traditional preparation of Absinthe. Some famous brands are Hill’s Absinthe, Staroplzenecky Absinthe, Absinthe King of Spirits, Red Absinthe (red in colour), Absinthe Original, and La Fee Absinthe. The main traditions of manufacturing are according to French or Swiss recipes, and it is worth noting that the Czech spelling of absinthe is “absinth”, leaving off the “e”. You may buy Absinthe in most of the souvenir and liquor shops, and it can make a good present/ souvenir for your friends. Absinthe History and Legends, Whats Cooking America Absinthe History and Legends Absinthe –The Revival of the “Green Fairy” Are you familiar with absinthe history and legends? A now legalized liquor that has long been rumored to cause madness.

No other drink has inspired so much fear, so much awe, and allure as absinthe! In French, the word “absinthe” means “wormwood.” It was also known as the “green fairy” during its heyday in France in the 1800s. The Green Fairy is the English translation of La Fee Verte, the French nickname given to absinthe in the 19th century. The nickname stuck, and over a century later, “absinthe” and “Green Fairy” continue to be used. Absinthe is an anise-flavored liquor or spirit that is made by steeping wormwood (wormwood has been defined as the quinine of the poor) and other aromatic herbs (hyssop, lemon balm, and angelica) in alcohol. The drink is distinguished by its dazzling emerald blue-green clarity, due to its chlorophyll content. When mixed with water, the liquor changes to cloudy white. Pernod was the original absinthe. It is still distilled today, only without the wormwood. Other liqueurs used today as a substitute for wormwood are Ricard, Hersaint, Anisette, Ouzo, and Sambuca.

Definition of Wormwood: Wormwood is a derivation of the German word “wermut” or the Anglo-Saxon word “wermod,” and has a lineage to the word “vermouth.” Wormwood has also come to mean a bitter or mortifying experience. Any of 250 strong-smelling plants with white or yellow flowers that are generally classed as weed. It is specifically the Eurasian perennial (Artemisia absinthium) that is so notorious in the cocktail world. It produces a bitter, dark-green oil once used in making absinthe, vermouth, and other bitters. Wormwood had been used medicinally since the Middle Ages to exterminate tapeworms in the abdomen while leaving the human host uninjured and even rejuvenated by the experience. Absinthe is traditionally served with water and a cube of sugar. The sugar cube was place on an absinthe spoon (a small slotted spoon), and the liquor was drizzled over the sugar into the glass of cold water until the sugar was dissolved and the desired dilution was obtained. The sugar helped take the bitter edge away from the absinthe, and when poured into water, the liquor turned a milky white.

The spoons themselves were often works of art, covered with filigree flowers and stars, or shaped like sea shells. The effect of this drink was related to the degree of dilution, the amount imbibed, and the frequency of drinking. Physical effects of nausea, disorientation, hallucination and seizure were noted by the drinkers of absinthe. Of course, these effects can be noticed by anyone who drinks too much! The popularity of absinthe lasted just over 100 years. 15th Century B.C. Accounts in ancient texts dating as far as 1500 B.C. mention that wormwood’s medicinal as well as religious significance, and even a drink that was fortified with extract of wormwood. We will likely never know the exact origins of the very first absinthe ever distilled or the name of its original inventor. 1st Century A.D. The first written detailed description of absinthe’s use and therapeutic properties was written by Gaius Plinius Cecilius Secundus (23 A.D.-79 A.D.), better known as Pliny the Elder’s. He was an Roman scholar, author, naturalist, and naval and military commander.

He is known for his great compendium of the knowledge of the ancient world called Naturalis Historia (Latin for Natural History): “There are several kinds of absinthe: that called Santonic from a city of Gaul, the Pontic from Pontus, where cattle grow fat on it and because of it are found without gall; there is none finer than this. The Italian is far more bitter, while the pith of the Pontic is sweet. About its use all agree, for it is a plant very easy to find and among the most useful; moreover it is honored uniquely in the rites of the Roman people in that at the Latin festival when four-horsed chariots race on the Capitol the victor drinks absinthe, because, I believe, our ancestors thought that it was an honouable reward to be given health….” 18th Century A.D. 1789 – 1792 – According to history or legend (not sure which it is), absinthe was originally developed by Dr. Pierre Ordinaire. He was a French doctor in self-exile due to political reasons, who was living in the Swiss town of Couvet.

It was said that he discovered the plant wormwood while traveling in the Val-de-Travers. He mixed wormwood and other herbs with alcohol to create his 136 proof elixir. He used this elixir in his treatment of the sick. After many claims of miracuous healing powers, it became a cure-all. It was eventually nicknamed “la Fee Verte,” which means the Green Fairy. It is also believed that Dr. Ordinaire either gave or sold his recipe to Mademoiselle Grand-Pierre, who then sold it to two sisters named Henrod in Couvet. Some historical information suggest that the Henroid sisters were making the elixir before Dr. Ordinaire even arrived in the area, and his is credited with being one of the first people to promote it. The Henrod sisters promoted the elixir commercially by offering sample of the elixir to be sold in nearby pharmacies. 1794 – Abram-Louis Perrenoud (1776-1851), a distiller by trade, living in Couvet in the Val de Travers region of Switzerland.

