The first known example of
wormwood being used as a tonic.
Dr. Pierre Ordinaire develops the first recipe that resembles what would be known as authentic absinthe. Because of its greenish tint and the way the oils ‘dance’ in the glass as water is added, it became known as La Fée Verte (The Green Fairy). He subsequently shared his recipes with the Henriod sisters who began producing absinthe on a small scale.
he Henriod sisters sell their recipe to Frenchman Major Dubied. Later that same year, the Major’s daughter married Henri-Louis Pernod. Pernod, who along with the Major and his son Marcellin, began to build the first commercial distillery to produce absinthe. And in 1798, the factory began producing absinthe under the name Dubied Père et Fils.
soldiers in Northern Africa were provided rations of absinthe to help purify their drinking water and help prevent water borne illnesses as well as malaria. The high alcohol content also served as a very good antiseptic for wound care. Soldiers returning from the war brought back with them their taste for absinthe, helping lead to a surge in popularity.
1900
1905
Jean Lanfrey – the absinthe murders in Switzerland leading to a petition to ban absinthe signed by 80,000 citizens (half of whom were women, who didn’t even have voting rights yet – shows how important this measure was)
1905 – 1915
1908 – Referendum in Switzerland to ban absinthe was submitted; 1910 – Swiss absinthe ban begins; 1912 – US absinthe ban begins – widely viewed as a ‘dry run’ for Prohibition laws; 1915 – French Absinthe Ban begins
1992
Dr. Wilfred Arnold hypothesized in a flawed study that absinthe contained 300mg/l of thujone setting the stage for thujone mania.
1990s
Eastern European producers began marketing low quality product called ‘absinth’ that bore little to no resemblance to authentic absinthe from the Belle Epoque. The introduction of the fire ritual during this time also created a false ‘tradition’ of absinthe preparation.
2000 & 2001
The movie Road Trip portrays absinthe as a hallucinogen, relying on the false advertising from the 90s to create some poetic license. This grabs the attention of thrill seekers and partiers alike. 2001 – The movie From Hell further the misinformation of lighting absinthe on fire, and even adding laudanum to the preparation, neither of which are historically accurate. Moulin Rouge which came out the same year, portrays Kylie Minogue as ‘the green fairy’ – an hallucination brought about by drinking absinthe.
2007
Due to tireless efforts debunking the popular image of absinthe being a drug and/or an hallucinogen by representatives of two brands in particular – Kubler and Lucid, absinthe is once again legalized in the United States. Read about those efforts here, in our interview with notable scientist, historian, and absinthe producer, Ted Breaux.
