sign in sign up
<<
Home , Absente, Absinthe, Acorus calamus, Anisette, Bourbon Street, Herbsaint

The Guide to

Written by Laura Bellucci First Edition , 2019 Printing by JS Makkos Design by Julia Sevin Special Thanks

Ray Bordelon, Historian

Ted Breaux Jessica Leigh JS Makkos Alan Moss and all the other -eyed misfits with a passion for our project

Contents

History of The Old Absinthe House ...... 5

Absinthe ...... 19

Absinthe and The Belle Époque ...... 29

Holy Herbs ...... 31

1 2 Le Poison

Le vin sait revêtir le plus sordide bouge decks the most sordid shack D'un luxe miraculeux, In gaudy luxury, Et fait surgir plus d'un portique fabuleux Conjures more than one fabulous portal Dans l'or de sa vapeur rouge, In the gold of its red vapour, Comme un soleil couchant dans un ciel Like a sun setting in a nebulous sky . nébuleux. That which has no limits, with is L'opium agrandit ce qui n'a pas de yet more vast, bornes, It reels out the infinite longer still, Allonge l'illimité, Sinks depths of time and sensual delight . Approfondit le temps, creuse la volupté, Opium pours in doleful pleasures Et de plaisirs noirs et mornes That fill the soul beyond its capacity . Remplit l'âme au delà de sa capacité. So much for all that, it is not worth the Tout cela ne vaut pas le poison qui poison découle Contained in your eyes, your green eyes, De tes yeux, de tes yeux verts, They are lakes where my soul shivers and Lacs où mon âme tremble et se voit à sees itself overturned . l'envers... My dreams crowd in Mes songes viennent en foule To quench these bitter gulfs . Pour se désaltérer à ces gouffres amers. So much for all that, it cannot surpass Tout cela ne vaut pas le terrible prodige the terrible wonder De ta salive qui mord, Of your saliva that bites, Qui plonge dans l'oubli mon âme sans It plunges my remorseless soul into remords, oblivion . Et charriant le vertige, And rolls in like waves of vertigo, La roule défaillante aux rives de la mort! Faltering, on the shores of death!

3

THE HISTORY OF THE Old Absinthe House

1805 – 1911 The Juncadellas, Jacinto Aleix,

ew Orleans holds a strong connection to absinthe . The Old Absinthe N House is one of New Orleans’ most prominent historical landmarks . It has been visited, written about,and and memorialized the Ferrers by many famous writers . The Old Absinthe House was built in 1806 . It was owned by Pedro Font and Francisco Juncadella, Catalans from Barcelona, and operated as a sundries store and warehouse for the goods that furnished their other stores . Juncadella died in 1820 and, shortly after, Pedro Font returned to and entrusted the prop- erty to be run by Juncadella’s nephews: Jacinto, Leopold, and P .O . Aleix . It was then a grocery or commission house for the trade of items such as Spanish , tobac-

5 co, and clothing . Jacinto renovated the building in 1835 and acquired the building’s first in 1843: it operated as a saloon called “Aleix’s House ”. Jacinto’s sons, Leopold and Eduardo, were leasing a at the French Opera House from 1865-68 in New Orleans . Here it is probable that they met the famous , Cayetano Ferrer . Ferrer started in Algiers as a grocer, then worked at a sawmill, then was conscripted into military service for a year . Ferrer had honed his craft in the Catalan region of Spain, where absinthe was all the rage, and when he immigrated to America, he brought his for the beverage with him . He also helped introduce the practice of serving Dripped Absinthe Francoise, or a slow water drip over a cub to louche the glass of absinthe . Jacinto Aleix passed away in 1861, but it appears that his wife Maria took over running the business in his stead . She made a very significant contribution to the Old Absinthe House . On July 31, 1871, there exists a bill of sale signed by Maria for the contents of a café . We see that the widow Aleix buys, from Mr . Louis Izard, a saloon keeper, the contents of a café located at Bourbon & Conti for $2,250 . The receipt includes furniture, movables, four cases of absinthe along with other liquor stock, glass lighting fixtures, mirrors, clock, fountains, and a billiards table (which she sells to a man in Jefferson a year later for $900) . We believe that this is the record for the acquisition of our historic marble drip fountains . Even the earliest photographs of the fountains show pitting in their bases, which leads us to another important inference: before our fountains were used to drip water over sugar cubes into absinthe, they were probably were used to serve mineral water in a café . Though fountains of this style have never been document- ed for use for absinthe service, they were often used at soda fountains, as early as the 1850s . Originally, our fountains had spigots on all four sides, which means they were probably placed in a central location where customers of the establish- ment could access them freely . The pitting in their bases is likely from the miner- als and chemicals in the mineral water itself . By 1869, the Jacinto Family had hired Cayetano Ferrer . By 1872, he had taken over the lease of 238 Bourbon Street . He employed his family members to help him, including his brother Leon and his sons Felix, Paul, and Jacinto . Two years later, Cayetano changed the building’s name to the Old Absinthe Room and final- ly, in 1890, it was known as the Old Absinthe House . The establishment housed historic marble absinthe fountains adorning a long cypress bar .

