Green Fairies, Murder and Mayhem: A Deep Dive on Switzerland’s Infamous Absinthe and How to Drink It

Few spirits have a more mysterious and convoluted reputation than absinthe. This Swiss spirit is nicknamed “la fée verte” or “the green fairy” because of its distinctive emerald hue. Beloved by artists and bohemians like Pablo Picasso, Vincent van Gogh and Ernest Hemingway, absinthe’s notorious reputation partially stemmed from wild claims that a few glasses of the stuff caused hallucinations and led to major artistic breakthroughs.

Yet, absinthe also has a darker history, and many narratives linked this anise-flavored spirit to bouts of violence. In 1905, a man named Jean Lanfray shot his pregnant wife and two small children in the small village of Commugny, Switzerland, according to Atlas Obscura. When authorities investigated Lanfray, they found five different types of liquor in his bloodstream. One of them was absinthe, and media headlines referred to the horrific event as the “absinthe murders” in the press. Three years later, the negative press surrounding the drink would lead to a full-on absinthe ban in Switzerland in 1908, cementing its infamous reputation.

Regardless of reputation, absinthe has a history steeped in lore that’s worth examining, coupled with the spirit’s fascinating and ritualistic way to drink it. Read on to learn about the green fairy’s history and how to drink absinthe.

How Is Absinthe Made?

Absynth’s base is a spirit traditionally re-distilled from a white grape spirit. It can also be distilled from grains, beets or potatoes. Like gin, what makes absinthe absinthe is what happens post-distillation. Absinthe is infused with botanicals, most notably grande wormwood, green anise and florence fennel. Other herbs and botanicals may also be added, such as petite wormwood, hyssop, star anise, peppermint, angelica and coriander.

Absinthe traditionally gains its green hue from chlorophyll, a pigment that gives many herbs and plants their green color. Herbs macerate in the spirit, imbuing it with green color.

The History of Absinthe

Absinthe’s origins date back to 1792, according to Food52. A French doctor named Pierre Ordinaire crafted a 136-proof spirit with ingredients like anise, hyssop, a varietal of mint called Melissa, coriander, another mint varietal called Veronica, dittany and, of course, the spirit’s most infamous ingredient: wormwood. The concoction was crafted for medicinal purposes and was used to treat a variety of maladies, which ranged from inflammation to stomach issues.

The Science History Institute reports that absinthe’s most controversial ingredient, wormwood, has long been used in folk medicine, and doctors from as early as the 2nd century used wormwood to help with stomach pains and fainting spells. Even celebrated British herbalists in the late 1500s claimed that wormwood aided digestion, and during the Black Plague, wormwood was used to clear out houses of those who were infected. Many of wormwood’s “hallucinatory” effects stemmed from a chemical component in absinthe called thujone.

In the mid to late 1800s, Ordinaire’s liquid concoction grew more popular, and a lore around absinthe’s supposed hallucinatory effects began to add to its appeal. Artists indulged in “green hour” — an absinthe-fueled version of a happy hour — and a lot of it was because this proofy spirit packed quite a punch. As the century continued, this green spirit developed a cult of devotees, including Oscar Wilde, Toulouse Lautrec and American author Ernest Hemingway.

“It’s supposed to rot your brain out,” Hemingway said, according to The Science History Institute. “But I don’t believe it. It only changes your ideas.”

Some scientists, however, were determined to prove absinthe’s negative effects. Valentin Magnan, the physician in chief at France’s primary mental institution, was determined to separate absinthe from alcohol as a category. Magnan believed the evil green drink caused abusers to experience bouts of violence and memory loss due to its wormwood component and urged authorities to ban it.

When the Lanfray Absinthe Murders took place in 1905, absinthe consumption became a societal issue, and the spirit was banned widely throughout Europe. Though Spain never banned the substance, and bootleggers still illegally made it, the ban quashed the spirit’s growth for all of the 20th century, until 2005, when Switzerland revoked the ban on absinthe production. In 2007, the U.S. changed its laws to allow for thujone-free absinthe over claims of toxicity regarding the chemical component.

As far as flavors go, absinthe has a distinctive, anise-driven profile that is guaranteed to drive fans of licorice and fennel wild. Absinthe has a bitter and astringent flavor and is incredibly potent — so be sure to be mindful of how much you’re drinking! If you’re looking to dabble with the green fairy, it’s important to know the proper way to enjoy it — after all, the absinthe ritual is part of the fun!

