General Articles and Editorials

What you see here is everything you need to enjoy absinthe in the traditional manner: fine absinthe, a glass, an absinthe spoon, sugar, and a carafe full of ice-cold water. Note: Under no circumstances should fire have any part in absinthe preparation.  This is a pointless innovation created in the late 1990’s and promoted by […]

Choosing Your First Absinthe – Caveat Emptor! Probably the most frequently asked question by newcomers is “What should I buy for my first absinthe?” If you’re new to absinthe, it’s hard to know where to start.  With hundreds of inferior and spurious absinthes using clever marketing, extravagant claims, and alluring labels, the better brands are often […]

A brief news item about the return of absinthe. Gwydion Stone interviewed.

American absinthe fans discover local “green fairy” Fri Aug 1, 2008 12:29pm EDT PORTLAND, Oregon (Reuters Life!) – The tiny Portland distillery Integrity Spirits has put its sought-after craft vodka and gin on the back burner to brew up something in high demand these days: absinthe. Other distillers are also scrambling to fill orders as […]

Absinthe emerges from the shadows Absinthe emerges from the shadows The iconic liquor favored by artists outlives stigmas By Douglas Brown The Denver Post Article Launched: 07/23/2008 12:30:00 AM MDT The Viking guy — red beard, large — opened a plump sack, reached his freckled hand inside, and scooped up a bunch of twigs and yellow-gray […]

Tourist in a taste lab – taste research A fascinating account of the genetic science behind why some people abhor sugar in their absinthe, and why others can’t drink it without. THE BRAIN IS THE MASTERMIND OF FLAVOR BUT TONGUES ARE WHERE IT STARTS-AND SOME ARE FAR MORE SENSITIVE THAN OTHERS. A GROUP OF US, […]

Absinthe Books, Music, DVDs Mixologist: Journal of the American Cocktail Volume Two This volume contains articles by Wormwood Society founder, Hiram, as well as Wormwood Society members, DrinkBoy, and Dr. Cocktail. The second volume of Mixologist: The Journal of the American Cocktail features works by noted cocktail authorities Christine Sismondo, Robert Hess, Gary Regan, LeNell Smothers, […]

Crazy for absinthe The potent green-hued liqueur pours back into the U.S. after a long ban is lifted By Louisa Chu – SPECIAL TO THE TRIBUNE After an absence of nearly 100 years, absinthe is back — with a vengeance. The lifting of the U.S. ban, which dates to 1912, has opened a floodgate. Four […]

Interview with Wormwood Society founder, Gwydion Stone.

Absinthium: a nineteenth-century drug of abuse College of Pharmacy, University of Kentucky. Lexington, Kentucky 40506 (U.S.A.) / (Received May 12,1980; accepted February 28, 1981) The 1850s and 1860s in France have been described as a “gilded age”. “It was a parvenu period: get rich quick, show off, enjoy. Gamblers, profiteers, and demimondaines held the center […]

Absinthe: what’s your poison? Published in the British Medical Journal Though absinthe is intriguing, it is alcohol in general we should worry about. Absinthe, the emerald green liqueur associated with excess, is back in business. Having been banned in many countries in the early 20th century, its newly fashionable image, combined with global purchasing opportunities […]

The Illness of Vincent van Gogh Published in The American Journal of Psychiatry, April 2002 Abstract Vincent van Gogh (1853–1890) had an eccentric personality and unstable moods, suffered from recurrent psychotic episodes during the last 2 years of his extraordinary life, and committed suicide at the age of 37. Despite limited evidence, well over 150 […]

The Truth About Thujone, groundbreaking 2002 article by Ian Hutton, demonstrating that pre-ban absinthe had low levels of thujone concentration.

The alcoholic beverage absinthe is recently experiencing a revival after a yearlong prohibition. This review article provides  information on

An interesting and humorous introduction to absinthe. “Live” absinthe tastings, personality interviews, historical discussion and more.