6 Absinthe House had become famous if not legendary . It was the home of the Absinthe Frappé, concocted by Cayetano Ferrer, and popularized in song by Glen MacDonough . He included it in the popular musical, It Happened in Nordland:

When life seems gray and dark the dawn and you are blue, There is they say on such a morn one thing to do. Rise up and ring, a bell-boy will call to you straight-way, And bid him bring a cold and tall absinthe frappé! It will free you first from the burning thirst That is born of a night of the Like a sun ’twill rise through the inky skies That so heavily hang o’er your soul. At the first cool sip on your fevered lip You determine to live through the day, Life’s again worth while as with dawning smile You imbibe your absinthe frappé! The deed is done so waste no woe o’er yesterteen. Nor swear to shun a year or so the festive scene. Remorse will pass despair will fade with speed away Before a glass of rightly made absinthe frappé!

In 1886, Cayetano Ferrer passed away, and his wife Marguerite and sons took over the business . Leon passed away in 1898, and Marguerite passed away in 1892, leaving her sons to continue Ferrer’s legacy . The Ferrer family ownership seems to have been blighted by bankruptcy in 1902 . A disconcerting article appeared in newspapers in 1902 . “The old Absinthe House…has gone into bankruptcy by petition of Felix Ferrer” (Alexandria Gazette, 31 Oct . 1902) . But records show that Ferrers continued to run the establishment to 1914 .

7 8 1914 – 1926

n 1914, six years before his death, Felix sold the contents of the bar to a I colorful man named Pierre Cazebonne . In 1917, Cazebonne went into business with Arnaud Cazenave The. Cazebonne Era Cazenave was a flamboyant French-born wine merchant who, finding New Orleans to his fancy in 1902, decided to make it home . Cazenave can be credited to bringing to Bourbon Street . By 1917, he had established a French café in the Old Absinthe House . In 1918, he expanded into a larger space diagonal- ly across Bourbon on Bienville Street . This is today’s Arnaud’s . Absinthe was banned in America in 1912, but the bar remained in business by turning into a restaurant . The Old Absinthe House survived the banning of absinthe by switching to from 1934 to 2007, and our guest books from the 1940s proudly began featuring the slogan “We serve HERBSAINT when AB- SINTHE is called for ”. A report from Dr . Wiley, head of the Pure Food Board declaring absinthe to be “one of the worst enemies of man” (The Omaha Daily Bee, 15 Dec . 1911) spelled doom for the demonized elixir . Since the late 1800s, authorities in had bat- tled with the national enthusiasm for absinthe drinking . Sensational stories from France of the deaths of famous authors and artists and mild-men-turned-murder- ers from absinthe drinking regularly surfaced in American newspapers . “It acts like the draught from the opium smoker’s pipe or the sensation from the needle of the morphine user” (The Call, 6 Aug . 1908) . Inevitably, in 1912, following Dr . Wiley’s report, newspapers carried the story that the importation of absinthe and its transportation between states would be banned . Dates were given variously as October 1, 1912 or January 1, 1913 . The sale of existing stocks would not be affected . Yet in 1916, is found

9 seated in the Old Absinthe House “sipping the second glass of that ‘fascinating but subtle poison’” (Crowley, “Absinthe: The Green Goddess,” The International, Feb . 1918) . At the bar, he wrote this beautiful description:

There is a corner of the which [time] has overlooked. It lies in New Orleans, between Canal Street and Esplanade Avenue; the for its base. Thence it reaches northward to a most curious desert land, where is a cemetery lovely beyond dreams. Its walls low and whitewashed, within which straggles a wilderness of strange and fantastic tombs; and hard by is that great city of brothels which is so cynically mirthful a neighbor…Art is the soul of life and the Old Absinthe House is heart and soul of the old quarter of New Orleans.

