Green Fairy, Meet America

Rejoice, ye Hemingway wannabes, Van Gogh lovers and frat boys who studied abroad!

Absinthe–also known as the “Green Fairy”–has been banned in America and most of Europe since the early 20th century, after a hearty run of bad publicity that included Degas’ “L’Absinthe” painting and Zola’s damning description of absinthe-intoxicated folk in “L’Assommoir.”

But no longer.

In less than a month, Lucid Absinthe Superieure, a grand wormwood-based absinthe, will be available for purchase in the United States. From what we can glean from Grub Street’s report and the official website, the people behind Lucid have convinced The Powers That Be (the U.S. Alcohol-Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau) that their American version of the famed booze is safe to drink. A full list of frequently asked questions about Lucid’s specifications is available here, including a strong proclamation of its non-hallucinogenic nature.

Yet, in the tradition of grande wormwood absinthe (not to be confused with southern wormwood), Lucid’s version retains the high alcohol content. Its 124-proof content is more than 50% higher than most whiskeys. Sounds like just the thing for San Francisco Cocktail Week.

Absinthe Feels So Good When It Hits the U.S. Market [Grub St]
Lucid Absinthe Superieure [Official Site]
Absinthe [Wikipedia]

Green Fairy, Meet America