High On the Once-Illicit Green Fairy
By Ligaya Figueras | Photos by Ashley Gieseking // February 29, 2012
Absinthe was the opiate of choice in America before being banned in 1912 because it was thought to cause hallucinations. The culprit: thujone, a naturally occurring substance in wormwood that is potentially dangerous in very high doses (Oscar Wilde once claimed absinthe turned the bar before him into a field of tulips.).
The absinthe vice squad withdrew from the U.S. in 2007, ending “the black death” drought with a celebrated renaissance that freed American distillers to try their hands at making the Bohemian spirit. (See below for a glimpse of some small-batch concoctions.)
Today, absinthe is made using more-than-safe levels of thujone, which gets macerated in alcohol and then distilled to make the anise-flavored liquor. But the absinthe liberation has also meant more overt enjoyment of the green-tinted spirit, whether via the classic drip method or stirred into new-age creations.
Although Lola is switching its absinthe bar to a cognac-centric lounge this month, patrons at the downtown restaurant can still partake in “
L’heure Verte” (or Green Hour) anytime the doors are open. Order your choice of eight imported bottles or sip one of the bar’s house-infused varieties, touting flavors like fennel, citrus and cherry-cranberry.
While the absinthe drip (at left), slowly adding very cold water to absinthe, is the absintheur’s age-old ritual for enjoying the Green Fairy at its finest, absinthe also holds a place in the annals of cocktail history. The Nola-born sipper Sazerac calls for an absinthe wash before rye whiskey (The original base liquor was cognac.), bitters, simple syrup and a lemon twist are added. While some bars continue to make a Sazerac using an absinthe substitute such as Herbsaint (as was necessary during absinthe’s illicit days), J Fires’ Market Bistro in Waterloo, Ill., and Riverbend Restaurant & Bar in Soulard both use the real thing for their Sazerac sippers. Other old-school absinthe elixirs that can write the drinker’s epitaph include the moribund-named trio: Corpse Reviver No. 2, Obituary and Death in the Afternoon – the latter a simple yet potent combo of absinthe topped with Champagne.
If you want to move beyond time-tested absinthe cocktails, head to Lola and try two original creations by GM and partner Matt McMullin. The Hemingway is a purple-tinted combo of absinthe, violet liqueur and Champagne. For Lola’s other best-selling absinthe drink, Arial (below), pomegranate liqueur, pomegranate juice and Moscato turn La Fee into a sweet, pink fairy.