In 1912, a paper reported that the “old French Absinthe House is soon to be only a memory…closed by order of the government” (Bossier Banner, 14 Nov . 1912) . On January 23, 1913, The Omaha Daily Bee gleefully crowed that “the national law prohibiting the importation of absinthe has put out of business the famous Absinthe House ”. The Herald, more regretfully, also acknowl- edged its passing (The Washington Herald, 21 Feb . 1913) . But the business was not dead yet . And it even survived the of 1915 with minimal damage . According to newspaper reports, Pierre Cazebonne leased Absinthe House in 1918 . We have his in our guest ledgers as the “Pro- prietor ”. When came on January 16, 1920, the game was up for many saloons in New Orleans . A few days later, a journalist wrote that “the Vieux Carre is languishing to-day, dying slowly of inanition, of thirst ”. The Sazer- ac and the Gem were closed, as was the bar of Henry C . Ramos where you could get “a …a goblet of sublimated whipped with a kick in it ”. And many had thought that the Old Absinthe House, with absinthe the most hated of demon liquor, would be among the first to go . Yet somehow it was surviving as a soft parlor “feebly bidding for trade on the strength of its wicked past” (New York Tribune, 8 Feb . 1920) . Plans were made to destroy the building at the beginning of prohibition, as a symbolic end to the reign of in 1920 . In 1921, it was trading as The Old Absinthe House Restaurant with Louis Chevalier, a famous French chef, as the

10 proprietor . He was presumably leasing from Cazebonne . It was also advertised as a dance hall, where the of Paradise Orchestra would play . The fervor for prohibition in the United States was growing into a frenzy, and before the doors to the Old Absinthe House were closed and locked in 1926, Caze- bonne had purchased a soda shop at 400 Bourbon . In that same year, Jacinto tried to sell the fountains and the bar to the Vieux Carré Association for historical pres- ervation, before realizing that Felix had already sold them to Cazebonne in 1914 . A lawsuit ensued, and Cazebonne produced the bill of sale to prove his ownership . By 1928, Cazebonne had arranged to have the legendary bar and fountains moved to 400 Bourbon and put on display . In 1936, three years after the fervor of prohibition had ended, Cazebonne converted 400 Bourbon to a saloon that bragged that it housed “the Original Absinthe House Bar,” infringing upon the original establishment’s famed name . Cayetano’s son Felix moved with bar and bartended for Cazebonne for many years . The fountains and bar were not returned to their original site at 240 Bourbon street until 2004 . The Old Absinthe House remained standing, but went through several changes in proprietors . In 1929, The Old Absinthe House Restaurant was a mainstay of the Vieux Carré, offering “night club entertainment…in the back rooms after dark ”. Mary Lee Kelley was leasing the building, operating the downstairs as a room . It ap- pears that this could have been a . In 1933, John Marchese was operating “The Original Absinthe House & Garden” in the building .

11 12 1943 – 1962

n 1943, The Old Absinthe House Restaurant (which was also a French Restau- I rant) was leased by OwenThe Brennan, Brennan’s a member of Era the Brennan family, now fa- mous in New Orleans for opening Brennan’s and Commander’s Palace . Deter- mined to do well for himself, Owen became well known throughout the city as an incredible host to his customers . Ella Brennan, born in New Orleans during the Great Depression, had no for- mal training in the restaurant business . She was still a teenager when in 1943 she went to help run the Old Absinthe House . On her blog, in an entry titled “Meet the Grande Dame(s) of New Orleans,” Kara Newman captures Ella reminiscing:

“The Absinthe House,” she said, dreamily. “That’s where you’d go to have an Absinthe Frappé, and Absinthe Suisesse, at least four different absinthe drinks.” She had a job purchasing whiskey for the Absinthe House, although it was done on the down-low. “Women couldn’t work on Bourbon Street yet,” she said.

