I watched the film 'Moulin Rouge' and thought, "Hey, sweet film, good dancing, romantic songs, interesting storyline, deserves to win some awards, the end." Then, I went on the official site and found out some background information about the Bohemian revolution and the Parisian nightclub, the 'Moulin Rouge'. What I found out fascinated me - how it was a world of sex, drugs and new ideas of freedom, beauty, truth and love. I read on - about how these new 'children of the revolution' would find inspiration for their work through a hallucinogenic drink called absinthe, also known as 'the green fairy'.

As I did research over the internet about this interesting but lethal drink, I found out that it could do serious damage to human beings and was illegal in the USA and Europe...however, I came across many sites SELLING the drink in its purest form and many other sites giving step-by-step instructions on how to make it. Well, I have put together this page so that other people may find out more about absinthe - the green fairy.

Background

Many famous bohemian artists and writers were addicted to absinthe, including:
1. Edouard Manet
2. Charles Baudelaire
3. Paul Verlaine
4. Arthur Rimbaud
5. Oscar Wilde
6. Ernest Dowson
7. Edgar Degas
8. Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec
9. Vincent Van Gogh
10. Adolphe Monticelli
11. Paul Gauguin
12. Alfred Jarry
13. Pablo Picasso
14. Ernest Hemingway

Absinthe was enormously popular in late nineteenth France, having been picked up by French soldiers fighting in the Algerian conflicts of the 1840's, (supposedly to ward off fevers), and quickly spread upon their return, to individuals from all walks of life, including some of the most creative people of the era.

Absinthe was said to raise the drinkers consciousness, insights, and emotional experience to another level altogether. Unfortunately, it also caused terrible hallucinations, permanent neural damage, as seen in the dazed condition of dedicated drinkers, and even its own disease, known as absinthism, recognized as early as the l850's. However, the public, enjoying this new form of intoxication, and the government this new round of taxation, were slow to heed the warning signs, and no ban was put on the production of absinthe until the 20th century.

Thujone, the primary culprit, in the heady mix of herbs, water, and sugar, occurs in a variety of plants, as well as in all trees of the arborvitae group of which the thuja, or white cedar, is one. Wormwood and Roman wormwood were the main sources of thujone in absinthe, indeed, the French word for wormwood is absinthe.

The Green Hour

The ritual that came to surround the drinking of Absinthe helps to account for the atmosphere associated with "l'heure verte", the so-called "green hour".

The "green hour" became a daily event at many Parisian clubs and cafes, and was immortalized in paintings such as Edward Manet's, The Absinthe Drinker (l859), L'Absinthe(l876), by Edgar Degas, and by Picasso in his (l901) Absinthe Drinker. Still more artists not only depicted the concoction, but wrote about it, and were to varying degrees dedicated to it, or held in it's thrall; the likes of Rimbaud, Baudelaire, Appolinaire, and the surrealist playwright Alfred Jarry, who used it to provide himself with a reliable source of irrational, if not outright hallucinogenic images.

The glowing , opalescent green drink, was prepared by pouring cold water over a sugar cube, suspended above a small portion of pure absinthe liqueur, by means of a small slotted spoon or sieve, until the sugar was dissolved, and the desired dilution obtained; the sugar being used to blunt the legendary bitterness of the thujone in the liqueur.

Of course, the effect of this almost phosphorescent drink had to do directly with the degree of dilution, and ultimately with the amount imbibed, and the frequency. However, due to the presence of at least four or five other powerful chemicals (known as Terpenes), of which thujone is only one, unknown to the drinkers at the times, plus other additives incorporated to enhance color, taste, and odor, drinking absinthe could have effects ranging from euphoria through rage, to stupefaction. Physical effects of nausea, disorientation, hallucination, and seizure were also noted, and verified in animal and human tests, conducted later in the century.

In the period from l875 to l913 theannual consumption of absinthe per inhabitant in France, increased fifteen times, French men and women consuming 10.5 million gallons of absinthe in l913. Statistically, correlation's were quickly developing between absinthe drinking and neurological disorders, stillbirths, and cases of psychosis, often coupled with abhorrent crimes.

A prohibition on the sale and manufacture of absinthe went into effect in France in l915, after other lesser attempts to control it failed, at the same time as other countries, Switzerland, Belgium, Italy, and the U.S. were taking similar actions.

Absinthe, today, has moved underground; gone but not forgotten; waiting, perhaps to re-emerge in a new exotic form, to restake its' claim on the psyches of yet another generation of thrill-seekers, cosmic adventures, and bohemians.

What is Absinthe?

Absinthe is an anise-flavored liqueur made with an extract from wormwood (Artemisia absinthium). It is an emerald green drink, which is very bitter (due to the presence of absinthin) and is therefore traditionally poured over a perforated spoon that has a cube of sugar on it into a glass of water. The drink then turns into an opaque, almost iridescent white as the essential oils precipitate out of the alcoholic solution. The definition is as follows according to Merriam-Webster's Dictionary:

Main Entry: ab·sinthe
Variant(s): also ab·sinth /'ab-(")sin(t)th/
Function: noun
Etymology: French absinthe, from Latin absinthium, from Greek apsinthion
Date: 1612
1 : WORMWOOD 1; especially : a common European wormwood (Artemisia absinthium)
2 : a green liqueur flavored with wormwood or a substitute, anise, and other aromatics

