Q.  What emerald green beverage smells like licorice, turns milky white when mixed with sugar, is nicknamed the “Green Fairy,” heightens the sexual experience and for almost 100 years was banned in the United States?

A.  Absinthe

What’s in a Name?

Absinthe is a distilled anise-flavored liquor unusual among spirits in that it is bottled at a high proof and then diluted with water during consumption. Hardcore fans often refer to absinthe as the Green Fairy, the Green Muse, the Green Goddess and La Fee Verte. It has also been called the Green Devil. Absinthe acquired its name from Artemisia absinthium—the botanical name for the bitter herb wormwood known in French as “grande absinthe.”

Often considered a liqueur, absinthe is technically an aperitif spirit.  Modern definitions disqualify absinthe as a liqueur because it is not presweetened, as are traditional liqueurs.

Mystical Effects?

Absinthe aficionados claim effects of the drink include heightened sensory experiences—not only are the senses of sight, scent, sound, taste and touch sharper, but despite the extremely high alcohol content, the mind remains clear and focused.  Absinthe is even said to have antidepressant effects when consumed in small amounts. In a study conducted by researchers at the University of California, Berkley and Northwestern Medical School in Chicago, it was discovered that extracts of wormwood have been shown to improve cognitive brain function.

Absinthe as an Aphrodisiac?

Wormwood “will make certain people feel quite sensual,” according to The Book of Aphrodisiacs by Raymond Stark. Are these effects from thujone? This is unclear. Stark claims that other chemicals found in wormwood, such as absinthine, santonin and anabsinthin, “may do some aphrodisiacal stimulating on their own.”

Wormwood essential oil, being rich in thujone, may have pharmacological effects similar to those of THC, the psychotropic chemical found in cannabis. Because of the presence of thujone, an extremely potent psychoactive substance, absinthe liquor produces “experiences of profound euphoria, aphrodisiac sensations, hallucinations and a feeling of floating.”

“Absinthe can have an almost instantaneous aphrodisiac effect on both men and women,” according to Adam Gottlieb in his book Sex, Drugs, and Aphrodisiacs. “Used very occasionally and in small amounts, it can be a useful stimulant to the appetites of both food and sex.”

Referred to as “the aphrodisiac of the self,” absinthe has a strong following of devotees who swear by its potent aphrodisiac powers. Not only does absinthe seem to improve the usual functioning of all senses, but disciples claim it also alters the way the mind perceives or interprets sensory input, therefore making the sexual experience so much more titillating.

Absinthe fanatics are absolutely certain that it produces an aphrodisiac effect. By stimulating a person’s sensations and dramatically enhancing all five senses, one could undoubtedly make a case for its contribution to a mind-blowing sexual experience. And, by altering the way the mind perceives or interprets sensory input, “all sensations are perceived by all senses at once.”

The experience of absinthe has been equated to having lived your entire life seeing in only black and white—of only knowing shades of gray—and then finally seeing a world brightened by color.  “This is what absinthe does to your senses, all five of them.  Now imagine how this translates into the bedroom,” English holistic practitioner, Paula Manners, was quoted as saying.

Absinthe has also been said to “lift (the sexual experience) to stratospheric levels.” According to one enthusiast, it intensifies physical and emotional levels to such as extent that individuals can sometimes “experience sensations you never knew existed.”
Although absinthe may not necessarily be capable of stimulating desire as in the case of a “true” aphrodisiac, if imbibing of the Green Fairy improves sex in a profound way, does anyone really care?

Why the Ban?

Much controversy surrounds absinthe, which was blamed in 1905 for the actions of a Swiss peasant, Jean Lanfray, who murdered his pregnant wife and two daughters. Police investigation showed that Lanfray had consumed two glasses of absinthe before going to work. Lanfray was found much later passed out on his dead daughter and couldn’t recall committing the crimes. Investigators never mentioned the fact that he had also been drinking wine, crème de menthe and brandy prior to the killings. Lanfray was said to be a habitual drunkard known to consume as much as five liters of wine a day. The crime, which quickly became known as the “absinthe murders,” led to a Swiss ban three years later. A French ban on absinthe followed in 1915.

Historically, absinthe always had a bad rep, Lanfray murders aside, and was considered to be a dangerously addictive psychoactive drug. The drink’s characteristic green hue is derived from wormwood, an herb containing the chemical thujone, which was blamed for the drink’s alleged harmful effects. Reputed to cause hallucinations, beverages containing thujone were banned by 1912 in the United States.

Although absinthe was redeemed in recent years, when in March 2007 two brands of absinthe became the first genuine absinthes legally imported into the US after a lack of evidence showed it to be no more dangerous than other alcohol. But despite restrictions being relaxed, new bottles of absinthe can be sold in the US only if they are classified as thujone free.

The Wormwood Society, an absinthe association and information network, claims that thujone is not a hallucinogen and that only trace amounts are present in the liquor. According to the Society, absinthe appears to “have been technically legal since 1972” but that until recently the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau “exercised its discretionary authority not to allow spirits to be labeled as absinthe.”

What this amounts to is that this latest decision by the TTB now permits labels to be called “absinthe.” Despite these absinthes not being completely thujone free, the concentrations of this controversial chemical fall within current TTB standards.  This latest development will allow domestic manufacture as well as the importation of a variety of quality European absinthes.

Authentic Absinthe?

Opinions sometimes differ when it comes to classifying what makes an authentic absinthe.  However, absinthe enthusiasts claim the “thujone-free” versions are made with the same small amounts of thujone as the original bottles. “Relatively little thujone makes it through the distilling process into the final distillate.” With the controversy of absinthe being linked to its “allegedly high thujone content,” it “now appears to have been based on a wholly false premise.”

Because American absinthe is made using the same techniques and ingredients as their European counterparts, authentically minded absinthe drinkers can be assured that “many of the absinthes available in the US are based on recipes from 100 years ago.” As a matter of fact, chemical analyses of pre-ban absinthe samples have proven that “many of the current brands of absinthe are very similar to what was available 100 years ago.”

Absinthe Ritual

Absinthe is distinctive in the way in which it is traditionally consumed. Considered a “ritual,” the drink is prepared carefully, with slowness and regard for this calibrated absinthe ceremony. The anticipation while preparing absinthe can be likened to foreplay—a set of intimate psychological and physical acts meant to increase absinthe’s enjoyment.

The absinthe ritual involves first pouring a “dose” (just over an ounce) of absinthe into a glass, placing a sugar cube on a flat perforated spoon, resting it on the rim of the glass. Iced water is then very slowly dripped onto the sugar cube, saturating it thoroughly and gradually dissolving the cube. The sugar and water (three parts to one part absinthe) drip and combine, causing the green liquor to “louche” into an opaque opalescent white. 

Aphrodisiac or not, the Green Fairy remains a mysterious and misunderstood cocktail, worth a shot, so to speak, in the bedroom. And with the latest societal rage prompting us of our environmental responsibilities, it should be noted that absinthe may remind us to “go green.”