The Absinthe fairy was used on Absinthe label and posters. The film Moulin Rouge was focused on the french Bohemian culture of Montmartre in Paris where the Green Fairy Absinthe was the favorite drink of artists and writers.

Absinthe Fairy Followers

Famous devotees of La Fee Verte, the Green Fairy, were Vincent Van Gogh, Pablo Picasso, Charles Baudelaire, Paul Gauguin, Oscar Wilde and Ernest Hemingway who created his own Absinthe cocktail “Death in the Afternoon” – a mix of Absinthe and champagne. Many pieces of art of the time feature Absinthe or Absinthe drinkers and writers and artists also said that Absinthe gave them their genius and their inspiration. The Belle Epoque period of history was popular as the hey day for Absinthe.

The herbs and essential oils are used in the preparation of Absinthe. The herb wormwood is it’s vital ingredient which is an extract of the plant wormwood or artemisia absinthium. The bitter taste of Absinthe comes from wormwood and it’s anise taste from herbs like aniseed, anise and fennel.

Thujone, a chemical found in wormwood oil, was thought to be psychoactive and to give psychedelic effects, cause hallucinations and eventually insanity. Due to the loose morals of the drinkers in Montmartre prohibition campaigners ammunition banned Absinthe in France. There was restriction in buying or selling of Absinthe. Several other countries also restricted it. Countries like Spain, Portugal, the UK and the Czech Republic did not restrict the Green Fairy.

Absinthe Fairy and Prohibition

During the prohibition period, distilleries, such as the Pernod Fils distillery, started producing Absinthe substitutes such as Pernod Pastis to market to the people who were missing the anise flavor of Absinthe. One of the Absinthe substitutes was Ricard.

In many countries bootleg absinthe was still distilled and sold and fortunately this has meant that knowledge regarding the distilling of Absinthe has never been lost.

In the 1990s Absinthe was made legal in many countries, although Switzerland, home of Absinthe, had to wait until 2005 for legalization. You can now buy Absinthe and Absinthe essence kits online along with Absinthiana such as glasses, spoons and fountains. Drinking Absinthe out of a special antique or replica glass with a proper spoon give effects to the Absinthe preparation ritual.

Absinthe contains minute quantities of thujone which cannot harm anyone so it is not banned in most of the nations. Although Absinthe is much higher in alcohol than other spirits but it was never designed to drink neat. The clouding that happens when the water mixes with the alcohol can be enjoyed by mixing it with iced water.

By purchasing real wormwood Absinthe from the websites a person can prepare his own bottled Absinthe.com.