Have you ever heard of the odd spirit known as absinthe? Perhaps you’ve seen it on liquor store shelves and wondered what it was and maybe even why it has such an odd, green color. Well, today we’ll answer all of your questions (including what is absinthe?) about absinthe and Absinthe Day. Let’s dive in and get you some answers about this odd-looking beverage.

What Is Absinthe?

So, what is absinthe? Absinthe, like other distilled spirits, is a great cocktail ingredient with a potent flavor profile. It’s generally a high ABV profile – more on that below. Traditional absinthe is also a strange, green color and was made popular by the French.

Fun Fact: Absinthe is often referred to as “la fée verte” or the green fairy due to its natural, green color and high potency.

What Does Absinthe Taste Like?

If you’ve never tried absinthe before, it can be a bit intimidating to take your first sip. Most people either love this spirit or detest it – it depends on how much you like the flavor of anise and fennel, characteristically “licorice” flavors.

Is it a Spirit or a Liqueur?

Liqueurs are bottled with sweeteners included, and absinthe does not have sweeteners added to it. Therefore, absinthe is technically a spirit. This spirit is also usually bottled at higher ABV percentages and is diluted before consumption.

What Is Absinthe Made From?

Now, let’s take a look at another question: what is absinthe made of? Absinthe is made much like gin is, with botanicals being mashed into a base, clear distillate from any original source prior to a re-distillation process. For absinthe, those botanicals include anise, fennel, and wormwood. Additional botanicals may be added and ingredients will vary from one brand to another. 

Traditional absinthe was distilled from white grape spirits, also called “eau de vie,” while other, lesser forms of early absinthe were distilled from grain, beet, or potato alcohol products. Further distillation is performed to enhance the flavor profile and eliminate broader flavors that would complicate the final product. 

Why Is Absinthe Green?

Absinthe leaves the stills clear and is usually colored with some type of coloring additive, whether natural or artificial. Natural coloring will typically come from a final incorporation of herbs that releases natural chlorophyll. For this reason, naturally-colored absinthes will usually be more complex in flavor and of higher quality.

When Is Absinthe Day?

Absinthe Day is on the fifth of March, every year. In 2023, Absinthe Day falls on a Sunday, and in 2024 on a Tuesday. 2025’s Absinthe Day will fall on a Wednesday, and in 2026, it’ll be on a Thursday. It won’t be until 2027 that Absinthe Day will fall on a Friday – the perfect day to drink plenty of absinthe cocktails!

What’s the History of Absinthe?

“What difference is there between a glass of absinthe and a sunset?” – Oscar Wilde, Irish poet

As far as we can tell, absinthe first showed up in Neuchâtel, Switzerland in the late 1700s. Some sources suggest that it was created by Pierre Ordinaire, a French doctor. It became incredibly popular in France in the 1800 and 1900s, especially among creatives in Paris. 

Absinthe tended to elicit strong opinions throughout history, having been opposed strongly by prohibitionists and conservatives. This is, in part, due to its false accusations of being a hallucinogen. However, that isn’t the full picture: the nail in absinthe’s coffin came when Swiss father and husband, Jean Lanfray, murdered his whole family, having purportedly had too much absinthe to drink that night.

We now know that Mr. Lanfray had had around sixteen alcoholic beverages (one of which was mixed into coffee) prior to his absinthe glasses. There’s no way to prove that absinthe was solely to blame, and luckily, absinthe made a comeback, beginning in the late 1900s. Today, absinthe may not be the most popular spirit, but it has a place on the shelves of bartenders across the country.

Fun Fact:  Ernest Hemingway, Pablo Picasso, Vincent van Gogh, and Edgar Allan Poe were allegedly absinthe aficionados.

Is Absinthe Hallucinogenic?

There is a small percentage of thujone in absinthe, but it’s present in very small quantities. Thujone has several forms which act on GABA (a neurotransmitter in the brain responsible for “slowing down” the brain’s processing speed) to reduce its effectiveness. This can delay the feelings associated with drinking alcohol and make you feel “less intoxicated.” However, the interference that thujone provides can also contribute to mood-elevating effects.

Thujone is found in many different plants, naturally, including wormwood (which is used in the creation of absinthe). So, is absinthe hallucinogenic? Not technically!

Fun Fact: Absinthe was banned in the United States around 1915 due to its alleged “psychoactive” properties.

What Is the ABV of Absinthe?

Keeping in mind how thujone impacts GABA receptiveness in the brain, absinthe is a very strong alcohol. Bottle percentages range from 45-74% (90-148 proof) in the United States. Most people don’t drink absinthe straight from the bottle; they either water it down over ice or serve it up in a cocktail.

What Is Absinthe Used For?

Nowadays, absinthe is just a fun spirit or cocktail ingredient that you can find pretty much anywhere. However, its unique history makes for a fun story; in fact, it’s suspected that absinthe was originally created as a type of “medicinal beverage.”

Fun Fact: Wine or spirits soaked in wormwood (absinthion) were used in ancient Greece to treat rheumatism, jaundice, anemia, menstrual cramps, and even labor pains.

Three Cocktails to Mix Up With Absinthe on Absinthe Day:

If you’re looking for some fun cocktails (with even better names) to try on Absinthe Day, enjoy these delicious picks – responsibly, of course!

The “Death in the Afternoon” Cocktail

You’ll find this cocktail in the book So Red the Nose, or Breath in the Afternoon, a book full of cocktail recipes designed by thirty different authors of the time. And, the instructions for the drink are fantastic:

“Pour one jigger absinthe into a Champagne glass. Add iced Champagne until it attains the proper opalescent milkiness. Drink three to five of these slowly.” – Earnest Hemingway

We, of course, recommend being responsible with this drink, especially since it’s a high ABV! Modern-day measurements for this drink would be as follows:

• 1 ½ oz absinthe
• 4 ½ oz chilled Champagne

The “Corpse Reviver #2” Cocktail

Another cocktail with an amazing name, this is the sister to the Corpse Reviver #1 (a martini-style cocktail). These drinks were popular in the late 1800s for resolving hangovers and giving the drinker a morning boost! Though, nowadays, morning drinking is fairly frowned upon, of course.

Recipe

Rinse a glass with absinthe and discard the excess. Add ¾ oz dry gin, ¾ oz Lillet blanc, ¾ oz orange liqueur, and ¾ oz lemon juice into a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake until well-chilled, then strain into your rinsed absinthe glass.

The “Third Degree” Cocktail

This drink goes back to at least the 1930s, and it’s plenty strong for kicking off an evening of fun.

Recipe

Stir 1 ½ oz dry gin, ¾ oz vermouth, and 1 tsp absinthe with ice, then pour into a martini or another shallow glass.

Distillery Nearby: Your Source for Finding Local Spirits, Like absinthe

If you’re looking for local spirits to try out for Absinthe Day, check out our “by state” listings, where you can find distilleries near you. You can even filter local distilleries by what types of spirits they offer! So, find some absinthe, mix up a cocktail, and raise a glass to “the green fairy!”