In 1910 in the USA, like in many other countries, absinthe was banned for the believed health dangers. It was stated that thujone (a substance contained in Artemisia Absinthium or wormwood – the main ingredient in the absinthe production) causes serious mental disorders and poses a formidable threat to the nation’s health. The liquor was even proclaimed ‘one of the worst enemies of man’. Thus, the ‘Green Fairy’ became an outcast at American parties.

And Wow! At the end of 2007, almost after ten years of prohibition, absinthe was back to the American liquor market. The pioneer wormwood liquor brand is ‘Lucid’, which is imported directly from France by the New York-based company ‘Viridian Spirits’. The importer claims it to be the same old-time absinthe, drunk by Vincent Van Gogh and Oscar Wilde, produced from wormwood, anise and fennel according to the early recipes.

However, one should be wondering: How come exactly the same once banned alcoholic drink becomes legal again? That is a fair question. Ladies and gentlemen, the gist of the story of absinthe prohibition is in thujone – the chemical contained in the liquor and responsible for the negative side effects of absinthe consumption.

In the beginning of the 20th century France was overwhelmed by the fashion for the so-called ‘American-style’ cocktails. Therefore Europeans not only consumed the already existing shakes, but also invented those of their own. This one is a classic example of the early ‘American-style’ European cocktails.

Absinthe amateurs claim the ‘Green Fairy’ and vermouth blend perfectly due to the fact that they are both produced from the same herb – wormwood (or Artemisia Absinthium in Latin). However, one shouldn’t expect to experience the same ‘buzz’ from drinking dry vermouth, because the two alcoholic beverages are made not exactly from the same material. Absinthe is produced from the whole wormwood plant plus some other herbs, and vermouth – only from the wormwood flowers. Moreover, it contains less Thujone than the ‘Green Muse’, which explains the difference in the effect both create.

Alright, that is enough of the theory; let’s get down to the practice. In order to prepare the cocktail, one needs:

• gin (two ounces),
• dry vermouth (half ounce),
• absinthe (one splash),
• ice (three to five cubes).

You don’t trust all those absinthe manufactures and would like to generate the unique ‘Green Fairy’ right in the cozy surroundings of your own kitchen? Now problem! Following are the recipe and directions to aid you in your courageous gust.

First of all, you need to add some unusual items on your shopping list:

• dried chopped wormwood (one ounce),
• angelica root (one tablespoon),
• hyssop (one teaspoon),
• coriander seeds (half teaspoon),
• caraway seeds (quarter teaspoon),
• cardamon pods (one pinch),
• fennel or anise seeds (one pinch),
• vodka (one liter).

The last item is probably not so much uncommon for you to have at home, so you can just extract it from the secret place where it has been kept for the state of emergency.

Thujone is widely known for being a chemical contained in absinthe and responsible for the so-called ‘secondary effects’ which include, but are not limited to, irregular eyesight sensitivity to colors and light, a feeling of sober inebriation, euphoria, hallucinations, and even epileptic attacks. Since the mysterious impact produced by the ‘Green Fairy’ has played its part of a magnet attracting curious minds, absinthe manufacturers claimed their liquor contain unbelievable amounts of Thujone – 260-350 mg/L.

However, modern research shows that pure Thujone oil derived from the herb called Artemisia Absinthium, which is an indispensable absinthe ingredient, constitutes approximately 40-60% of wormwood oil contained in the spirit. Scientific tests demonstrate that Thujone content in absinthe is around 1.8-4 mg/L, while the chemical can pose a real threat to a person’s life only if taken in great amounts.

To begin with there has never been any other alcoholic drink that would be prepared so thoroughly and carefully. Even the poorest laborer in the lousiest bar would take their time to give the absinthe ritual a proper attention. There is no place for rush as far as absinthe is concerned.

Many years ago, when absinthe was not banned in any country and could be easily ordered in almost any bar or restaurant, a waiter would serve it with ice cold water and sugar separately, leaving the preparation of it up to the customer’s preference. It is true to say that due to the presence of the wormwood (‘Artemisia Absinthium’ in Latin) all absinthes possess a flavor bitter to some extent that is why they are commonly served with adding sugar.