Absinthe

No other "spirit" has ever conjured up more controversey, myths and intrigue than this one. Is it the beautiful and ever changing green colour? Is it the air of mystery, danger and seduction? Or is it of its allegedly psychoactive properties? Whatever the reason, Absinthe was romanticized and captured in artwork and literature by countless artists and writers.

The drink was created in 1792 by Pierre Ordinaire, a French doctor who distilled wormwood and other herbs in an alcoholic base as an elixir for his patients. At the end of the nineteenth century, absinthe was embraced by the literary bohemian crowd who gathered in European cafes and claimed "The Green Fairy" (La Fee Verte) as their muse and inspiration.

The drinking of absinthe is perhaps one of the most ornate rituals surrounding any alcohol. Special glasses and slotted spoons are made exclusively for its consumption.

The popularity of the "Green Fairy" caused her eventual downfall. Many European governments, as well as the United States, gave in to the pressures of the anti-alcohol lobby and banned the drink in the early twentieth century. Absinthe was blamed for a whole range of social problems. French winemakers, nervous about the sharp decline in wine consumption, also backed the calls for the banning of the "green devil".

The end of the twentieth century brought to an end nearly 100 years of nonsensical prohibition in parts of Europe. A new in crowd is discovering the delights of this apertif and once again enjoying "L'Heure Verte" (The Green Hour).