photo credit: cal_harding

If your buddy tells invites you to go drink the green fairy with him, do not worry. Your buddy has not flipped out. He is just talking about absinthe, a liquor recently made legal again in the United States. Absinthe was banned in 1912 because people stated that absinthe was addictive, dangerous, and could induce hallucinations.

Now since 2007 it is legal again as all these myths have been proven to be…myths! But just what is in absinthe and why has it been so popular?

One ingredient is anise, the cooking spice and main flavoring of licorice candy. If you don’t like licorice, you probably won’t like absinthe.

Another important ingredient in absinthe is wormwood. There are many kinds of wormwood on the planet. But the kind that grows in Europe and northern Africa is of the right genus and species to contain the essential oil used in absinthe.

Anise extract is colorless, but many popular brands of absinthe are green because of an additional infusion of herbs like mint or basil. The chlorophyll from these green herbs is absorbed into the liquor.

Absinthe is slowly gaining in popularity as the general public is being made aware that it is once again available. But 1912 was more than a generation ago, so there are few people to sing its praises. It is a very strong drink, with some estimates being one ounce of absinthe is equivalent to the alcohol in two bottles of beer.

Check with your local bartender, as it just might be available in your favorite hang-out spot.