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. Writers and artists claimed that Absinthe gave them their genius and their inspiration and many pieces of art of the time feature Absinthe or Absinthe drinkers. The Belle Epoque period of history is known as the hey day for Absinthe.
Absinthe, also known as Absynthe, is a strong liquor made from herbs and essential oils. An extract from the plant wormwood or artemisia absinthium is the essential ingredient of Absinthe. Wormwood is used to give Absinthe it’s characteristic bitter taste and herbs like aniseed, anise and fennel to give it’s anise flavor.
Thujone, a chemical found in wormwood oil, was thought to be psychoactive and to give psychedelic effects, cause hallucinations and eventually insanity. This combined with the loose morals of the drinkers in Montmartre gave prohibition campaigners ammunition to get Absinthe banned in France in 1915. There was restriction in buying or selling of Absinthe. It was banned in many other countries also. It was not illegal to sell Absinthe in Spain, Portugal, the UK and the Czech Republic.
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. Ricard was another Absinthe substitute.
In many countries bootleg absinthe was still distilled and sold which proves that the knowledge with respect to distillation of Absinthe has never been lost.
Although Switzerland is home of Absinthe but Absinthe was not legalized there until 2005. 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 really adds to the Absinthe preparation ritual.
According to the researches Absinthe only contained small amounts of thujone that was just as safe as drinking other strong spirits. Absinthe was never designed to drink neat though having high alcohol content. To enjoy La Louche a person should mix it with iced water.
By purchasing real wormwood Absinthe from the websites a person can prepare his own bottled Absinthe.com.