Absinthe Legal After 100-Year Ban

In Baltimore, Maryland, absinthe, also known as “La Fee Verte” (the green fairy), has made a comeback and is served at Brewer’s Art and available at Chesapeake Wine Co.

The romantic green drink – absinthe – is back after a 100-year ban.

Absinthe is often captured in artwork because of the seduction of its rumored psychoactive properties and its connection to a bohemian lifestyle. Famous artists who imbibed the spirit known as “The Green Fairy” include Toulouse-Lautrec, Manet, Gauguin, and Degas. The most famous of all absinthe drinkers has to be Van Gogh, although he suffers from a misconception that it caused him to go mad and cut off his ear. But notice how he frequently uses ochres and pale greens (the colors of absinthe) and how many of his paintings feature the bar where he drank the spirit.

The elixir was favored by artists and writers seduced by its “secondary effects” whereby the imbibers become intoxicated and are subject to hallucinations that they felt enhanced their art or suited their eccentricism. But in truth these qualities are no more marked than a buzz one gets from drinking tequila. Generally, it can be described as a heightened clarity of mind and vision warmed by the effect of the alcohol; some users insist the drink also produces unusually vivid dreams.

Absinthe tastes refreshingly like anise and is flavored by fennel and wormwood. It’s very strong – 70% alcohol – and is served diluted in a ritual involving a sugar cube placed on a flat decorative slotted spoon resting on the rim of the glass. Iced water is slowly dripped through the sugar cube, dissolving it and causing the green liquor to louche into white opalescence.

In Baltimore, absinthe can be enjoyed in this traditional ritual at The Brewer’s Art on Charles Street and can be purchased by the bottle at the Chesapeake Wine Company in the Can Building in historic Canton. Enjoy! I intend to!