Absinthe Green Fairy is an alcoholic drink with a history 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 which is incredibly strong, between 45 and 75% Alcohol by volume. The name “Green Fairy” or in French “La Fee Verte” is primarily due to its emerald green colour. It is a distilled liquor produced from herbs. The three herbs tend to be Artemisia Absinthium , fennell and green aniseed. Henri-Louis Pernod, The man who first commercially distilled Absinthe, used other herbs such as nutmeg, juniper,hyssop, lemon balm, veronica, star anise and dittany to make Pernod Absinthe recipe. Some manufacturers employed 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 do not dissolve in water and so cause the Absinthe to louche.
The Art World And Absinthe Green Fairy
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. Famous Absinthe drinkers include major personalities like Edgar Degas, Ernest Hemingway and Oscar Wilde. Many writers and artists credit Absinthe for their inspiration and genius. Painters and sculpturists like Van Gogh and Picasso even featured Absinthe and Absinthe drinkers in their paintings.
Old Montmartre, the Moulin Rouge and the Bohemian sect and their association with Absinthe 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. Other countries also banned it but it remained legal in the the UK, Spain and Portugal.
The psychedelic effects of drinking the Green Fairy is due to the chemical commonly known as thujone and is present in wormwood. Thujone was thought to produce similar action like THC in cannabis. However Absinthe contains primarily ethanol, and therefore only contains minute quantities of thujone. Now it is known that Absinthe is just as safe as any other strong liquor and that it is the alcohol content not the thujone that is dangerous. A lot of studies and articles have been written on the subject. It is about twice as strong as vodka or whisky and drink it with care and in moderation, it is simply a drink which gives pleasure.
During the time of prohibition Czech Republic flourished with vintage style Absinthe in Absinthe bars where Absinthe was 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 – mix with champagne for a truly decadent drink!
