After yesterday’s "green" QoD we turn today to another, but very different type of green, namely absinthe, a.k.a. "The Green Fairy" and "Le Tourment Vert" (Green Torment).
For those unfamiliar with it, absinthe is a potent (55 to 75 percent Alcohol By Volume, which equates to 110 to 144 proof) aniseed-flavored liquor originally from Switzerland, which became very popular in France during La Belle Époque, with famous advocates including Toulouse Lautrec (who stored it in a hollow walking cane, like a hip flask) and Vincent Van Gogh, whose characteristic painting style has been suggested to be the result of deteriorating eyesight caused by an excess of absinthe and whose infamous ear-cutting incident was used as anti-absinthe propaganda. Famous contemporary fans include Johnny Depp, Leonardo DiCaprio, Eminem, Trent Reznor, and Marilyn Manson, who even has his own "Mansinthe" brand.
Blamed for social decay, decadence, criminality, and all manner of other evils, absinthe was widely banned in the early 20th century, with the prohibitionists claiming that wormwood – one of the many herbal ingredients that produces a toxic chemical compound called thujone – had hallucinatory effects and drove people insane. The drink had been illegal in the U.S. for ninety-two years when the ban was lifted in December, 2007.
A number of Las Vegas properties jumped at the opportunity to introduce this controversial beverage and today it can be found all over the city. In addition to its scandalous reputation, part of the attraction of absinthe is the ritual that goes with it. Served traditionally, the pale green liquor is poured into a glass atop of which a perforated silver "absinthe spoon" is placed. A cube of sugar is then placed on the spoon and iced distilled water is dripped or drizzled over it from a glass fountain. The sugar solution takes the bitter bite out of the herbal elixir and results in the absinthe "louche" – transformation to a cloudy opalescent white.
The Palms was one of the first properties to offer absinthe and still serves it property-wide, including poolside. Liquidity at Luxor was another early advocate and continues to serve it traditionally tableside for $300 (bottle service only).
Surprisingly, a call to Paris revealed that no bar there serves absinthe (we would have thought Paris was its natural home here) but there are plenty of other places that do. We don't pretend that this list is exhaustive, but it should give you a variety of options.
