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. Writers and artists said that they gained inspiration due to Absinthe and many pieces of art focus Absinthe or Absinthe drinkers. Absinthe’s hey day was the Belle Epoque period of history.
Herbs and essential oils are used to make Absinthe. Its vital ingredient is the herb wormwood, an extract from the plant wormwood or artemisia absinthium. Wormwood gives Absinthe its characteristic bitter taste whereas herbs such as aniseed, anise and fennel give the spirit 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. In 1915 the loose morals of the drinkers in Montmartre gave prohibition campaigners ammunition to restrict Absinthe in France. The buying or selling of Absinthe was banned. Several other countries also restricted it. 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 also used in place of Absinthe.
The methods of distilling of Absinthe has never been out which is proved by the sell of distilled bootleg absinthe.
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. One should mix it with iced water to enjoy La Louche – the clouding that happens when the water mixes with the alcohol.
By purchasing real wormwood Absinthe from the websites a person can prepare his own bottled Absinthe.com.
