Absinthe is a highly alcoholic anise-flavored spirit distilled with green anise, sweet fennel and the herb Artemisia absinthium, commonly known as wormwood, from which it takes its name. It developed in Switzerland in the late eighteenth century and became enormously popular in France in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, especially among Parisian artists, poets and writers, who nicknamed it the Green Fairy. Fears that its wormwood-derived compound thujone caused hallucinations, addiction and mental illness led to bans across much of Europe and the United States in the early twentieth century, restrictions later shown to rest on exaggerated toxicity claims. Most of those bans were lifted by the early 2000s, and absinthe is again legally produced and sold in most countries.
Facts
Partially Attested
Origin Period, From (Year)source gives circa 1792, the exact date varies by account Origin Region Connections
Expresses Tradition
Uses Ingredient
In the Other Atlases
- Also in Geography Atlas: Switzerland, originated there.
Sources
1. Absinthe - Wikipedia
Lead section
Absinthe was created in the canton of Neuchatel in Switzerland in the late 18th century by the French physician Pierre Ordinaire.
History section
According to popular legend, it began as an all-purpose patent remedy created by Dr. Pierre Ordinaire, a French doctor living in Couvet, Switzerland, around 1792 (the exact date varies by account).
View the SourceFrequently Asked Questions
Where was absinthe first created?
In the canton of Neuchatel, Switzerland, in the late eighteenth century.
Absinthe was created in the canton of Neuchatel in Switzerland in the late eighteenth century, traditionally credited to the French physician Pierre Ordinaire.
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