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Warm and Fuzzy Green Spirit
The once banned herb-based beverage, Absinthe, is once again en vogue!
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Stories are much more interesting when they involve a speckled past; maybe a few run-ins with the law or perhaps a prank or two. Like the U.S.’s rum-running during the prohibition of the ‘20s and ‘30s, the infamous star known as absinthe has finally made a resurgence here in the states. Its convoluted and mysterious history (embellished by famous writers and painters including Mark Twain, Oscar Wilde, Ernest Hemingway, Picasso and of course van Gogh, who all documented the powerful affects of “la fée verte” [the Green Fairy] in their work) is most notably expressed in Aleister Crowley’s lyrical essay, “Absinthe: The Green Goddess.”
After being banned for nearly a decade, the highly alcoholic drink made popular during the Victorian age is resurfacing in the U.S. Although legal for the past two years, it hasn’t been until recently that the unique glow-in-the-dark green drink has been the guest of honor at downtown parties. Bottled without added sugar, absinthe clocks in at 136 proof, much higher than other liquors, like vodka, rum and bourbon, which average 40% alcohol or 80 proof.
At a recent soiree at Collective Hardware on Bowery, “The Convergence of Art Culture and Pernod Absinthe” came together. Brimming with coolness, fashion and with tables displaying chilled water in beautiful pourers to make-your-own, the invite-only “Histoire Vertes” party captured the current spirit of New York. Young, fashionable creative types mixed with colorfully dressed artsy people. Live models interacted with the crowd while posing with a glass of the celebrated drink of the evening, Pernod, the “Creator of Absinthe!” The dimly lit two-level space separated only by a large staircase added allure to the party, as did the chocolate covered bacon and music by the Ting Tings.
It was a Monday night so I dissolved my own sugar lump into a tall cocktail glass and let the New York feeling take me. I didn’t do any writing that evening, but as Pernod suggests, “Take your time, the slower the better.”