Absinthe Green Fairy interesting history is worth noticing. Developed as an tonic it is now one of the most controversial and famous drinks of all time.

Absinthe is an anise flavored spirit characteristically strong and contains 45 to 75% Alcohol by volume. It appears in emerald green in color, hence the name “Green Fairy” or in French “La Fee Verte”. It is simply a distilled liquor made from herbs. The three main herbs tend to be wormwood (Artemisia Absinthium), green aniseed and fennel (fennell). Henri-Louis Pernod, who first commercially distilled Absinthe, used other herbs such as hyssop, lemon balm, nutmeg, juniper, veronica, star anise and dittany to produce his famous original Pernod Absinthe recipe. Some manufacturers used ingredients like herb calamus and this herb along with wormwood and nutmeg were though to be psychoactive. It is the essential oil extract from the herbs which causes Absinthe to louche when iced water is poured over the sugar on the Absinthe spoon. The oils are water insoluble and so cause the Absinthe to louche.

The Role of Absinthe Green Fairy In the Art World

Absinthe is credited with inspiring a lot of artists and writers associated with the Bohemian culture of the Montmartre area in the capital city of France. Absinthe drinkers of repute are Vincent Van Gough, Pablo Picasso, Paul Gauguin, Charles Baudelaire, Edgar Degas, Ernest Hemingway and Oscar Wilde. Quite a few writers and artists claim that Absinthe was a great source of inspiration for them. Painters like Glen Mc Grath and Martine even featured Absinthe in their paintings.

Absinthe's association with old Montmartre, the Moulin Rouge and the Bohemian sect, was just the excuse that prohibition campaigners needed. Once it was held accountable for growing problem of alcohol addiction in France it was easy for campaigners to get the sale of Absinthe made illegal and it was banned in France in 1915. It remained legal in the Czech Republic, the UK, Spain and Portugal although many other countries banned it.

The chemical thujone, present in wormwood, was blamed for the psychedelic effects of drinking the Green Fairy. Thujone was thought to be similar to THC in cannabis. As a matter of fact Absinthe is mainly alcohol, ethanol, and therefore contains very small quantities of thujone. Research has shown that Absinthe as safe or as bad as any other strong liquor and that it is the alcohol content not the thujone that is dangerous. Quite a few studies and articles have been written on the subject. If you remember that it is about twice as strong as vodka and drink it with care and in moderation, it is just a drink that gives pleasure.

At the time of Bann many people enjoyed buying and drinking vintage style Absinthe in Absinthe bars in the Czech Republic, served in the classic Absinthe large glasses and in surroundings decorated with vintage Absinthe posters. Now, in 2008, Absinthe is legal once again but with restrictions and United States only allows Absinthe with trace amounts of thujone.

You can buy Absinthe online by the bottle or order Absinthe essences (visit the website AbsintheKit.com) to make your own Absinthe Green Fairy to bottle at home. Real Absinthe and Absinthe kit contains the vital ingredient wormwood but some new Absinthes, produced for the US market, do not contain thujone.

Absinthe Green Fairy is a delicious spirit to mix with champagne for a truly refreshing drink!

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