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. It is named as “Green Fairy” due to it’s emerald green color. It is a distilled liquor prepared from herbs. There is requirement of the herbs like 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. A few producers also used the herb calamus which was believed to be psychoactive along with wormwood and nutmeg. The essential oil extract from the herbs is responsible for louche in Absinthe when iced water is poured over the sugar on the Absinthe spoon. The oils are insoluble in water that’s why cause Absinthe to cloud.

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. Famous Absinthe drinkers include Vincent Van Gough, Pablo Picasso, Paul Gauguin, Charles Baudelaire, Edgar Degas, Ernest Hemingway and Oscar Wilde. Many writers and artists were benefited with the effects of Absinthe. Painters like Van Gogh and Picasso gave emphasis on Absinthe and Absinthe drinkers in their paintings.

Absinthe’s association with old Montmartre, the Moulin Rouge and the Bohemian sect, was simply the explanation that prohibition campaigners required. In 1915 the sale of Absinthe was made illegal due to it’s link with the murder of a family and the growing problem of alcohol addiction in France. Other countries also banned it but it remained legal in the Czech Republic, the UK, Spain and Portugal.

The psychedelic effects of intaking the Green Fairy was due to the chemical thujone present in wormwood. According to the belief thujone and THC in cannabis were similar. Absinthe 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. Numerous studies and articles have been written on the subject. It should be drunk in appropriate quantity because it is approximately twice as strong as vodka or 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. Today Absinthe is legal in many countries with controlled thujone levels and the United States only allows Absinthe with decent quantity of thujone.

The website AbsintheKit.com can help a person in getting Absinthe online by the bottle or in placing an order for Absinthe essences.An individual can make his own Absinthe Green Fairy to bottle at home by going through the website. A few new Absinthes prepared for the US market are without thujone content.

To get a decadent drink one can mix Absinthe Green Fairy with champagne!