Absinthe has been illegal in the United States for nearly a century, but now U.S. citizens can indulge in a glass without taking a trip to Amsterdam. Absinthe is an alcoholic beverage that gained fame through use as a cure for digestive diseases in the 18th century and from stories of creative intervention for artists such as Vincent Van Gogh.
The brands of absinthe now legal in the United States lack the thujone found in the drink’s distinctive herb, wormwood. Thujone has been linked as the trigger of supposed hallucinations caused by absinthe. The Food and Drug Administration has regulated thujone in the United States, preventing it from being produced in foods and drinks. Absinthe is bottled at high proofs with special spoons and glasses used for preparation and consumption. Traditional preparation for diluting the drink involves dripping water onto a sugar cube resting on a slotted spoon above a glass of absinthe. Cork & Bottle Fine Wines has kept a regular stock of the thujone-free absinthe since its legalization. “People ask if it makes you hallucinate. They ask lots of questions,” said Brandt Hart, owner of Cork & Bottle Fine Wines. “The most interesting thing is most of the people are around 50 years old.” The mystic drink is famous because of the unique preparation and rumors about hallucinations and artistic inspiration after ingestion. The drink earned the name “The Green Fairy” from stories of a fairy with a green glow appearing after consuming it. “I’d probably go crazy [if I tried it],” said Heather Shaw, psychology sophomore . “There are enough problems with drinking, so I don’t think they should legalize something that makes it worse.” Distiller have found a way around the U.S. ban by filtering out the thujone. Some companies, such as Lucid, use marketing lines like “Prohibition is finally over!” to downplay the elimination of thujone in their brand. “I know that absinthe is now legal in the United States, and it used to be hallucinogenic,” said communications sophomore Alana Vicknair. “But it’s not anymore.” Vicknair said she would try the drink but does not “think it would be all the hype everyone says it is.” “It has a licorice taste and 126 proof so just by virtue of that, it’s a lot stronger than the average drink,” Hart said. “As far as hallucinating, if you drink enough of anything, you’ll hallucinate.”
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