Absinthe: History in a Bottle

Absinthe: History in a Bottle
by Barnaby Conrad [394.13 qCon]

Absinthe, a highly addictive liqueur, which in literature is also known as "la fee verte" (the green fairy) is chronicled in this readable and lavishly illustrated book. The art works are by such luminaries as Manet, van Gogh, Degas, Picasso, and Lautrec, all of which feature the distinctive green drink. The book also contains a discussion of many literary figures who were devotees of the green fairy. Some of the writers and artists are: Charles Baudelaire, Arthur Rimbaud, Toulouse Lautrec, Mondigliani, Vincent van Gogh, Oscar Wilde, and Aleister Crowley. A serious absintheur adds water to the liqueur slowly, pouring it over a sugar cube in an elaborate slotted spoon. Absinthe turns a milky greenish color when the water is added. The drink is made from wormwood, a bitter herb sometimes used as an insect repellent. (Vermouth is also made from wormwood.) Serious drinkers experienced hallucinations and convulsions; the liqueur was soon banned in most of Europe and the United States. Absinthe experience a revival in the 1990s, since it had never been banned in Great Britain. -- recommended by Rianne S. - Bennett Martin Public Library

[ Wikipedia article on Absinthe ] | [ official Barnaby Conrad web site ]

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