How to Drink Absinthe

For Purists: The Classic French Absinthe Ritual

An absinthe fountain sits on a bar top. (Photo: Daniel Karmann/picture-alliance/dpa/AP Images)

The French method is simple from an ingredient standpoint, according to The Spruce Eats. All an aspiring absinthe drinker needs from an ingredient standpoint are ice water, sugar and of course the absinthe itself. Yet, to consume absinthe properly in this manner, you’ll need some equipment.

Absinthe glasses and spoons are essential for this process. The glasses are designed in such a way that the absinthe sits in a tiny portion at the bottom of the glass, which holds just a smidge more than half an ounce. The bell of the glass is quite a bit larger and is reserved for the mixture of absinthe and ice water. Absinthe spoons are flat and designed to rest on top of the glass and hold sugar cubes. They often have holes or filigree work for the water to pass through and drip into the glass.

From a presentation standpoint, the absinthe fountain is the way to go. These stunning fountains hold ice water and have several faucets designed to slowly drip the ice water into the glass and melt the sugar cube, creating a louche effect — or a liquid with a cloudy white appearance.

If you want to keep things simple, sans fountain, simply fill your absinthe glass with about an ounce of absinthe, lay the absinthe spoon over the top of the glass and place a sugar cube on it. Gently drip ice cold water over the sugar cube and wait until it dissolves. Continue to slowly drip water over the sugar cube until you achieve the desired cloudy effect. The typical ratio is three to five ounces of water for every ounce of absinthe.

For Rebels: The Fiery Bohemian Method

The Bohemian method involves lighting a sugar cube on fire. (Photo: Bjoern Steinz/picture-alliance/dpa/AP Images)

For folks who are feeling a little frisky — and have a fire extinguisher nearby — the Bohemian Method might be an exciting way to try absinthe. This method involves lighting an absinthe-soaked sugar cube on fire and then extinguishing it with drops of water.

Simply place the absinthe-soaked sugar cube on top of a slotted spoon over a glass containing 1 ounce of absinthe, and then light it on fire. Drop the flaming cube into the glass, igniting the absinthe, and then douse the fire with a shot glass full of water.

Urban Drinks reports that this method, though flashy, might destroy some of the flavors associated with absinthe due to the strong caramelized flavors of the burnt sugar cube.

For Mixologists: In Cocktails and Frappes

(Photo: Distilleries Provence/Absente Absinthe/Instagram)

Because of its complicated flavors, absinthe makes for an excellent addition to many cocktails cocktail. A lot of the cocktails that feature this herbaceous spirit are classics, like the Sazerac, which features an absinthe rinse for added complexity. Yet, perhaps one of the most popular absinthe cocktails is a classic that was derived by the author Ernest Hemingway — Death in the Afternoon. This simple cocktail dates back to the 1930s, and it involves absinthe and champagne. If you’re looking to try this cocktail, the recipe can be accessed here.

A relatively simple way to enjoy absinthe in a cocktail is to partake in an absinthe frappe. If you like herbaceous flavors and mint, an absinthe frappe might be right up your alley. We recommend using Imbibe’s recipe, which calls for absinthe, simple syrup, soda water mint leaves and a lemon wedge. As far as absinthes go, we recommend using Absente Absinthe, which you can find reviews for here.

For Stripped Down Sipping: With Root Beer?

Absinthe and root beer are so popular that some distillery created a ready-to-drink version. (Photo: The Heart Distillery)

Root beer and absinthe are something of an insider’s drink in bartending circles, per Punch. This simple riff on a highball contains two ingredients: absinthe and root beer, and is nicknamed the “Root of All Evil.” The outlet reports that it’s important to keep a one to two ratio of absinthe to root beer and pick a really solid root beer if you choose to partake.

This combination is so popular that Zach Weakland, the head distiller of Heart Distillery in Windsor, Colorado, launched a canned version of it for the ready-to-drink space: “Green Fairy Root Beer.” These four-pack cans contain 9.25% ABV and are available in 4-packs in the state of Colorado.

“It sounds weird, but it’s really good,” Weakland said, according to Punch.