Somewhere around the year 1794, Abram-Louis actually scribbled his recipe for absinthe in his diary. 1797 – A Frenchman named Major Daniel-Henri Dubied, a lace merchant, recognized the commercial potential of the formula and purchased the recipe from Perrenoud. Since he had to distilling experience, he employed Abram-Louis’ son, Henri-Louis Perrenoud, who had learned the distilling trade from his father. It is also said that the Major’s daughter, Emile, married Henri-Louis in 1797. In 1798, along with Dubied’s sons, they began producing absinthe under the name of Dubied Pe et Fils. 1805 – In 1805, after several permutations of partnership, Henri-Louis changed his surname from Perrenoud to Pernod and he established a distillery of his own in Pontarlier, France called Maison Pernod Fils. 19th Century A.D. 1847 – Absinthe’s progress from medicine to social poison started with the military.

It is said that the demand for absinthe rose dramatically after the Algerian War (1844-1847) when the soldiers were given rations of absinthe along with their drinking water as a bacterial deterrent. The soldiers, now hooked on absinthe, began drinking it in peace time France, thus starting the first surge in absinthe popularity. 1870 – 1900 – Grape Phylloxera (a tiny aphid-like insect that attacks the roots of grapevines) attacked the root stock of vineyard all over the France and Europe. The epidemic devastated most of the European wine growing industry. Within 25 years, grape phylloxera had destroyed two-thirds of the vineyards in Europe. The price of wine skyrocketed and became scarce and very expense. The aristocrats bought and consumed what wine was available. The middle class (the artisans and tradesmen) began looking for a cheaper alternative to wine. As absinthe was already growing in popularity, it became the perfect alternative.

1880 – From the 1880s to the turn of the century, drinking absinthe during the cocktail hour in France became so popular that people begin calling it the I’heure verte (the green hour) for the liquor’s bright green color. Generally, from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., the cafes in Paris would be crowded with people drinking absinthe. At cafes, one could find policemen, laborers, bankers, and artists, all enjoying the elaborate absinthe ritual and all getting “loaded.” Absinthe was the “beaverage du jour” for artists, writers, and poets in Europe. It was known as the drink of the Bohemians. The bohemians were self-impoverished artists, writers, musicians, free-thinkers, and counter-culture types. Manet, Toulouse-Lautrec, Degas, Picasso, de Maupassant, and especially Vincent Van Gogh are associated with absinthe. The “green fairy,” as absinthe came to be called for purportedly causing hallucinations, is thought to have encouraged Van Gogh to cut off part of his left ear.

They believed absinthe stimulated creativity. Absinthe was believed to raise the drinkers consciousness, insights, and emotional experience to another level. It seemed that everyone indulged themselves enthusiastically; so enthusiastically in fact that alcoholism began to be a serious problem in France. Men and women became enthralled with the ritual of presentation as well as with the appearance, taste, and excitement of the liqueur. Absinthe was one of the few drinks considered ladylike and women freely enjoyed drinking it in the dance halls and coffee houses where it was most commonly served. Picasso painted several haunting images featuring absinthe women drinkers. Absinthe drinking was exported to New Orleans and its French Quarter, where the Old Absinthe House have been a tourist attraction for more than a century. Absinthe appeared in New Orleans liquor advertisements as early as 1837, but its popularity didn’t take off until the latter half of the 19th century with the opening of the barroom that would become the Old Absinthe House in 1874. 20th Century A.D.

At the turn of the 20th century, much of France (and parts of the rest of Europe and the United States) were on an absinthe binge. This wide spread popularity led to an attempt at its prohibition. Backed by the French wine growers, the temperance movement targeted absinthe as responsible for alcoholism, racial degeneration, and social instability. 1910 – Absinthe was banned in Switzerland 1912 – When the prohibition movements were underway, on July 25, 1912, the Department of Agriculture banned absinthe in America. One of the reasons it is banned in the U.S. is that it was thought to have caused insanity and hallucinations that drove drinkers to commit criminal acts. In other words, it was pretty much like any other alcoholic drink. 1915 – At the outbreak of the First World War, the drink was seen as a threat to the nation, and the National Assembly voted for the bill to ban absinthe as an act of national defense. The France banned absinthe use in 1915.

1990 – A revival of absinthe began in the 1990s, when countries in Europe began to reauthorize its manufacture and sale. 21st Century A.D. Absinthe is once again legal in most of the world! 2007 – In 2007, after 95 years of prohibition, absinthe was finally authorized again for sale in the United States in bars and liquor stores. U.S. re-evaluation came after European distillers pressured American officials to conduct real research and approve authorization of selling absinthe. March 5th was declared to be the unofficial National Absinthe Day in the United States. Absinthe Day is another way to celebrate the fact that the popularity of this drink has resurfaced in recent times. How To Drink Absinthe – Chasing The Green Fairy My daughters, Nancy and Brenda, and my granddaughter, Tabitha, spent several days in Las Vegas celebrating Tabitha’s 21st birthday. I still ca not believe that I am old enough to have a 21-year old granddaughter. The years just slipped away!