Spurred by a challenge from a friend, Brennan in July 1946 opened Owen Brennan’s French & Creole Restaurant, which became more commonly known as Brennan’s Vieux Carré, across the street from the Old Absinthe House . The St. Petersburg Times has an article on July 30, 1950 that includes an interview with Owen Brennan listed as the owner . He mentions a “secret room,” originally called an entresol, which was a room at the top of the stairs, or “the old family entrance where women entered the patio in the days before women won their freedom to front doors ”. Brennan converted the entresol level to a The

13 Secret Room museum, with dummy figures of historic pirates and antique guns and swords, and this became a major attraction for tourists visiting the restaurant . Brennan was focused on making major renovations to the building . He also had his interior decorator procure a third soda fountain, affixing a Napoleon stat- ue on top, as a tribute to the bar’s two original fountains . This antique currently resides on the bar at the Old Absinthe House . Entertainment was provided by “” Pichon, “a 300 lb piano player” who “beats out and boogie ”. Walter Gabriel, or “Fats,” was a well known New Orleans Jazz musician . He worked at the Absinthe House until 1960—and even released an album called Walter “Fats” Pichon at the Old Absinthe House . From 1959 to 1960, a show called Bourbon Street Beat (1959-60) starred An- drew Duggan and Richard Long as private detectives in New Orleans . They op- erated the agency Randolph and Calhoun Special Services on the second floor of The Old Absinthe House restaurant in the French Quarter .

14 1962 – 1997

ony Moran’s operated in the Old Absinthe House from the 1960s T until the late 1990s . The Morans have a colorful family history, beginning withTony their patriarch, Moran’s Diamond Jimand . The Moran Family “Diamond Jim” Moran earned his handle for his markedly glitzy style and his penchant for sticking diamonds in guests’ meatballs for press photos . He was liter- ally dripping in jewelry, with a gem encrusted walking cane and diamond studded shoes . Jim was surrounded by story and lore; He was very close friends with Huey P . Long, was arrested for running a speakeasy above his Chinese restaurant in the 1920s, and he was known to hobnob with many people of power and influence . By the time he entered the restaurant business, he had already gained much popular- ity in New Orleans . He was the kind of man:

…who would rate a chapter in any book about the great characters of New Orleans…A man who regularly walked with mobsters and politicians, call girls and show girls, movie stars and moguls; a kid who shined shoes on the street outside the restaurant he would one day own; and about whom it is said was instrumental in blocking a hit on Huey P. Long in the Roosevelt Hotel three years before the Kingfish was actually gunned down in Baton Rouge. (New Orleans Magazine, October 2006)

Diamond Jim had four sons, two of whom, Jimmy and Tony, gained notoriety as restaurateurs . Jimmy Brocato Moran Jr ,. became well known for his fettuccine alfredo . In 1958, when Diamond Jim Moran died, Jimmy took over La Louisiane . Three years later, Jimmy Moran went to to learn how to make fettuccine alfredo at Alfredo’s Restaurant, the establishment that created the dish . During

15 a six-month apprenticeship, he bought pasta-making machinery for La Louisiane, and returned to the French Quarter to teach his staff how to use it . In the 1970s, Jimmy’s restaurant empire expanded to include La Louisiane Restaurant, Moran’s Riverside Restaurant, Acme Oyster House and Jimmy Mo- ran Catering . Jimmy was given a plaque proclaiming him New Orleans’ “King of Fettuccine .” Born in 1922, Anthony “Tony” James Moran, was a well-known restaurateur in New Orleans for more than 60 years . As a youth, Tony began his career working in Diamond Jim’s many establishments . Tony became proprietor of the Old Ab- sinthe House after Diamond Jim passed away in 1958 . Throughout his long career, Tony owned and operated many well known dining establishments located in the Vieux Carré . Those included Jimmy Moran’s Restaurant, Diamond Jim’s Restaurant, Airline Catering, Moran’s La Louisiane, and the Acme Oyster and Seafood House . At 240 Bourbon Street, he owned Tony Moran’s Restaurant, Pasta E Vino Restaurant, and the historic Old Absinthe House Bar . In 2002, after working closely with the Moran family, and spending many years apprenticing at Italian restaurants throughout the French Quarter, Jober’t Salem was able to buy the lease at 240 Bourbon Street, the original building of the Old Absinthe House, from Tony and Jeannette Moran . They had observed his hard work over the years while they operated their three establishments in the Creole entresol at 240 Bourbon . They trusted their businesses would flourish under his leadership . Five years before, in 1997, Jober’t had acquired the business at 400 Bourbon street, and therefore he was finally able to return the historic cypress bar and marble fountains to their original home at 240 Bourbon, in the Old Absinthe House .

