Absinthe, a liquor made from the leaves of the wormwood plant and other herbs, was the fashionable drink of the artists of the late 19th century and early 20th century. Not surprising, then that a fair amount of art was created around the drink. This also included images of the The Green Fairy – icon/muse of Absinthe…

Here we have an advertising illustration by Belgian artist and graphic designer Privat Livemont (1861-1936) created in 1896

And here the Green Fairy has been reborn – art by Līga Kļaviņa.

TITLE: A Taste for Absinthe: 65 Recipes for Classic and Contemporary Cocktails



Absinthe’s renaissance is quickly growing into a culinary movement. The “Green Fairy” is now showing up on cocktail menus at chic restaurants around the country. A Taste for Absinthe celebrates this storied and complex liquor by bringing you 65 cocktail recipes from America’s hottest mixologists to enjoy as you discover the spirit that has fascinated artists, musicians, and writers for centuries. Absinthe expert R. Winston Guthrie shares the intriguing history of this famous beverage and a wide range of absinthe cocktails crafted by celebrated bartenders such as Jim Meehan of New York’s PDT, Erik Adkins of San Francisco’s Slanted Door, and Eric Alperin of The Varnish in Los Angeles.

In addition to the recipes—such as the Salute to Sazerac (with rye whiskey, Angostura bitters, and lemon peel) and the Green Goddess (fresh basil leaves, cucumber vodka, simple syrup, line juice, and fresh thyme)—you will find: – a primer on the accoutrements (spoons, glasses, fountains) for serving absinthe – a how-to on executing your own absinthe drip – a guide to buying the best-quality absinthe (whether imported or domestic) – a lesson on how to discern between real absinthe and fake – sidebars on absinthe’s rich history. Whether you want to learn everything you need to know to host “L’Heure Verte” (the Green Hour) and impress your friends with your beautiful accoutrements and practiced pouring technique, or just make a really delicious drink, A Taste for Absinthe will bring you up to speed on the most talked about liquor in history. Read more …

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TITLE: Absinthe the Cocaine of the Nineteenth Century: A History of the Hallucinogenic Drug and Its Effect on Artitsts and Writers in Europe and the United



With an alcohol content sometimes as high as 80 percent, absinthe was made by mixing the leaves of wormwood with other plants such as angelica root, fennel, coriander, hyssop, marjoram and anise for flavor. The result was a bitter, potent drink that became a major social, medical and political phenomenon during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries; its popularity was mainly in France, but also in other parts of Europe and the United States, particularly in New Orleans. Absinthe produced a sense of euphoria and a heightening of the senses, similar to the effect of cocaine and opium, but was addictive and caused a rapid loss of mental and physical faculties. Despite that, Picasso, Manet, Rimbaud, Van Gogh, Degas and Wilde were among those devoted to its consumption and produced writings and art influenced by the drink.

This work provides a history of “the green fairy”, a study of its use and abuse, an exploration of the tremendous social problems (not unlike the cocaine problems of this century) it caused, and an examination of the extent to which the lives of talented young writers and artists of the period became caught up in the absinthe craze. Read more …

=> News and Video About Absinthe Art Below

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Absinthe Art For Sale

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