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.

Throughout the history absinthe has been the favorite drink of many outstanding and often eccentric people: writers, artists, musicians, actors, revolutionaries etc. However, it seems that those, who devoted their lives to literature, were most inspired by the ‘Green Muse’. Among the latter one could name:

Aleister Crowley.
Crowley is famous for writing “The book of law”. He was known to be a loyal lover of the ‘Green Fairy’, as well as a heroin and opium addict.

Arthur Rimbaud.
Being considered one of the greatest French poets, Rimbaud was also famous for drinking a great amount of absinthe and maintaining a homosexual relationship with Paul Marie Verlaine.

Charles Baudelaire.
He referred to the ‘Green Fairy’ in his well-known poem “Get drunk” and was believed to be an avaricious absinthe drinker.

One who has ever heard of absinthe might have been impressed by the legend about the effects it produces. It is believed that absinthe differs from any other alcoholic drink due to the so-called ‘secondary effects’, which include hallucinations, irregular eyesight sensitivity to light and colors, euphoria and a feeling of lucid inebriation.

Many find the issue of absinthe ‘secondary effects’ the most controversial one, since there is little evidence, which moreover lacks credence. The effect produced by a good absinthe can vary from person to person, but it is usually no more extraordinary than from drinking any other hard liquor: the drinker gets into the state of the “buzz”, senses pointed clarity of mind and vision. This condition ceases within 20 to 30 minutes and many drinkers report that they don’t experience anything out of the ordinary at all, but the regular effects the alcohol has.