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I’ve been curious about the beverage known as absinthe. It was the legendary tipple of pseudointellectual elites in first half of the 20th century. These Lost Generation souls would hang out at the absinthe dives of Paris or maybe New Orleans to contemplate and pontificate. They drank ritualistically, carefully filtering the bitter green liquid through sugar in a special spoon as it dripped into an icy glass. The result of imbibing was said to yield an extremely clear state of inebriation; perfect for artists and writers and the like. However, as the movements for prohibition grew, absinthe was especially vilified, and was largely banned or suppressed.

In recent years, there has been something of a revival of absinthe in Europe. With the lifting of bans, many brands have appeared, although prices are high. In the United States, absinthe resides in a grey zone: It’s legal to possess but illegal to sell. As a practical matter, expensive bottles can be ordered from overseas.

There remains much mystery about what made absinthe magical. It is derived from several herbs, including wormwood; thus it included a trace of the psychoactive drug thujone. Although the actual numbers aren’t known, some researchers believe there simply wasn’t enough thujone in absinthe to account for its strange reputation. Possibly there was a mysterious synergy between the various herbs. Or perhaps the special effect was largely a mass illusion; a product of elaborate environments and luminary enthusiasts.

I suppose the only way to know for sure is to try the stuff. As I said, it’s available but overpriced. I’d give it a try if I could buy a bottle from the American heartland. But as a matter of principle, I’m not willing to send my hard-earned money to Europe Peons for an overpriced luxury.

Alternatively, there are “absinthe kits” to be had. These involve soaking a collection of herbs in a bottle of Everclear (a high-proof vodka) and later filtering out the sludge. The results are questionable; some people claim to enjoy the stuff, but others sneer, and liken the effort to mixing grape juice with vodka and claiming you’ve made fine wine.

Here’s an interesting article, The Return of the Green Faerie, describing one man’s experience with modern absinthe. Don’t take this as the final word on the subject; as with all questions of taste and subjective experience, every opinion can and will be argued endlessly.