Have You Met the Green Fairy by Drinking Absinthe?
Have you met “the Green Fairy” by drinking Absinthe? It is an emerald colored strongly alcoholic aperitif made from alcohol and distilled herbs, including wormwood, green anise, fennel, and hyssop. Very high in alcohol content, absinthe is usually in the 55% to 72% range (110 to 144 proof). In comparison, a good whisky is generally around 40% (80 proof). For this reason, most people enjoy absinthe diluted with iced water and sugar, at a ratio of approximately three to five parts water to one part absinthe. Absinthe is one of the most mysterious and misunderstood liquors, and is not for everyone.
Absinth was a wildly popular drink in the late 1800s during the Belle Epoque in Paris (French for “Beautiful Era”). Absinthe was a regular part of Parisian night life and famous artists such as Vincent van Gogh, Pablco Picasso, Edgar Degas, and writers and poets such as Oscar Wilde, Ernest Hemingway, and Paul Verlaine, made absinthe their drink of choice. Creative types thrived on absinthe because they claimed it provided clearness of mind and enhanced their creativity. Plus, the traditional rituals used to drink absinthe were, and are, just plain intriguing and downright cool. Of course it is rumored that van Gogh cut off his own ear while under the influence of absinthe, so beware!
Modern day absinthe drinkers talk about absinthe’s “secondary effects” that go way beyond the buzz you get from drinking alcohol. Many drinkers equate these “secondary effects” to a hallucinogenic drug that lasts 20-30 minutes. Others described it as a kind of heightened clarity of mind and imagination, warmed by the effect of the alcohol. It has also been compared to the stimulant effect you get from caffeine or marijuana. Perhaps it is the allure of “forbidden fruit” that intrigues drinkers today.
These “secondary effects” that drinkers either covet or fear are the result of the chemical thujone, which is found in wormwood, a main ingredient in absinthe. Absynthe with less than 10ppm of thujone can be legally purchased in the United States. But many purists prefer a stronger variety, and order it legally and easily online from Europe. If you do buy absinthe, keep away from the knives and count your ears in the morning!
