The Green Fairy

Absinthe, the very name elicits a myriad of conflicting images. Paris at the turn of last century, poets, artists, masterpieces, quaint cafes, seductive salons, insanity, murder, deformation and death. La Fee Verte or " The Green Fairy", as it was commonly known contained over 70 percent alcohol (140 proof) and was flavored with anise, the taste in black licorice. Concocted by Dr. Pierre Ordiniare in 1792, absinthe did not become widely available until 1805 when Henri-Louis Pernod opened a large distillery in France. Although the high alcohol content and ritualistic cocktail preparation were instant attractions, it was a nasty little ingredient distilled from the artemisia plant that would hook you. Commonly known as "Wormwood", this oil is a very dark green or bluish liquid that is intensely herbaceous, addictive, and said to drive people insane.

"I SIT AT MY DOOR, SMOKING A CIGARETTE AND SIPPING MY ABSINTHE, AND I ENJOY EVERYDAY WITHOUT A CARE IN THE WORLD. -Paul Gaugin 1897

Because absinthe is so strong and bitter it is necessary to add sugar and water to the liquor to make it palatable. Special spoons that hold a sugar cube were developed to lie across the rim of a glass containing absinthe. The drinker then slowly drips water over the sugar, dissolving it so that the sweetened water dripped through perforations into the green liquid below. When the sugar water mixes with the absinthe, the drink becomes a cloudy, opalescent green and is ready to drink.

Made famous by the likes of Oscar Wilde, Edgar Degas, Vincent Van Gogh, Toulouse-Lautrec and Paul Gaugin, absinthe was used to fuse reality and dream, art and life. Vincent Van Gogh was probably the most famous absinthe drinker ever, losing an ear to the stuff in the late 1800's. A member of the turpene family (turpentine), absinthe has a physically negative effect on those who drink it regularly.

Outlawed in the United States and many other countries in the early 1900's, absinthe is starting to make a comeback in the few places that it is still legal. Because of a renewed interest in the liqueur, many European manufactures are producing absinthe substitutes that eliminate the wormwood and conform to law. Although these products are much sweeter than the original spirit and negate the need for added sugar, this is what many people drink now. Increased demand for absinthe substitutes have manufactures striving for more authentic formulas, bitter herbs and less sugar give a taste that is true to the original, minus the still illegal wormwood. With these new spirits you can finally experience the ritual and allure of absinthe without the damaging side effects.

THE MONKEY GLAND

1 1/2 ounces of gin 2 ounces of orange juice dash of grenadine 1/2 ounce of absinthe substitute

Shake with crushed ice and strain into a martini glass