Absinthe

The History of Absinthe
Absinthe is a spirit of curiosity, of legend, of tradition and timeless endurance. But how did it come to earn such a reputation? Created as an elixir in 1797 by Dr. Pierre Ordinaire, it was lauded as a 'miracle cure-all.' Henri-Louis Pernod opened the first absinthe distillery in Switzerland and then moved to a larger one in Pontarlier, France in 1805.
Absinthe gainedits popularity among French soldiers stationed in North Africa in the 1840s, who used it as a disease preventative and water purifier. They brought their taste for the herbal beverage back to the cafés of Paris, where it became a fashionable drink of the bourgeoisie. It became so popular that the time between 5:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. became known as "l'heure verte" (the Green Hour), and absinthesoon became the most popular aperitif in France. Urbanites embraced its entrancing mix of grande wormwood, green anise, fennel and other European herbs that created an almost ethereal warmth.
Absinthe was embraced by the bohemians of Paris, due to its alleged "rapturous" qualities that were claimed to induce creativity. It was featured frequently in the paintings of such artists as Lautrec, Manet,Van Gogh and Picasso. When they were not painting it, they were drinking it in large quantities, joined by contemporary poets such as Baudelaire, Rimbaud and Verlaine.
Absinthe production grew so much that it eventually became cheaper than wine. This was compounded by the fact that during the late 1800s, phylloxera ravaged the vineyards of Europe, making wine both expensive and scare.
By theturn of the century, prohibition and temperance movements were well underway. The advocates of the wine industry joined in the effort, taking advantage of the opportunity to demonize their green rival. Absinthe was singled out as the maddening culprit of society's ills and became synonymous with alcohol. On July 25th, 1912, following an earlier Swiss ban in 1910, the U.S. Department of Agricultureissued Food Inspection 147, which effectively banned absinthe in America, and France finally abolished its 'national drink' at the onset of the First World War in 1915.
About absinthe there is an aura of decadence, madness and perversity. The once-banned liquor recalls the imagery and elegance of poetry by Baudelaire or Verlaine, the withering hauteur of Oscar Wilde, the tastes of Toulouse-Lautrecand the passions of van Gogh. Each of these figures paid fervent tribute to absinthe: the green fairy, the green goddess, the green muse, the glaucous witch, the queen of poisons.
In the late 19th century, absinthe was so popular that in Paris it rivaled wine as the drink of choice. Nineteenth-century writers like Alfred de Musset fell prey to intoxication. At the AcadémieFrançaise, where he wasworking on a dictionary, it was said that he "absinthes himself too often."
Toulouse-Lautrec was so wedded to absinthe that he had a special cane made that hid a glass. He may have also introduced the drink to van Gogh, who threw himself into it with abandon. Aside from drinking the liquor, van Gogh painted it, and once threw a glass of it at Gauguin. Manet and Degas painted absinthe drinkers.So did Picasso. Munch drank it heavily and Strindberg fed his insanity with it. Verlaine felt enslaved to what he called "the green and terrible drink."
Over the last decade, absinthe has reemerged on the European scene following its re-legalization in the EU and Switzerland. The legalization of absinthe in Europe, as well as its recent appearance in popular culture, has led to a resurgence ofinterest in the United States. Curious consumers and US travelers returning from Europe with tales of sipping absinthe fueled the desire for availability in the American market.
Absinthe was never just another drink. It has a special place in the history of modern culture.
Did I mention that Absinthe was also considered a 19th-century version of viagra?
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SOME ABISNTHE QUESTIONSWhat is...