The Absinthe fairy was used on Absinthe label and posters. The film Moulin Rouge 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 famous as Absynthe, is a strong liquor manufatured from herbs and essential oils. The basic ingredient of it is the herb wormwood, an extract from 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. Absinthe was banned in France in 1915 due to the loose morals of the drinkers in Montmartre. There was restriction in buying or selling of 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 one of the substitute of Absinthe.
The methods of distilling of Absinthe has never been out which is proved by the sell of distilled bootleg absinthe.
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 really adds 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. Absinthe was never designed to drink neat though having high alcohol content. The clouding that happens when the water mixes with the alcohol can be enjoyed by mixing it with iced water.
You can order real wormwood Absinthe from many websites and essences to make your own bottled Absinthe are available from AbsintheKit.com.