Absinthe: An Astral Journey
Absinthe, the vibrant green spirit distilled from grape alcohol and fresh herbs, was long thought to cause hallucinations resembling visits by green fairies. Absinthe was beloved among many artists and poets of late 19th century Paris; Edgar Allan Poe, Arthur Rimbaud, Vincent Van Gogh were known to frequent its embrace while Edouard Manet depicted him holding an absinthe glass in one of his paintings of an urban bum who clutched onto an absinthe glass in one of his paintings of Edouard Manet’s depictions.
Absinthe was also widely consumed in military camps and by French colonial soldiers, often to ease chills and fevers while stimulating appetite. It became a staple drink throughout France, Switzerland and Austria until one murder charged to absinthism caused anti-absinthe sentiment to sweep Europe.
Modern absinthe is produced via a cold-mix process (dissolving flavouring essences and artificial colouring into commercial alcohol) without distillation, yet still contains high quantities of potency alcohol – consumption should still be done responsibly to avoid experiencing alcohol poisoning or hallucinations from too much absinthe. Contrary to urban legend, just a couple shots won’t result in encounters with green fairies! Drinking too much may cause alcohol poisoning while the presence of thujone may cause hallucinations if consumed too quickly –
Traditional absinthe drinking involves pouring the liqueur over a sugar cube and ice water, using ice as a diluting agent and tool for stirring the cube. Drinking absinthe has since evolved into several rituals and paraphernalia has been created around it; absinthe posters often feature an iconic figure known as the Green Fairy who rises up from an emerald bottle or holds the power over Artemisia family plants such as wormwood.