There are many myths surrounding the fabled drink containing wormwood. Just as gin is said to make one melancholy, Absinthe has inspired tales of the green fairy, hallucinogenic experiences and inducing unparalleled creativity. Van Gogh was a fan, as were Manet, Toulouse-Lautrec, Picasso and Hemmingway. Absinthe has been the choice of drink for bohemian thinkers for over 200 years; this may be attributed just as much to its reputation as it is to the actual effect of the drink. This is a brief review of my experiences with the fabled beverage.

Popular culture heralds absinthe as a vivid green drink that has the potential to be both a poison and an aphrodisiac. It gets this reputation from one of the active ingredients known as Thujone, which was once though responsible for creating hallucinations and delirium. In reality this is simply not true as Thujone works on a different set of receptors in the brain, and in reality is present in only small amounts in Absinthe.

In addition to this, Absinthe actually starts off as a clear drink, the colour is added after the distillation, and the green colour comes from natural plant pigments hence the tales of green fairies associated with the drink. It was more than likely the artificial colourings and other adulterants added to cheap derivatives of the drink during the 19th century that led to the ill effects associated with the drink, and traditional colourings are harmless.

The traditional way to prepare the drink is by pouring one jigger into a special glass, then placing a cube of sugar on a slotted spoon and dipping it in the measure to allow the sugar to be infused. Resting the cube and spoon on top of the glass, a specialised dripper is used to drip water over the cube and into the Absinthe until it is cloudy and slightly diluted. I found this method of preparation produced a euphoric state with heightened clarity, unlike other alcoholic beverages which tend to produce a somewhat hazy experience.

Another Absinthe favourite is an aptly named Earthquake. This is made my mixing equal parts absinthe and cognac. I had the fortune to share several of these drinks with a dear friend who was also into photography, and almost true to the myths that surround the drink, we were inspired to create a whole body of work and spent an entire evening embracing the clarity and creativity produced by the concoction.

However, we did not experience any hallucinations, did not see any fairies, green or blue, did not have any seizures, and by all intents and purposes were not delirious. To us it seemed that Absinthe is just another type of alcohol that has a different effect to any other. It must be stressed however, that it is an incredibly strong drink, and as with all alcohol must be consumed responsibly and only by adults of legal drinking age.