Absinthe Fountain
Absinthe. Probably the single most misunderstood in all the world of boozes. It’s an odd green color (usually, though not always) that turns milky white when you add water (more on this soon…). This anise flavored, herb-infused liquor became popular at the turn of the century – especially in Paris – and was rumored to be the drink of choice for may poets, writers and artists of the period (Oscar Wilde, Toulouse-Lautrec, Van Gogh, Ernest, etc). It is rumored to possess hallucinatory properties, supposedly owing to one of it’s key ingredients, wormwood. This has, however, never been confirmed scientifically, though often via anecdote – many have said it creates a “clear-minded drunkenness”.
Because of its rising popularity in pre-prohibition times, the “green fairy” as it was often called, was singled out as a dangerous drink that made people crazy.The U.S. government outlawed it in 1912 because of this frenzy and it wasn’t until 2007 that they allowed it to be imported and manufactured domestically.
One of the best things about absinthe is the ritual involved in its consumption. Typically, it is poured into a glass, then ice water is added (about a 3 to 1 ratio…or higher if you like it less alcoholic) by pouring over a (generally quite stylized) slotted spoon with a sugar cube on it which would then slightly dissolve.
Even better, it became popular in bars and the homes of entertainers to have an absinthe fountain (as pictured) that would be filled with ice water then people could add as much or little water as they liked (poured from the spigots over the spoon/sugar). Many of the (cheaper) absinthe fountains today have chintzy plastic handles, but this one features real metal…I believe coated bronze.
Regardless of how often you drink it, it’s a beautiful ornamentation for a dining room.
And, after a few sips, you might even think the hills look like white elephants.
BUY ABSINTHE (this place also sells “cannabis vodka”…try at your own risk…)
