Absinthe Green Fairy is an alcoholic drink with an interesting history. Being developed as an elixir or tonic in the 18th century it is now among the most controversial and popular drinks of all time.

Between 45 and 75% Alcohol by volume Absinthe is incredibly strong. The “Green Fairy” is so called because it is emerald green in color. There is utilization of herbs in the preparation of this distilled liquor. The three important herbs for it is 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. The herb calamus was thought to be psychoactive along with wormwood and nutmeg. When the chilled water is poured over the sugar on the Absinthe spoon the essential oil extract from the herbs causes Absinthe to louche. The reason of Absinthe to cloud or louche is the insolubility of oils in water.

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 benefited with the effects of Absinthe. Van Gogh and Picasso are among the painters who featured Absinthe and Absinthe drinkers in their paintings.

The prohibition campaigners required Absinthe’s association with old Montmartre, the Moulin Rouge and the Bohemian sect. 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 legal in only the Czech Republic, the UK, Spain and Portugal.

Wormwood contains the chemical thujone which was blamed for the psychedelic effects of consuming the Green Fairy. According to the belief thujone and THC in cannabis were similar. However Absinthe is mainly alcohol, ethanol, and therefore only contains minute quantities of thujone. There is no harmful effects of Absinthe and it is the alcohol content not the thujone that is dangerous. Several studies and articles have been written on the subject. A person should be careful about the quantity while consuming it as it is double strong in comparison to the vodka or the whisky.

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.

You can buy Absinthe online by the bottle or order Absinthe essences (visit the website AbsintheKit.One can visit AbsintheKit.com to make his own Absinthe Green Fairy to bottle at home. Some new Absinthes which are made for the US market do not contain thujone.

Absinthe Green Fairy is a delicious spirit and can be used in cocktails too – mix with champagne for a truly decadent drink!