photo by Jason Millstein/illume photography

It’s back! Green Hornet,
Green Lantern, Green Arrow – all the so-called emerald superheroes pale in comparison to the Green Fairy, better known as absinthe. The most celebrated cult liqueur in history is once again legal in the United States, and that’s clearly (or in this case, cloudy) cause for celebration.
In the late 1800s, absinthe was all the rage. Everyone from Vincent Van Gogh to Oscar Wilde sang its praises. Absinthe bars sprang up like wildflowers, and the burgeoning popularity of the Green Fairy outstripped so many other beverages that even the powerful European wine industry took notice. Then, around the turn of the century, the temperance movement targeted absinthe for its supposed hallucinogenic properties, and many countries outlawed the sale of absinthe as a result. The few that continued to allow absinthe production, like France, Spain and the Czech Republic, created a worldwide underground absinthe industry that helped define the role of the Internet as a global trading post.
The culprit responsible for all this drama is thujone, the active ingredient in Grande Wormwood that, when taken in high doses, is considered a potent drug. Grande Wormwood, whose scientific designation, Artemisia absentium, is where absinthe received its name, is just one of many ingredients common to absinthe. While Wormwood may contribute to the euphoria many drinkers feel following absinthe consumption, anise is typically what gives absinthe its flavor base. The plethora of anise-based liqueurs that exist, from Sambuca to Ouzo and Anisette to Pastis, owe at least a portion of their popularity to the nearly century-long absence of absinthe.
Part of absinthe’s cult-like allure is the recommended elaborate presentation, not to mention the assorted paraphernalia and collectibles surrounding its myth. The proper service is as follows: Pour a shot of absinthe into a rocks glass. Place a perforated spoon on it topped with a sugar cube, and slowly drip chilled water over the sugar until it fully dissolves. During the process, the natural Green Fairy hue will become a cloudy opaque color when the oils release their aromatics – a phenomenon also known as “the louche.” Multiple versions of the slotted spoons, period posters, specialty glasses and even multi-spout water fountains are sold as trinkets.
One of the first quality brands of true Grande Wormwood absinthe now available in the United States is called Lucid. Created at the Gustav Eiffel-designed Combier Distillery in France’s Loire Valley, Lucid is crafted from a classic pre-Prohibition recipe. Redolent of sweet fennel and green anise, Lucid sports a mouth feel that screams umami and a beautifully balanced textural flair reminiscent of old vine Roussanne from Chateauneuf-du-Pape.
Lucid is so-named for the belief that imbibing absinthe frequently has the effect of sharpening one’s focus and enhancing creativity. And in the interest of full disclosure, I felt the need to partake in numerous samples of absinthe to complete this article.