16 17 18 Absinthe: First Drops

bsinthe originated in the region of Neuchâtel, . The A credit for what we now know as one of the most infamous beverages be split between the Henriod sisters and the French Dr . Pierre Ordinaire . There is evidence that the Henriod sisters were making an -based cure-all as early as 1769, long before the arrived in Neuchâtel, but Ordinaire was the first to actively promote his elixir, La Fée Verte, in 1792 . Dr . Ordinaire had retreated from the French Revolution to settle in the small Swiss town of Couvet . The Wormwood , absinthium, flourished in the Val-de-Travers region, and had a long history as a curative plant, so it is natural that Ordinaire would use it in his homemade digestion remedies . It is speculated that Ordinaire’s recipe for absinthe included Wormwood, Anise, Hyssop, Dittany, Sweet Flag, Melissa, , Veronica, Chamomile, Parsley, and Hyssop . Legend has it that Ordinaire passed down his absinthe recipe on his deathbed to the Henriod sisters . They promoted that their special tonic could cure chills, fever, inflammation and low appetite . In 1797, Major Henri Dubied bought a from the sisters, and was so interested that he purchased their recipe from them . He sold it across the Val-de-Travers region and began selling it in Jura, a neighboring region in France . The same year, Dubied’s daughter Emilie married a man named Henri-Louis Pernod . Pernod, the father of the Pernod brand, opened his first absinthe distillery in Switzerland in 1805 . He then expanded his operation to Pontarlier, France .

19 20 Absinthe: On The Rise

n the 1840s, French soldiers were given absinthe as a field treatment for I malaria . It was believed that when mixed with wine or water, absinthe would kill dangerous microbes . The troops returned to France at an ideal moment for absinthe preparation to blossom—Mass production had drastically reduced the cost of making and distributing the elixir and the Troops now had a taste for this delightful . Due to the Great Blight—when a destructive aphid called phyl- loxera destroyed thousands of acres of across France—there was a mas- sive wine shortage in France during the latter half of the 19th century . This caused absinthe to expand into its role as France’s most fashionable and made the suffering French green with envy watching absinthe gain momentum . From 1885-1895, as the cost of absinthe fell relative to wine, absinthe’s consump- tion almost tripled in France . In French cafés, 5 p m. . become known as l’heure verte, or “the green hour,” a hip new “” where folks could gather at café tables around flowing foun- tains and partake in the opalescent liquid . By the turn of the century, absinthe was one of the most fashionable drinks in France . New Orleans came in second as the largest consumers of absinthe, just behind Paris . Charles Baudelaire, Paul Verlaine, , Henri de Toulouse-Lau- trec, , Oscar Wilde, and Aleister Crowley were all infamous absinthe drinkers . These artists were known for their chaotic lifestyles; struggles with , psychological problems, and promiscuity were all common for this erratic and emotional group . The sense of something unhinged and dan- gerous associated with these men began to bleed over to the reputation of what they consumed, namely absinthe .

21 By 1878, absinthe had gained a solid foothold in the United States . The Ab- sinthe Room (later renamed the Old Absinthe House) attracted a remarkable list of visitors, including presidents William Howard Taft and Theodore Roosevelt, , Walt Whitman, Aaron Burr, William Thackeray, Jenny Lind, and Oscar Wilde . More importantly, people were writing about it . In 1918, Aleister Crowley proclaimed: “Art is the soul of life and the Old Absinthe House is the heart and soul of the old quarter of New Orleans ”. Oscar Wilde asked, “What difference is there between a glass of absinthe and a sunset?”

