Remember your friend who went to Europe, drank absinthe in some culturally and physically underground bar, hallucinated and ended up with a prostitute in a back ally of Prague? He’s full of shit and mildly skanky. But let's talk about absinthe here...
History
Created in the late 18th century by a French doctor, absinthe was originally used for medicinal purposes by the French army. The drink gained popularity in the late 1800s/early 1900s among Parisian artists and writers. Hyped by the likes of Hemingway, Wilde and Van Gogh, who supposedly cut off his ear while under the influence of la fée verte (the Green Fairy), absinthe was reputed to have hallucinogenic properties that spurred both creativity and illicit behavior. For this reason, many European countries declared absinthe illegal in 1906, and in 1912, the United States followed suit.
Truth or Myth?
Recent research shows that most of the myths are just that — myth. For one thing, absinthe does not make you hallucinate, but it will get you very, very drunk. Traditional absinthe is a combination of fennel, anise and wormwood, a herbaceous plant containing the neurotoxin thujone, the chemical to which its psychedelic effects are attributed. In high doses, thujone’s side effects can include convulsions, vomiting, insomnia and seizures — but the levels of thujone found in absinthe are nowhere near high enough to cause harm, or even make you trip. Today, absinthe is legal in most countries, including the U.S. Although the varieties sold here are supposedly “thujone-free,” a 2008 study shows there are no major chemical differences between the pre-ban “illegal” absinthe and what’s now available.
Absinthe Intoxication
So what’s that extra fuzziness you get from absinthe? While some of the herbal components in the drink act as stimulants, others act as sedatives, producing a “lucid drunkenness." It doesn’t hurt that absinthe is anywhere from 110 to 144 proof. To put it in perspective, Banker’s Club is 80 proof. Now think about your Saturday night.
How to Drink
The ritual of drinking absinthe also adds to its allure. The two preferred methods of preparation are the Parisian and the Bohemian. In Parisian style, a slotted absinthe spoon with a sugar cube is placed on top of a glass with about an ounce of absinthe. Ice water is then slow-dripped over the sugar, causing the appearance of the drink to change from its opalescent green to an opaque white. In the Bohemian style, a sugar cube is doused with absinthe as it is poured into the glass. While the spoon is above the absinthe, the sugar is set on fire and caramelizes, melting into the absinthe below. The spoon is then plunged into the absinthe, which also catches on fire. Water is added slowly, killing the flames. You can also take a flaming shot of absinthe; this is not for the faint of heart.
Whatever way you choose, just remember — it’s intense. So if you’re not into black licorice, Sambuca, Ouzo, Colombian Aguardiente, or anything of the like, absinthe will just feel like a slap in the face that stings for ten minutes.
Where to Drink
So where can you get your fix of the Green Fairy? Here are some bars that serve absinthe or absinthe-infused cocktails:
APO Bar + Lounge
102 S. 13th St.
(215) 735-7500
Time
1315 Sansom St.
(215) 985-4800
Caribou Café
1126 Walnut St.
(215) 625-9535
Raven Lounge
1718 Sansom St.
(215) 840-3577
Parc (cocktails only)
227 S. 18th St.
(215) 545-2262
