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All About Absinthe
Absinthe ( or ; French: ) is historically described as a distilled, highly alcoholic (45�74% ABV / 90�148 U.S
proof) beverage
It is an anise-flavoured spirit derived from botanicals, including the flowers and leaves of Artemisia absinthium (a.k.a
"grand wormwood"), together with green anise, sweet fennel, and other medicinal and culinary herbs
Absinthe traditionally has a natural green colour but may also be colourless
It is commonly referred to in historical literature as "la f�e verte" (the green fairy)
Although it is sometimes mistakenly referred to as a liqueur, absinthe is not traditionally bottled with added sugar; it is therefore classified as a spirit
Absinthe is traditionally bottled at a high level of alcohol by volume, but it is normally diluted with water prior to being consumed.
Absinthe originated in the canton of Neuch�tel in Switzerland in the late 18th century
It rose to great popularity as an alcoholic drink in late 19th- and early 20th-century France, particularly among Parisian artists and writers
Owing in part to its association with bohemian culture, the consumption of absinthe was opposed by social conservatives and prohibitionists
Ernest Hemingway, Charles Baudelaire, Paul Verlaine, Arthur Rimbaud, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, Amedeo Modigliani, Picasso, Vincent van Gogh, Oscar Wilde, Aleister Crowley, Erik Satie, and Alfred Jarry were all known absinthe drinkers.
Absinthe has often been portrayed as a dangerously addictive psychoactive drug
The chemical compound thujone, although present in the spirit in only trace amounts, was blamed for its alleged harmful effects
By 1915, absinthe had been banned in the United States and in much of Europe, including France, the Netherlands, Belgium, Switzerland and Austria-Hungary
Although absinthe was vilified, it has not been demonstrated to be any more dangerous than ordinary spirits
Recent studies have shown that the absinthe's psychoactive properties (apart from that of the alcohol) have been exaggerated
A revival of absinthe began in the 1990s, following the adoption of modern European Union food and beverage laws that removed longstanding barriers to its production and sale
By the early 21st century, nearly 200 brands of absinthe were being produced in a dozen countries, most notably in France, Switzerland, Australia, United States, Spain, and the Czech Republic.