{"id":487,"date":"2025-03-29T09:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-03-29T10:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.merlinscove.com\/?p=487"},"modified":"2025-04-13T08:02:39","modified_gmt":"2025-04-13T08:02:39","slug":"the-green-fairy-is-back-welcome-to-the-absinthe-renaissance","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.merlinscove.com\/index.php\/2025\/03\/29\/the-green-fairy-is-back-welcome-to-the-absinthe-renaissance\/","title":{"rendered":"The green fairy is back \u2014\u00a0welcome to the absinthe renaissance"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Green drinks are in for Spring (Picture: Metro)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

SHOPPING \u2013 Contains affiliated content. Products featured in this Metro article are selected by our shopping writers. If you make a purchase using links on this page, Metro.co.uk will earn an affiliate commission. Click here<\/a> for more information.<\/em><\/p>\n

I hope my parents aren\u2019t reading this, but I used to get deeply trolleyed on absinthe<\/a> during my year abroad in Spain<\/a>.<\/p>\n

My friends and I would basically take over a bar called \u2018La Chupiteria\u2019, dedicated to shots<\/a>, and order a round of \u2018absentas\u2019<\/a> to kick off the evening. Our ritual involved shooting a shot of the green fairy, white-knuckling the bar, placing our heads between our knees in the brace position until we\u2019d recovered. Then, doing it all over again.<\/p>\n

But, enough about my wayward youth. I\u2019ve grown up since then and now have an entirely new and mature relationship with absinthe, after many years of estrangement. Just in time for the renaissance of the drink, might I add.<\/p>\n

Back in the day, and by that I mean mid-19th<\/sup> century Belle Epoque, absinthe was the spirit of choice amongst Bohemian Paris<\/a>, from Baudelaire, Oscar Wilde to Toulouse Lautrec. Hemmingway drank it with Champagne – a cocktail <\/a>known as Death in the Afternoon – while Vincent cut off his ear while he was on the stuff. So you can see why it was banned in France<\/a> for the last 100 years.<\/p>\n

What is absinthe?<\/h2>\n

It\u2019s a green-hued spirit created in Switzerland<\/a> in 1700, made from grand wormwood, anise, fennel and a bunch of other, undisclosed herbs<\/a>. Like so many of these lethally strong, but delicious \u2018drinktures\u2019, they started out as medicinal elixirs to cure stomach ailments. Similar story for Chartreuse.<\/p>\n

Absinthe\u2019s popularity grew in Paris<\/a> to the point where 5pm was called \u2018l\u2019heur verte\u2019, which means \u2018the green hour\u2019. Just as quickly, it faced the wrath of cancel culture from a \u2018moral panic\u2019 at the end of the century France, blamed for the \u2018social ills\u2019 of the country and banned there until 2011. Not only there, but Switzerland, France, Belgium, Netherlands and the United States.<\/a><\/p>\n

Why was it banished though? Because wormwood contains a neurotoxin called thujone, but then, so does sage. In excess, thujone has been linked to fits, hallucinations and psychosis, and this is what was fixated on. The powers that be separated it from alcoholism, giving it the name \u2018absinthism\u2019, even linking it to notoriously gruesome crimes.<\/p>\n

Nowadays, the hallucinogenic effects of grand wormwood, aka artemisia absinthium, are thought to have been overstated. It\u2019s basically impossible on the allowed minute dosage of 35 parts per million. Sure, in the past people used to go doolally on the green stuff, but that is now thought to have more to do with its incredibly high alcohol content. We\u2019re talking, teetering on the brink of 74% abv in some bottles. You would die of alcohol poisoning many times over before succumbing to thujone toxicity.<\/p>\n

On a lighter note, absinthe has found its mojo again, featured as the headliner on cocktail lists, bringing an element of danger with it wherever it goes. The new absinthe menu at Hotel Caf\u00e9 Royal takes authenticity to an almost immersive experience level, Belle Epoque glass urn, sugar lumps and all. Then there\u2019s the Absinthe Parlour in East London and Blondies in Clapton selling \u2018absinthe slushies\u2019.<\/p>\n

Producers are experimenting with barrel-aged version and even Cr\u00e8me d\u2019Absinthe which is more like a liqueur, is less formidable and has the potential to draw new drinkers into the category.<\/p>\n

Then, there\u2019s green, herbal tinctures like Chartreuse and Cr\u00e8me de Menthe that are gathering momentum and guaranteed to give you the green light to experiment with your cocktails at home. <\/p>\n

And here are some ways to do just that…<\/p>\n

Absinthe on the rocks<\/h2>\n

Devil\u2019s Botany Absinthe Regalis, \u00a354.95, devilsbotany.com<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

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Enjoy this on the rocks (Picture: Devil’s Botany)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

This is the first absinthe distillery in the UK, and it’s in East London, obvs. The founders haven\u2019t just revived absinthe (reference to the Corpse Reviver cocktail, see what I did there?), they\u2019ve reimagined it. This is the grande dame of absinthes, made with the infamous trinity of grand wormwood, green anise and fennel seed, along with host of botanicals found growing wild across Britain. The anise notes are offset by earthy coriander seed, fresh dill, caraway seed and lemon thyme notes. Delicious, and the best bit, it ‘louches’ (becomes cloudy) on contact with water. <\/p>\n

