Absinthe was not ever quite as popular in the United States as it had been in Europe, but Absinthe USA was popular within the French section of the city New Orleans which even had specialist Absinthe bars serving the Green Fairy.
Absinthe is a liquor which was first created as being an elixir or tonic by a doctor in Switzerland during the late 18th century. It was made from herbs just like grande wormwood, or artemisia absinthium, fennel and aniseed. Absinthe is traditionally green colored, apart from the Swiss La Bleue clear types, hence absinthesoldinusa.com the nickname “The Green Fairy” or, in French, “La Fee Verte”. It is dished up in a specific Absinthe glass with a sugar cube sitting on an exclusive slotted spoon. Iced water is poured on the sugar to water down the Absinthe.
Drinkers of Absinthe are convinced that the drink offers them a strange “clear headed” drunkenness that could be brought on by its curious recipe of herbs, most of which are sedatives and a few that happen to be stimulants. The essential oils of these herbs cause Absinthe to louche, or go cloudy, when water is added. The oils are soluble in alcohol but not in water. Absinthe is certainly a strong spirit, as much as about 75% alcohol by volume, that is about twice the effectiveness of whisky or vodka.
Absinthe USA and the Absinthe Prohibition
Absinthe was notoriously banned in several countries in the 1900s and Absinthe USA was banned in 1912. The French prohibition movement professed that the thujone in Absinthe (the chemical in wormwood) was psychoactive and brought on psychedelic effects. Absinthe has also been connected to the loose morals of the Moulin Rouge and Montmartre which consists of courtesans, artists and writers, and, when an Absinthe drinker killed his family, it had become just the excuse the prohibition movement wanted to get the French government to ban Absinthe. Many countries, such as the United States followed suit.
Absinthe and drinks containing any plants from the artemisia family were prohibited in the USA and it became illegal to buy or sell Absinthe. Americans were compelled to buy bootleg Absinthe, make their own, buy Absinthe substitutes, such as Pastis, or go to countries just like the Czech Republic where Absinthe was still legal and also on sale in Absinthe bars.
Ted Breaux and Absinthe USA
Ted Breaux, from New Orleans, is an Absinthe distiller in France. His Jade variety of Absinthes has won numerous awards.
It had been always his dream to be capable of sell his Absinthe in his native country nevertheless the laws outlawed him in completing this task. Breaux had worked hard at re-creating Absinthe from pre-ban recipes and had actually been able to analyze some antique bottles of Absinthe. As he analyzed the vintage Absinthe, he found out that it really only contained minute quantities of thujone – up against the belief of the US government.
Breaux and his lawyer friend, Gared Gurfein, were able to talk with the US Alcohol, Tobacco, Tax and Trade Bureau and let them know about “Lucid”, an Absinthe that Breaux had produced particularly for the American market which only contains trace levels of thujone. In 2007 Lucid went on sale in the US and since that time a couple of other brands have also been allowed to go on sale in the USA. These Absinthes can be found online or in bars.
It is great news that Americans can taste real traditional, and legal, Absinthe in their home country for the first time since 1912 – Absinthe USA!