The Wine Fact Center

The Absinthe fairy was used on Absinthe label and posters. Singer Kylie Minogue famously played the Green Fairy in the film Moulin Rouge which was based on the french Bohemian culture of Montmartre in Paris where Absinthe, the Green Fairy, 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. According to the writers and artists Absinthe gave them their genius and their inspiration and numerous pieces of art of the time feature Absinthe or Absinthe drinkers. The Belle Epoque period of history is famous as the hey day for Absinthe.

Absinthe, also known as Absynthe, is a strong liquor made from herbs and essential oils. Absinthe is prepared from the herb wormwood. 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. Absinthe was banned in France in 1915 due to the loose morals of the drinkers in Montmartre. It was illegal to buy or sell Absinthe. It was illegal in many other countries also. 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. Ricard was another Absinthe substitute.

As bootleg absinthe was still distilled and sold in several nations which showed that the distilling of Absinthe is existing there.

During 1900 Absinthe was made legal in most of the countries except in Switzerland which was home of Absinthe. 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 contained minute quantities of thujone which cannot harm a person so it was legalized in many places. Alcohol is enough in Absinthe then also it was never created to drink neat. To enjoy La Louche a person should mix it with iced water.

One can prepare his own bottled Absinthe by ordering real wormwood Absinthe and essences from many websites.com.