One of the things that I have wanted to do (my bucket list), was to taste absinthe. I had researched this drink for my web site in the past, and wanted to taste it. Now that it is legal again, this was my chance. My daughters have also wanted to taste absinthe. What a better time than on my granddaughter’s 21st birthday! I guess that gives me several excuses and reasons to partake and “Chase The Green Fairy.” Below are photos that I took while our drinks were being made and instructions for you to make your own absinthe drinks. Traditional Method – Absinthe Drip (Traditional French Method): Select a quality bottle of absinthe for your drink. The best tasting bottles of absinthe are in the range of 45 to 68% alcohol by volume. A big part of absinthe’s lore comes from the rituals surrounding it’s consumption and the special equipment required to make this drink. Pour the Absinthe into a glass. Place an Absinthe spoon (flat-slotted absinthe spoon) on the top of the glass and set a single sugar cube on top of the spoon.

The sugar is traditionally used to balance the bitter taste of the absinthe. NOTE: If you don’t have an absinthe spoon or sugar cubes, you can just use granulated sugar, mixing it in any glass of your choice. Various styles of absinthe spoons Very slowly drip 3 to 5 parts of iced water onto the sugar cube to dissolve the sugar into the absinthe using an Absinthe Fountain (see above photo) or slowly pouring from a carafe or pitcher. It is important to do this drop-by-drop. The water added to the absinthe must always be iced, as cold as possible. The advantage of using an Absinthe Fountain is that you could add ice cubes to the water to keep it cold. The usual ratio for absinthe to water is either 1:3 or 1:5. A traditional 2 ounces of absinthe with 6 ounces water will equal an 8 ounce drink and fill most of the glass The amount of water added to your absinthe drink is entirely at the customer’s discretion and taste. The sugar cube will slowly start to collapse and drip into the glass, eventually leaving only a few drops of sugared water on the spoon.

As water is slowly poured water into the absinthe, it slowly turns a milky white (opaqueness). This is known as the “louche” effect. According to the brand of absinthe you use in your drink, there is a considerable variety both in color and in the opacity of the louche. As you pour in the water, watch the as it mixes with the absinthe. When the water-to-absinthe ratio reaches a certain level, the essential oils which are dissolved in the absinthe during distillation will emulsify with the water and create the opalescent and cloudy effect known as the “louche.” Seeing the absinthe drink gradually change color was considered a part of its ritualistic attraction. When the sugar cube has almost completely dissolved, add the rest of the iced water needed (your choice) in a thin stream. Now mix it all together (this is called muddling) with your absinthe spoon. Your absinthe is now ready to drink. Sip your drink and enjoy. Option: Some people will add 2 or 3 ice cubes to the finished drink. You may do this, but it may be frowned upon by absinthe purists.

Non-Traditional Method – Bohemian-Style Absinthe (Czech method): The Czech method is more dramatic, but burning absinthe is not traditional, but it makes an impressive exhibition. This method or gimmick was introduced by the producers of Czech Absinthe (considered a fake absinthe) in the 1990s. It is not recommended because it can be dangerous due to the high alcohol content in absinthe. To do this method, drip some absinthe onto the sugar cube, sitting on the absinthe spoon, and light it on fire for approximately 1 minute. The fire will caramelize the sugar as it drips down into the absinthe in the glass (the caramelized sugar adds a little additional flavor, This unusual method uses 1/2 the water of the French method, and thus makes a stronger drink. Sazerac Cocktail: This drink is considered by historians as the first cocktail ever invented. It was originally created by a New Orleans pharmacy in the early 19th century to ward off tropical malaise.

1/2 ounce cream 4 ounces shaved or crushed ice * Orgeat Syrup is a sweet syrup made from almonds, sugar, and either rose water or orange-flower water. Instructions: Combine all ingredients in a blender, blend for 5 seconds and serve in a chilled cocktail glass. Ernest Hemingway’s Death in the Afternoon Cocktail: A recipe verified in the 1935 humoristic celebrities’ cocktail book titled, So Red the Nose, or Breath in the Afternoon. Hemingway wrote: “This was arrived at by the author and three officers of the H.M.S. Danae after having spent seven hours overboard trying to get Capt. Bra Saunders’ fishing boat off a bank where she had gone with us in a N.W. gale.” Ingredients: Pour one (1) jigger absinthe into a Champagne glass. Add iced Champagne until it attains the proper opalescent milkiness. Drink three to five of these slowly. Absinthe Martini – European style: The mixture below was created around the beginning of the 20th century, when it became fashionable in France to drink American-style’ cocktails.

Ingredients: 1 1/2 ounces dry vermouth 1 dash absinthe

Question: What type of alcohol, known as "the green fairy", was once banned in most of Europe?
Answer: Absinthe