Absinthe La Fee Verte or Green Fairy Absinthe.
Absinthe the Green Fairy or La Fee Verte is a drink that has mystified generations of drinkers throughout history. Today occupying a place as the most famous and controversial drink of all time it was first developed in the 18th century as a tonic.
45 to 75% Alcohol by volume makes Absinthe an anise flavored spirit incredibly strong. The emerald green color gives it the name “Green Fairy” in English and “La Fee Verte” in French. A distilled liquor, it is made from herbs. Amongst other herbs the most important herbs are wormwood, green aniseed and fennel. 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. Wormwood, nutmeg and herbs like calamus, used by some manufacturers, were thought to be psychoactive. The louche effect or clouding of Absinthe when water is poured over the sugar can be attributed to the essential oils in the herbs. The louche effect or the clouding of Absinthe happens due to the presence of water insoluble oils.
The Green Fairy Absinthe the Artistic community
Bohemian culture and Montmartre area in Paris owe their popularity to Absinthe which inspired great artists and writers. Some famous Absinthe drinkers were Pablo Picasso, Paul Gauguin, Edgar Degas,Charles Baudelaire, Ernest Hemingway,Vincent Van Gough and Oscar Wilde. So convinced were many writers and artists that their genius and inspiration came from Absinthe. Absinthe and Absinthe drinkers have even featured in the paintings of Picasso and Van Gogh.
Association with old Montmartre, Bohemian sect and Moulin Rouge was the perfect excuses that prohibition campaigners were looking for. Absinthe got linked to alcohol addiction, family problems, and murders due to the sustained efforts of prohibition campaigners and this finally resulted in it being made illegal and banned in France in the year 1915. It escaped ban in countries like the UK, the Czech Republic, Spain, and Portugal while all other countries banned it.
Thujone, a chemical present in wormwood was blamed for the psychedelic effects of drinking the Green Fairy. It was the prevaling belief that Thujone in all likelyhood was identical to THC in cannabis. However Absinthe is mainly alcohol, ethanol, and therefore only contains minute quanitities of thujone. Researchers point out the fact that the real danger in Absinthe is the alcohol content and not thujone and it is as safe as any high alcohol liquor. It has been a subject of countless articles and studies. Absinthe is a very strong drink, in fact it is two times stronger than whisky and vodka and hence care and moderation are necessary to derive pleasure.
In the Czech Republic Absinthe bars, decorated with Absinthe posters, served vintage style absinthe in large classic glasses and people thoroughly loved and patronised it during the prohibition. Absinthe has attained legal status in many countries, the EU controlls the thujone levels whereas the United States allows only trace amounts of thujone in the absinthe sold or purchased.
Absinthe bottle and absinthe essence can be ordered online if you visit AbsintheKit.com) to make your own The Green Fairy Absinthe to bottle at home. Due to strict regulations Absinthes produced for US does not contain thujone, it is however present in real Absinthe and Absinthe essence as wormwood is its most important ingredient.
The Green Fairy Absinthe a delicious spirit that can be mixed with champagne to make a decandent drink or can be used in other coktails!