Absinthe

March holds green within its days. St. Patricks day is just one of them and like many I am hoping that we will start seeing more green grass, bushes and trees. Another green day is today March 5th and National Absinthe Day.

Absinthe is a strong drink that is normally 100 to 160 proof and has been infused with botanicals. Switzerland offers this drink that must contain two types of wormwood both grande and Roman, anise seed, sweet fennel, lemon balm and hyssop. The green color of this drink occurs naturally.

Absinthe is not a drink to be enjoyed by all. The burn it offers is strong which is why it is not normally drank straight. The drink is normally diluted with water and sweetened with sugar cube. The anise seed offers the flavor of licorice. 

Until 2007 Absinthe was banned from the United States. To celebrate March 5th was designated Absinthe day. Created in the mid 1700s by a doctor Switzerland to give patients with digestive problems. French writers and artists in the 1800s began to enjoy Absinthe as a drink. Absinthe did not last long in the United States where it was banned because of a chemical in the drink known as thujone. Thujone can affect the central nervous system and cause convulsions. The drink can kill brain, kidney and liver cells as well. The chemical in the drink landed it on the list of dangerous drugs. This did not stop those who would enjoy the drink in secret.

Time would tell and the drink would be allowed to be sold and drank in the U.S. again. The affect of the chemical was overstated as absinthe only contains a tiny amount of the dangerous chemical. The bans started to be released in the 1990s and by the year 2007 the U.S. started to allow the sale again.

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