Absinthe is perhaps the most misunderstood alcoholic beverage. It has a complex history as a spirit and an aperitif going back over 200 years.

The key ingredient that gives absinthe its name (artemisia absinthium), used as a herbal remedy for all kinds of ailments, dates back as far as mankind first using plants as medicine. Absinthe also carries with it a degree of notoriety and myth.

You may have heard the rumours and wondered: Is it evil? Is it dangerous? Is it hallucinogenic? Is it toxic? Does it drive people mad? Does it make people go blind? Did it make Van Gogh cut his ear off? The answers to those questions are in this book. At the height of its popularity in the 1880s, 36 million litres per year were being drunk in France alone.

It inspired generations of artists, writers, musicians, and composers in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, during an age of flourishing arts and optimism, that later became known as La Belle Époque (the beautiful era), with which absinthe is strongly associated. Find out about what absinthe is made of and what are the correct ways to prepare and drink it.

Read about the spirit of the times in which it reached its peak of popularity, and what happened after it was banned. Become a budding absintheur, and know what to look for when buying absinthe, and what paraphernalia you need to prepare it.

Because of the Swiss-French history of Absinthe, a common toast when drinking in company is ‘santé!’ (literally ‘health’ or ‘to good health’). In this spirit, the reader is advised to please drink responsibly, well, and in style.

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