Possible Dangers of Absinthe

The part of absinthe that has been pinpointed as the toxic element is thujone, a narcotic in wormwood. Dr. Motet found that absinthe cause seizures in dogs. Another study in 1874 by Dr. Magnan compared the action of alcohol and absinthe, determining that absinthe alone, unlike alcohol alone, causes epileptic seizures in man. Margaret Burri, a historian, wrote for the Maryland Medical Journal in 1994, "thujone causes hallucinations, convulsions, and permanent damage to the nervous system," demonstrating that, whether or not this has been definitely proven, this attitude toward thujone persists today. Charles Perry describes this sentiment best in a recent Los Angeles Times article. He writes, "absinthe-drinking certainly was a drug scene... a ritualistic absorption that reminds us of a junkie shooting up." Well, are all these claims that absinthe is toxic true? Yes and no. Most experiments pertaining to absinthe's toxicity were performed in the late 1800's to early 1900's. Science was far from accurate back then and often tainted by the present day morals. Most of these experiments too place in France and were not translated properly as well. Most were experimented on cats or dogs which have a very different physiology than humans. Also noteworthy is the fact that enormous amounts of thujone were used in testing, far more than what one averagely consumes. I am not saying that everything should be discounted, but looked at more skeptically. Very few experiments have been performed using today's technology. What probably presents the most danger consuming absinthe is the fact that it is often 160 proof. It is an alcoholic beverage, after all. It has also been proven that absinthe consumption of that time was greatly exaggerated. famous people's background was also skewed; Van Gogh's family had a history of mental illness. He not only drank absinthe, but also tried to drink turpentine on several occasions. Almost every infamous person associated with absinthe at the time had some other reason for their peculiar behavior. So basically:

1. Absinthe can make the drinker hallucinate.
2. During hallucination, as with any drug, the victim can receive pleasant images (i.e. the green fairy) or have frightening, insane experiences.
3. Long term absinthe drinkers may suffer from mental problems i.e. insanity
4. It is alcoholic and so you can get drunk on it - bringing along all kinds of problems
5. Victim may suffer painful and/or frightening fits.
6. Absinthe was once tested on guinea pigs (this is completely against all my ideals and morals but still) and the poor animal stiffen, then writhed around in agony; it also became ferocious and started to foam at the mouth. It had convulsions and shocks - its spine curved and its whole body twisted with every seperate fit. It died after half an hour of pain.
7. It is highly addictive.
8. Addicted pregnant women can have miscarraige, birth defects, and abortion.
9. On one website, its creator stated this about the effects of absinthe, "I describe them as a cross between pot, exstacy, cocaine, strong coffee, and vodka."
10. It is obviously a dangerous drink! Stay away!

Absinthe Facts

* Absinthe is an anise-flavored liqueur distilled with oil of wormwood, a herb that grows wild in Europe and has been cultivated in the United States too. Wormwood's scientific name is Artemisia absinthum, hence the name "Absinthe".
* It is an emerald green drink (due to the presence of chlorophyll- from the wormwood plant).
*The drink was referred to in France as "La Fée Verte", or The Green Fairy, which is a reference to its often dazzling green color (depending on the brand).
* It's very bitter, and is traditionally diluted with cold water which is poured over a perforated spoon (called an Absinthe spoon) that holds a cube of sugar, into a glass containing a shot of absinthe.
*The sugar helped to take the edge off the bitter taste.
* As the cold water hits the absinthe, the oils precipitate out, and the drink changes from a clear emerald colour to an opaque, milky white.
* A variation of the traditional drinking ritual is apparently used in Prague where absinthe is currently available.
* In this variation, a heaping teaspoon of sugar is briefly wet in the glass of pure absinthe, then lit on fire and held over the glass. As the alcohol burns off, the sugar melts into the glass. When the fire gets low, the remaining sugar is stirred into the drink and the drink is quickly drunk.
* It appears to have been believed to stimulate creativity and to act as a curative and aphrodesiac (which could be why the bohemian's liked it so much!).
* In the 1850's saw the beginnings of concern about the results of chronic absinthe use.
* Chronic drinking of the alcohol was believed to produce a syndrome, called Absinthism.
* This syndrome had side-effects such as addiction, epileptic attacks, delerium, and hallucinations (sounds delightful!).
* In addition to its effects in heavy drinkers, there were several social reasons why absinthe was ultimately banned.
* Absinthe's popularity seems to have influenced a general increase in alcohol consumption, particularly in the form of distilled liqueurs.
* At the time, wine was considered a healthy drink and absinthe was the most popular liqueur. For this reason, absinthe was blamed for many alcohol-related problems and became the main target of early prohibition efforts in France.
* Absinthe's association with the bohemian lifestyle may have worked to compound fears about its effects.
* Absinthe was banned in many countries in the early 1900's.
* It was banned in the USA by Food Inspection Decision 147 in 1912.
* Thujone (a primary ingredient in absinthe) is banned as a food additive according to Section 801A of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act of August, 1972.
* Wormwood was included on a list of unsafe herbs which the FDA released in 1975.
* Presumably you would be legally liable for any possible damages if you gave absinthe to others to drink. Artemisia species are completely legal and are attractive perennial ornamental plants.

Please help spread the word of the dangers of absinthe over the internet...save this graphic onto your own server and link it to this page https://iciclestar.tripod.com/absinthe.html - to save the button, click on it and it will open a new page! Then right-click then click on 'save as'. Then hit the back button to return to this page. Thanks alot!

Also, as a memory of your visit to this page, take this gift and put it on your site! Same as above, click on the gift then right-click and 'save as' when you get to the new page.