Sip an \u2018Absentini\u2019<\/h2>\n

Devil\u2019s Botany London Absinthe, \u00a338, threshers.co.uk<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

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Cheers to an Absentini (Picture: Threshers)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

They’ve made this in the style of a London Dry gin, plus, they also make a London dry gin. Produced specifically for cocktails, this clean, colourless absinthe cleverly doesn’t cloud on contact with other liquids. The anise profile is super subtle here, in fact you get more of a blossomy noseful thanks to locally-grown meadowsweet and elderflower. Try it instead of gin or vodka, with dry vermouth in an Absentini. <\/p>\n

Serve it neat<\/h2>\n

Devil\u2019s Botany Chocolate Absinthe Liqueur, \u00a327.25, thewhiskyexchange.com<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

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You can serve this drink neat (Picture: The Whisky Exchange)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

I have to tell you that this is delicious. We all know that mint and chocolate go together as flavour profiles, but so too does aniseed and chocolate. They blend the finest cacao with their absinthe distillate, giving seriously moreish mint chocolate flavours with hints of liquorice. You could even try this in an Espresso Martini for ultra decadence. <\/p>\n

Make a very boozy hot chocolate<\/h2>\n

Chartreuse Green Liqueur, \u00a359.95, masterofmalt.com<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

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<\/strong>An iconic drink (Pictures: Masters of Malt)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

This iconic\/notorious drink has been flavoured with extracts of 132 plants, so its almost part of your five-a-day. Famously produced by Carthusian monks, with only two brothers at a time privy to the recipe. The chlorophyll in the plants gives it its Grinch-coloured hue, and it’s so deeply herbaceous as to taste medicinal. If you’ve ever been skiing, you’ll know that it’s a staple in hot chocolates slope-side for a reason (it’s 55% alcohol).<\/p>\n

Enjoy a Mint Choc Chip Martini<\/h2>\n

Tempus Fugit Cr\u00e8me de Menthe Glaciale, \u00a332.95, <\/strong>thewhiskyexchange.com<\/a><\/p>\n

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The perfect mint and chocolate combo (Picture: The Whisky Exchange)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Hands up, who associates Cr\u00e8me de Menthe with the sticky green bottle at the back of you parents\u2019 drinks cupboard? So, more power to Tempus Fugit spirits for de-naffing said liqueur, and doing so as authentically as they could. Having cross-referenced manuals in three languages, they found out that it\u2019s a complex spirit that can\u2019t be made just from mint. Pour 50ml Baileys, 15ml Cr\u00e8me de Menthe, 75ml half half (milk\/cream) into a shaker with ice, shake and pour into a coupe glass, garnish with fresh mint with mint-chocolate grated over it. Voila, the Mint Chocolate Chip Martini.<\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\t\tLooking for more drinks content?\t\t\t<\/h2>\n
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If you count yourself a purveyor of the finer things in life, Metro\u2019s Drinks Column is where you need to be.<\/p>\n

Immerse yourself in the world of good drink, fronted by industry expert Rob Buckhaven \u2013 a place for readers to whet their whistle with the latest and greatest in the world of drinks. From unpacking the best supermarket wines<\/a> from Aldi, Tesco and Lidl, to introducing audiences to the wallet-friendly Cremant out-bubbling the fanciest of French Champagnes<\/a> (or the best wines to drink after sex<\/a>), and finding out what it\u2019s like to go on a bar crawl with Jason Momoa,<\/a> this is a haven for those who love to celebrate.<\/p>\n

Stay ahead of the curve<\/a> as Rob plucks from the vines the wines of the season and the spirits you need to know about; speaking with experts and mixologists while unpacking the latest concoctions, finding the best non-alcoholic options<\/a> for those looking to moderate, discovering the best food pairings for your drops, and going up against the latest TikTok chatter to demystify the liquid landscape.<\/p>\n

Can you really make cheap vodka taste expensive by putting it through a Brita filter?<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

What happens when you put wine in a blender?<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

And, truly, how <\/a><\/em>should<\/em><\/a><\/strong>\u200b we be storing our wine?<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Read More.<\/a><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

Do you have a story to share?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Get in touch by emailing MetroLifestyleTeam@Metro.co.uk<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Green drinks are in for Spring (Picture: Metro) SHOPPING \u2013 Contains affiliated content. Products featured in this Metro article are selected by our shopping writers. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":489,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-487","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-food"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.merlinscove.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/487","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.merlinscove.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.merlinscove.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.merlinscove.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.merlinscove.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=487"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"http:\/\/www.merlinscove.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/487\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":496,"href":"http:\/\/www.merlinscove.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/487\/revisions\/496"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.merlinscove.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/489"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.merlinscove.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=487"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.merlinscove.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=487"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.merlinscove.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=487"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}