Press: Absinthe and its artifacts

Magazine Antiques: Absinthe and its artifacts: "The green fairy. The green goddess. The green muse. The parrot. Melted emeralds. Ambrosial poison. These are just some of the metaphors that have been used for absinthe--that green-colored, bitter-tasting, anise-flavored, high-alcohol liqueur that was the 'national drink' of France during la belle epoque. This was the period from the end of the Franco-Prussian War to the beginning of World War I, during which Western Europe experienced relative peace, and both the arts and industry flourished. Absinthe drinking was the inspiration for many literary and visual works of art, and it spawned a huge agricultural and manufacturing industry. But its health and social effects were anything but beautiful. Outlawed in France in 1915 and still not legally consumed there today, (1) absinthe left behind a fascinating story as well as a trail of unique artifacts (now termed absinthiana) that in recent years have become highly collectible."