Absinthe: The Green Fairy

Absinthe is arguably one of the most controversial alcoholic beverages. Absinthe originated long ago in the mythical hills of France. It is a drink that is created by distilling worm root into a very alcoholic beverage with some hallucinogenic properties it is also known to create hallucinations...

Absinthe is a drink that is surrounded in mystery, making it a very unique choice of beverage. Following a few violent incidents in the very early 20th century Absinthe was banned in most civilized nations. Many of these nations soon realized the ridiculousness of banning the beverage, and quickly reversed the ban. The US, however, did not reverse the ban, and to this day Absinthe importation is of questionable legality in the United States. This has only added to the popularity of the beverage.

But, my fellow Absinthe enthusiasts fear not. This beverage is allowed in many parts of the free world, including Canada, and most of Europe. In Europe, it can often be found in grocery stores, but the local residents are often unaware of its existence. The European Union allows up to 35mg of Thujone (the hallucinogen) to be included in the final product. The drink itself often tastes of licorice, and is often mixed with water in order to thin its high alcohol content. When water is added to clear green absinthe the absinthe then turns a milky color. This is known as the louche by absinthe counessiers, and a very important part of the absinthe drinking process.

After mixing absinthe with cold water, it is often traditional to dip a cube of sugar in the concoction and then burn it on top of the glass -- in effect caramelizing the sugar before it drips into the drink and mixes with the beverage. The end result is often a sweet, chilled drink that is nothing like the high percentage alcohol that one would experience if the drink was drunk without mixing it.

Absinthe is normally a clear green color, but many marketing gimmicks have created absinthes that come in all of the colors of the rainbow. Absinthe is typically around 70% alcohol, but it can go as high as 90% alcohol, and as low as 12% alcohol in some distributions. These numbers may seem quite high, but you must remember that one shot of absinthe is usually mixed into a full glass of ice cold water. The resulting concoction is usually of a much lower and tolerable percentage.

When drinking Absinthe for its hallucinogenic properties it is very important to find a distribution that has a high Thujone content. It is also preferable to find a distribution with very low alcohol content. That is because; many times the effects of the alcohol will become far more noticeable as the effects of the Thujone. The prices of Absinthe can often be very pricey do to small production, and high quality materials required. In the European Union bottles can be found for as cheap as 30 dollars, but can go well into the hundreds. In America there are a few shops online that offer to ship Absinthe to the United States. Although, technically illegal this procedure is generally tolerated by US customs officials.

Absinthe generally has the effect of allowing the user to see the world with brighter colors. It received its nickname (the green fairy) because some users reported seeing a green fairy after drinking it. Other users reported very lucid and exciting dreams after drinking the beverage. This lead to the very first American producer of absinthe to be called Lucid Dreams. This may be the reason why Vincent Van Gogh and Ernest Hemingway consumed the beverage regularly.

That is most of what there is to know about this mysterious drink. If any readers are interested in trying it, I highly recommend that you drink in moderation, because unmixed Absinthe can contain a very high percentage of alcohol which is very dangerous to your body, and sometimes the people around you.