Absinthe Green Fairy is an alcoholic drink with an interesting history. Developed as an elixir or tonic in the 18th century 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. As it is emerald green in color so it is named as “Green Fairy”. It is a distilled liquor which is made from the herbs. The three necessary herbs are wormwood (Artemisia Absinthium), fennel (fennell) and green aniseed. Henri-Louis Pernod was the first to commercially distilled Absinthe used other herbs to produce his famous original Pernod Absinthe recipe. Other ingredients like the herb calamus were used by few manufacturers and this herb along with wormwood and nutmeg were thought to be psychoactive. As soon as the iced water is poured over the sugar on the Absinthe spoon it causes Absinthe to louche. The oils are not water soluble and so cause the Absinthe to cloud or louche.
Absinthe Green Fairy and the Art World
Absinthe is famous for inspiring many artists and writers associated with the Bohemian culture of the Montmartre area of Paris. People know Vincent Van Gough, Pablo Picasso, Paul Gauguin, Charles Baudelaire, Edgar Degas, Ernest Hemingway and Oscar Wilde as Absinthe drinkers. Many writers and artists were convinced that Absinthe gave them inspiration and gave them their genius. A few paintings are also based on Absinthe and Absinthe drinkers.
Absinthe’s association with old Montmartre, the Moulin Rouge and the Bohemian sect, was only the relieve required by prohibition campaigners. France banned Absinthe in 1915 because of it’s relation with the murder of a family and increasing alcohol addiction in this nation. It was never illegal in the Czech Republic, the UK, Spain and Portugal.
People believed that the chemical thujone was responsible for the psychedelic effects of drinking the Green Fairy. People thought that there were similariyies between thujone and THC in cannabis. Absinthe only contains minute quantities of thujone. A person can have the risk from the alcohol content in Absinthe and not from the thujone. A number of studies and articles have been written on the subject. It can be a drink which gives pleasure if consumed in moderation.
During the time of prohibition many people enjoyed buying and drinking vintage style Absinthe in Absinthe bars in the Czech Republic, served in the classic Absinthe large glassesand in surroundings decorated with vintage Absinthe posters. Absinthe is legal in various nations with thujone levels controlled by the EU and the United States only allows marketing of Absinthe with trace quantity of thujone.
Absinthe bottle or Absinthe essences can also be purchased from the Internet.An individual can make his own Absinthe Green Fairy to bottle at home by going through the website. Thujone is not used in a few new Absinthes that are prepared for the US market.
Absinthe Green Fairy is a delicious spirit and can be used in cocktails too – mix with champagne for a truly decadent drink!