Absinthe: The Green Fairy Lives

The fabled tales of the almost mythical beverage Absinthe are fascinating to say the least. Known as “The Green Fairy,” Absinthe was the muse for many of the greatest artist of the late 19th to the early 20th century until it was banned due to the temperance movement in Europe during World War I. It was the first casualty, so to speak, in the prohibition movement that eventually made its way to the US, and ultimately gave rise to criminal underworld figures like Al Capone, as well as “legitimate” businessmen like Joseph Kennedy.

What could a single anise flavored beverage contain that would cause so much controversy and outrage that the public would demand it be made illegal? While most believed the active ingredient Artemisia Absinthium, also called wormwood, was to blame, the true fact of the matter was that the extremely high alcohol content, as high as 90% by volume, was the reason Van Gogh cut his ear off! Drunk people do dumb things, and Absinthe simply allowed drinkers to get inebriated much faster than other alcoholic beverages.

The History of Absinthe

To get a better understanding of how “The Green Fairy” evolved, a brief bullet point history will bring you up to speed.

1792 French Doctor Pierre Ordinaire develops the first Absinthe recipe in Couvert, Switzerland.

1805 Commercial distillation of Absinthe begins in Pontalier, France. Demand for Absinthe quickly rises from 16 liters a day to over 30,000.

1840 In an effort to ward off disease, the French Foreign Legion was prescribed Absinthe while fighting in Algeria. Upon their return to France, Soldiers demanded “The Green Fairy” in saloons and cafes from Paris to Rouen and throughout the country.

1870 The French wine industry is decimated by Phylloxera making both red and white wines extremely scarce. This causes a boom to the Absinthe industry which last almost 30 years.

1888 On Christmas Eve, an Absinthe inebriated, mentally anguished artist named Vincent Van Gogh cuts his ear off. While not a significant moment at the time, the act was one of many poor choices exercised by Absinthe drinkers across Europe.

1890 The Moulin Rouge in Paris is in its prime and Absinthe is imbibed by millions all across Europe.

1906 Belgium and Brazil ban Absinthe due to concerns of public safety.

1908 Switzerland bans Absinthe because of public outrage due to the Lanfray-affair. A day before Jean Lanfray, a Swiss peasant, murdered his pregnant wife and two daughters, he had drunktwo glasses of Absinthe, but he had no recollection of committing the horrendous crimes. At the same time, estimated consumption in France reached 36 million liters annually.

1912 Absinthe is banned in the United States.

1915 As the scapegoat for alcoholic beverages and due to the political machinations of wine producers, Absinthe is banned in France. A similar tasting non-wormwood containing beverages called Pastis quickly replaces “The Green Fairy.”

1998 Sale of Absinthe is once again legalized in the European Union.

2000 George Rowley and Marie-Claude Delahaye distil the original recipe Absinthe in France for the first time since the 1915 ban.

2007 After extensive research, Absinthe is deemed legal in the US by the FDA

How to Drink Absinthe

Today, “The Green Fairy” is enjoyed in mixed drinks and cocktails, with literally hundreds of recipes popping up each year. For purists, there is really one way to drink Absinthe, and that is in the ritualistic ceremony known as La Louche. To participate in this experience, you’ll need a glass, a slotted spoon, some cold water and sugar cubes. A bastardized version of La Louche made popular in the Czech Republic makes for a dramatic presentation using fire… but Absinthe snobs frown upon it.

La Louche Style

1. Pour one ounce of Absinthe into a glass.

2. Place a slotted spoon on top of the glass.

3. Place one or two sugar cubes on the slotted spoon.

4. Slowly pour four to six ounces of cold water over the sugar cubes.

5. Using the slotted spoon, stir the cloudy green beverage to dissolve the remaining sugar.

6. Enjoy!

If you would like to try the fire variation, pour the Absinthe over the sugar cube on the slotted spoon and light the cube on fire, which will invariably set your Absinthe on fire. To douse the flames, pour in the cold water and stir.

However you decide to drink Absinthe, one thing is very clear: “The Green Fairy” is back and consumption is rapidly growing around the Western World. While current levels of demand are not readily available, it is only a matter of time before sales eclipse the volume of Absinthe consumed during the Golden Age of “The Green Fairy.”