It was the spirit of choice for history’s most bohemian creatives, from Oscar Wilde to Vincent van Gogh, popular during the belle époque for its high alcoholic content and supposedly mind-altering effects.
Absinthe, known as the “green fairy”, was banned by French officials in 1915 for almost 100 years. But now it is enjoying a resurgence in popularity in the UK, with numerous new brands launching their versions and market research predicting that sales could reach £35m by 2026.
Traditional recipes – using wormwood, anise and fennel – are being revived by makers in France and Switzerland, where the drink was invented.
Mixologist Ryan Chetiyawardana, known professionally as Mr Lyan, who runs bars in Europe, the UK and the US, said: “The absinthe boom is definitely happening all over. Bartenders have been very keen to revive it and showcase how important a part of a cocktail cabinet it is.”
His award-winning London establishment Lyaness serves the “safety frappe”, a cocktail made from shiso absinthe, Hendrick’s gin, mint, anise and peach wine. “As absinthe carries so much mystique, it’s a great product to demonstrate how, with care, it can transform drinks,” he said.
Max Venning, who runs the Three Sheets bars in London’s Soho and Dalston with his brother Noel, has also found that customers have a new appetite for absinthe. Their venues’ cocktail menu features the “sazzaquack”, which has rooibos-infused lemon absinthe as one of its ingredients.
Venning said: “People are always looking for new things, and it’s great to see customers embracing the dry anise spirits – including absinthe, pastis and raki. The strong flavour can be a lot, but when used in the right quantities, it adds a great depth to drinks.”
The hallucinogenic effects of the spirit, which can be about 70% alcohol, were likely overstated, but the revival at the turn of the 21st century – spurred by changes in EU laws on beverages – played into that mythology.
Brands were sold on their high alcohol volume, and bars followed the old serving ritual – using an ornate spoon to pour the drink through a sugar cube. The Czech ritual of setting fire to the sugar also became popular.
The green fairy even made an appearance in the 2001 film Moulin Rouge , played in a memorable cameo by Kylie Minogue.
Jared Brown, co-founder of the Sipsmith distillery and co-author of A Most Noble Water: Revisiting the Origins of English Gin, remembers the era well. “The absinthe fountain was this generation’s lava lamp,” he said. “Every bar had one. It ate up a bunch of space but never sold many drinks because this is not something that anyone wants to have a glass of, much less two or three. It’s an intense flavour.
“People drink a couple of martinis in an evening. They have two or three manhattans, daiquiris or gin and tonics, because the flavour satiation level is such that on finishing one, it can seem a good idea to have one more. The satiation level of absinthe is somewhere toward the middle of the first glass.”
This time, absinthe is finding success on the cocktail menu. “A few dashes can drastically shift the flavour of anything from a martini to a mojito – often in very unexpected ways,” said Chetiyawardana.
Even alcohol-free absinthe is proving popular, as drinkers look for a great taste. Liis Tuur, founder and chief executive of European drinks brand Kosk, said its non-alcoholic version has been a surprise success.
“Its unique, complex flavour has inspired a variety of recipes. Customers like its health appeal, too. Wormwood, known for its stomach-soothing properties, has attracted a growing following.”
Venning said: “There’s a lot of myth and mystique around this drink. I don’t think you’ll find yourself seeing the green fairy with modern absinthes – it may have been the quality of the production that sent people loopy. But there are some great products on the market – just drink sensibly, like with any spirit.”
