The 7 Best Absinthes to Drink Right Now
The history of absinthe is long and rich, and contains just enough mythology and controversy to keep things interesting. The Green Fairy, as it was once known, is typically a high-proof spirit that is flavored with botanicals, the most prominent of which are anise, fennel, and Artemisia absinthium—more commonly known as wormwood. While its roots can be traced back to Switzerland, absinthe was hugely popular in France in the early 20th century. Noted writers and artists were famously fans of this sweet, potent, licorice-flavored drink, including Hemingway, Rimbaud, and Baudelaire.
Absinthe gained a reputation as having dangerous hallucinogenic and psychoactive properties, although that has since been disproven (the likely culprit was just drinking way too much). Still, absinthe made with wormwood was banned in the U.S. from 1912 until 2007—officials cited the presence of the chemical thujone, which occurs naturally in wormwood, as being unsafe (current TTB guidelines allow up to 10ppm of thujone in absinthe).
Today, there are many different absinthe brands to try, including ones based on old French recipes and more modern versions produced by American craft distilleries. Here are the seven best absinthes to buy now.
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