A French doctor named Pierre Ordinaire invented absinthe at the end of the eighteenth century.  He invented it by distilling wormwood and several other herbs into an alcoholic base.  At the time it was considered a viable remedy for patients with various ailments. It was very addictive.

Although it contains special properties that other alcoholic drinks do not, absinthe contains an extremely high amount of alcohol.  Most spirits contain approximately forty percent alcohol.  Absinthe can contain anywhere from fifty to seventy percent alcohol.  Therefore, although you should enjoy any absinthe experience you have to the fullest, make sure you enjoy it responsibly and do not attempt to drive a car after spending an extended amount of time with the Green Fairy.

The French, in the 19^th century, originally gave absinthe the nickname La Fee Verte, which the English later translated into the Green Fairy. The mystic, Aleister Crowley gave absinthe the nickname Green Goddess, while many artists and poets coined the name Green Muse.

In 2000, scientists studied the effects of the wormwood herb on the human brain.  The study was conducted by a variety of researchers at Berkeley, the University of California and Northwestern University Medical School in Chicago.  After extensive research, the scientists found that wormwood (along with other components of absinthe) cause “CNS cholinergic receptor binding activity.”  In laymen’s terms, absinthe actually improves the cognitive functions of the brain!