Absinthe and Mythopoeia
In the 19th century, absinthe became increasingly popular with artists who found inspiration while drunk from its rich emerald hue and creative potential – often known as The Green Fairy – solace while drinking absinthe. Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, Vincent Van Gogh and Oscar Wilde all reported having hallucinations when drinking absinthe that inspired them to produce exquisite works of art such as their paintings.
Absinthe is a spirit with both high alcohol content and unique botanical bitterness that sets it apart from other spirits. The former characteristic is provided by its main component wormwood (Artemisia absinthium), while its green hue comes from chlorophyll released during distillation.
For absinthe production, herbs are first soaked in high-proof alcohol before distillation begins. As part of this process, their essential oils are released and separated from the alcohol before finally diluting with water and bottling – most artisanal producers add additional ingredients such as petite absinthe (Artemisia Pontica), fennel or hyssop into their absinthe production during this step.
Absinthe’s famous louche effect comes into effect once water is added, thanks to distillers adhering to an exact recipe and process. Diluting properly results in cloudy milky absinthe that becomes cloudier upon mixing with water. Furthermore, absinthe cannot make you hallucinate; that only occurs with drugs or large doses of medications taken simultaneously with absinthe – any harmful effects would only arise due to exceedingly high dosages of thujone found in wormwood’s toxic levels; therefore its presence within absinthe is strictly regulated so as not cause negative side-effects or discomfort for those consuming it!