Absinthe is historically described as a distilled, highly alcoholic (45% -74% ABV beverage). It is an anise-flavored spirit derived from herbs including the flowers and leaves of the herb Artemisia absinthium, commonly known as “great wormwood.” Absinthe traditionally has a natural green color, but it can also be colorless. It is commonly known in the historical literature of drinks as “la fée verte (the green fairy).
Though sometimes mistakenly called a liqueur, absinthe is not bottled with added sugar and is therefore classified as a spirit. Absinthe is unusual among spirits in that while it is bottled at a high proof, but is normally diluted with water when drunk.
Absinthe originated in the canton of Neuchâtel in Switzerland. It achieved great popularity as an alcoholic beverage in the late 19th and early 20th century France, particularly among Parisian artists and writers.
Due in part to its association with bohemian culture, absinthe was opposed by social conservatives and prohibitionists. And perhaps most importantly to the prohibitionists they were against such people as Charles Baudelaire, Paul Verlaine, Arthur Rimbaud, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, Vincent van Gogh, Oscar Wilde, and Aleister Crowley. These were notorious “bad men” of that day who were (or are thought to be) devotees of the Green Fairy.
Absinthe was portrayed as a dangerously addictive, psychoactive drug. The chemical thujone, present in small amounts, was singled out and blamed for its alleged harmful effects.
In 1915, absinthe was banned in the United States and most European countries except the United Kingdom, Sweden, Spain, Portugal, Denmark and the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Although absinthe was vilified, no evidence was shown that it was more dangerous than any other common spirit. Its psychoactive properties, apart from alcohol, were greatly exaggerated.
A revival of absinthe began in the 1990s, when countries of the European Union began to reauthorize its manufacture and sale. In February 2008, nearly 200 brands of absinthe were being produced in a dozen countries, notably France, Switzerland, Spain and the Czech Republic. Commercial distillation of absinthe in the United States were resumed in 2007.
Information for this article was provided by Cocktailsandwines.com
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