Absinthe – what's that?

Absinthe – invented by a herbwoman in Val-de-Travers, Switzerland, at the end of the 18th century – had initially been promoted by a medical doctor as a universal remedy and aphrodisiac with fabulous effects on all kinds of diseases and inconveniences.

As a stimulant Absinthe used to be the legendary muse of artists and poets, beloved in the circles of dandys and bohemians, and during the times of the 'Belle Epoque' the cafés in the larger French cities could hardly be imagined without it.

Adored by some as the Green Goddess, for others Absinthe represented but the harbinger of world's end. Many reasons were brought forward which finally led to the prohibition of Absinthe.

Today, however, Absinthe is legal again, and there is a wide range of different varieties of this high-proof spirit which is traditionally made from wormwood (Vermouth, artemisia absinthium) and other officinal herbs, particularly green aniseed and fennel.

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