The Absinthe fairy was used on Absinthe label and posters. Singer Kylie Minogue famously played the Green Fairy in the motion picture Moulin Rouge that 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
Well-known 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 personal Absinthe cocktail “Death in the Afternoon” – a blend of Absinthe and champagne absinthekit.com/articles. Writers and artists reported that Absinthe gave them their genius and their motivation and lots of works of art of the time feature Absinthe or Absinthe drinkers. The Belle Epoque period of history was the hey day for Absinthe.
Absinthe, also known as Absynthe, is a strong liquor created from herbs and essential oils. Its essential ingredient is the herb wormwood, an extract via the plant wormwood or artemisia absinthium. Wormwood provides Absinthe its typical bitter taste and herbs like aniseed, anise and fennel provide the spirit its anise flavor.
Thujone, a chemical present in wormwood oil, was considered to be psychoactive and to give psychedelic effects, cause hallucinations and eventually insanity. This together with the loose morals of the drinkers in Montmartre gave prohibition campaigners ammunition to get Absinthe banned in France in 1915. Selling or buying Absinthe was outlawed. Many other countries also banned it. Spain, where Absinthe was called Absenta, Portugal, the UK and the Czech Republic did not prohibit the Green Fairy.
Absinthe Fairy and Prohibition
During the prohibition period, distilleries, just like the Pernod Fils distillery, began producing Absinthe substitutes just like Pernod Pastis to showcase to people who were missing the anise flavor of Absinthe. Ricard was yet another Absinthe substitute.
In many countries bootleg absinthe was still distilled and distributed and fortunately this has meant that knowledge with regards to the distilling of Absinthe hasn’t ever been lost.
Throughout the 1990s Absinthe was made legal in lots of countries, even though Switzerland, home of Absinthe, had to delay until 2005 for legalization. Now you can buy Absinthe and Absinthe essence kits online in conjunction with Absinthiana just like glasses, spoons and fountains. Drinking Absinthe from an exclusive antique or replica glass using a proper spoon really enhances the Absinthe preparation ritual.
Absinthe was legalized simply because studies demonstrated that the liquor only contained minute quantities of thujone and that it was quite as safe as drinking other sturdy spirits. Absinthe is much higher in alcohol than other spirits like whisky and vodka but was never meant to drink neat this site. It should be blended with iced water that enables you to enjoy La Louche – the clouding that happens when the water mixes with the alcohol.
You can order real wormwood Absinthe from many websites and essences to make your own personal bottled Absinthe are available from AbsintheKit.com.