I ordered it, just for fun-or to have up on the bridge...on the fridge in the kitchen

Date:   8/1/2005 8:33:21 AM ( 19 y ago)

What is Absinthe?

Absinthe, or affectionately known as the Green Fairy (La Fee Verte), is a high alcohol volume (usually 50-70%), unique tasting liqueur infused with a plethora of flavors derived from variety of herbs. Absinthe derives its Green Fairy nickname from its color and its humble beginnings as a miraculous cure all. Absinthe’s unique coloring is the result of the chlorophyll present in the herbs. These herbs include anise, hyssop, veronica, fennel, lemon balm, angelica and last but not least wormwood. Wormwood produces the psychoactive constituent thujone, which is responsible for producing the mysterious absinthe “effects”.

Absinthe derives its name from the Greek word apsinthion, which ironically, means undrinkable. This reference clearly describes the distinctive, bitter taste of absinthe. As such, absinthe is usually drunk in the traditional method with water and sugar. When diluted with water, absinthe turns an opaque milky white in a process called louching. Louching occurs because the essential herbal oils present in absinthe do not mix with water.

History of Absinthe

Absinthe was first distilled in the early 18th century by Henri-Louis Pernod who purchased the recipe from Dr. Ordinaire who was the first to combine wormwood with alcohol. The herbal concoction would soon become the drink of choice among the cultural community who embraced it for its mysterious “effects” which stimulated creativity. Absinthe fueled the French Impressionist movement and was especially popular in Paris during the Belle Epoch period. Many creative minds, such as Vincent Van Gogh and Oscar Wilde were avid absinthe drinkers. Soon absinthe was exported to the United States where it enjoyed the same level of popularity among the artists and musicians of New Orleans.

Originally, absinthe had a wine base making it quite costly and only affordable to the upper classes. Then numerous crop failures in the 1870’s would mobilize absinthe’s rise to fame. The higher wine prices had a dual effect. Firstly, the higher prices caused absinthe distillers to substitute a grain alcohol base for the wine base causing a dramatic drop in absinthe prices. Secondly, the higher wine prices made absinthe even more affordable in comparison. These reasons delivered absinthe to the masses. It also created many absinthe copies that were made of inferior toxic ingredients.

Absinthe’s popularity grew rapidly and it quickly became a daily ritual. The French would begin their day with a glass of absinthe and end it with a few more during l'heure verte, or the green hour. As absinthe use became increasingly widespread, stories began to circulate, such the well known Van Gogh ear incident and proponents tried to ban it. However, the “Absinthe Murders” of 1905, when Swiss farmer Jean Lanfray murdered his wife and children after drinking two glasses of absinthe, finalized the ban. The public was in a state of hysteria aiding the church to an easy moral success against absinthe and its bohemian supporters. Consequently, Absinthism was named a disease by Dr Valentin Magnan whose work was supported by experiments where mice experienced fatalities when injected with wormwood oil. As a result, Absinthe was banned in the USA and subsequently in France. However, Dr. Valentin’s studies were flawed because the thujone amounts injected into the mice were up to 50 times the maximum concentration that could be found in the commercial absinthes.




 

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