Celebrate National Absinthe Day Every March 5

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It may not be St. Patrick’s Day yet, but you can still go green … With “the green fairy”, in honor of National Absinthe Day!

 

What is Absinthe Exactly?

Absinthe is a strong (usually 100 to 160 proof) drink infused with botanicals.

Switzerland is the only country with a legal definition of absinthe. But even so, to be a true absinthe a drink must contain certain ingredients:

• Two types of wormwood (Grande and Roman),
• anise seed,
• sweet fennel,
• lemon balm,
• and hyssop.

The green color is natural, not a coloring.

It’s not a drink for everyone. It has a strong burn if you drink it neat. That’s why most people usually dilute it with water and sweeten it with a sugar cube.

It also tastes like licorice, so if you don’t like that taste you won’t like this drink!

National Absinthe Day started in 2007, the same year the U.S. lifted its ban on the drink.

We haven’t been able to discover who started it, but the why seems pretty clear: Absinthe lovers wanted to celebrate the legal return of “the green fairy.”

 

Absinthe’s Checkered History

Absinthe was created in the mid-1700s by a doctor in Switerland. But it wasn’t originally a drink to enjoy. It was used by patients as an elixer to treat digestive problems.

As a drink, it became popular among French writers and artists in the 1800s. Apparently it was considered bohemian, so it appealed to creative types.

It found its way to the United States, but it didn’t stay long (at least not legally).

Someone discovered the green drink contained a chemical called thujone. This chemical can affect the central nervous system and cause convulsions. It can also kill brain cells, along with kidney and liver cells. So regulators declared it a dangerous and addictive psychoactive drug.

And the U.S. and Europe banned absinthe in the early 1900s.

Of course, banning something doesn’t stop its use. The Prohibition era in the U.S. taught us that, if nothing else.

Absinthe lovers kept enjoying their drink in secret.

And, as it turns out, there’s only a tiny amount of thujone in absinthe. Not nearly enough to cause the supposed hallucinations absinthe drinkers experienced.

It took decades, but eventually “la fee verte” was declared safe. Most bans were lifted in the 1990s. The U.S. started allowing its sale in 2007.

Absinthe lovers the world over can now enjoy their drink legally. U.S. law says absinthe sold in the country must be “thujone-free.” But that term generally means less than 10 mg/L of thujone.

Scroll down for some ideas on celebrating this licorice-flavored unofficial holiday.

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Ideas For Celebrating National Absinthe Day

Well, you really only need one idea, don’t you? Drink absinthe!

You can drink it the traditional way, diluted with water and sweetened with a bit of sugar.

Or you can make cocktails with it. Madtini.com offers a list of 6 Absinthe Cocktails to Lose Your Mind Over.

Epicurious shares Top 5 Absinthe Cocktails, complete with food pairings.

And if you’re not quite sure how to enjoy it the traditional way, this video makes it clear. You’ll even learn that sugar isn’t always needed:

 

How will you be celebrating today? Will you be trying absinthe for the first time?

 

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