22 ABSINTHE: The

here are several factors that contributed to the banning of ab- T sinthe . First, absinthe had a central and well-publicized role in the tumul- tuous lives of the artists of the Belle Époque . Second, absinthe was seemingly misqualified in medicine as a in a separate class than alcohol, the addiction to absinthe termed “absinthism ”. Third, powerful in sought to demonize the spirit with propaganda and reclaim their customer base after the devastation to their industry caused by . Dr . Valentin Magnan, a French psychologist, believed absinthe was uniquely responsible for what he believed was the decline of French Culture and was large- ly responsible for this classification . His clinical studies were often completed using pharmaceutical Wormwood extract, not absinthe . Although there is only a small bit of Wormwood in absinthe, concentrated Wormwood oil can be very toxic, and caused seizures and death in his animal test subjects . The symptoms of “absinthism” seem to more likely match the symptoms commonly associated with chronic or poisoning . Cheap were produced to cash in on the spirit’s rise in popularity . These knockoffs were often distilled improperly or contained unsafe chemicals to mimic the louching effect . They were very dangerous indeed, and some of ab- sinthe’s danger was attributed to these knockoff concoctions . The final turning point in absinthe’s sordid reputation occurred when a Swiss man, Jean Lanfray, murdered his pregnant wife and two children in a drunk- en rage . Though police later revealed that Lanfray was a heavy drinker—on the morning of the murders, he consumed a prolific amount and of booze (créme de menthe, , several liters of wine, and coffee with )—his ingestion of absinthe was singled out as the sole cause for his violent madness . The

23 wine industry, feeling pointedly vulnerable due to their struggles with phylloxera, united with the to single out absinthe as a “bad” alcohol, compared to more moderate spirits like beer and wine . The made national news and was printed in all major European news- papers . A panic had started, and by 1906, 82,450 people had signed a petition to ban absinthe in Switzerland . Rampant alcoholism among France’s workers, and shortfalls in its army due to general deterioration in health of recruits, became associated with their frequent consumption of absinthe . In 1912, the American senate voted for prohibition of “all the beverages containing ”. On August 16, 1914 French government tried to ban absinthe . By March 1915, both the sale and production of absinthe was outlawed in France .

24 Herbsaint:

When Absinthe is Called for…

ollowing Prohibition’s repeal in 1933, a New Orleans distiller F named J . Marion Legendre created an absinthe substitute he called Legen- dre Absinthe (despite its name, it contained no Wormwood) . Almost immediately, federal authorities demanded that Legendre change the name; he acquiesced, and began labeling the Legendre Herbsaint, which translates loosely as “holy herb ”. It was a name that sounded pure and virtuous . Except it wasn’t . The name Herbsaint was a play on the French pronunciation of absinthe, which is . Among ’s French-speaking population, herbe sainte was also the term for the plant known as Wormwood . The label on the Herbsaint bottle has always featured an image of the Old Absinthe House, a New Orleans institu- tion favored among absinthe drinkers, and Hendrickson says the current version of the Herbsaint label contains another sly tribute to the forbidden spirit . “Even though Herbsaint doesn’t have Wormwood in it, there are Wormwood on the modern label, which is another wink at absinthe,” he says . Legendre’s advertisements boasted Herbsaint was “always served when ab- sinthe is called for ”. The original Herbsaint was bottled at 120-proof, and its fla- vor—produced by a secret mix of botanicals with a strong anise note—was heady and complex, more robust than its French counterpart, Pernod . By the 1940s, Herbsaint was the favored absinthe substitute in New Orleans drinks . (In addition to Pernod, Legendre had as competitors two other New Orleans-based makers of absinthe substitutes: Solari, which made Greenopal; and Jung & Wulff, with Milky Way ). Bars served icy glasses of Herbsaint Frappé, and rinsed tumblers with Herbsaint to create New Orleans’ iconic Sazeracs . The was distributed nationwide .

25 26 ABSINTHE:

n 1988, the European Union lifted the ban on absinthe, and the early I 2000s saw the repeal of absinthe bans around the world . In 2005, Switzerland repealed its ban, at last makingResurrected absinthe legal in its of origin . In the United States, in 2007, absinthe historian Ted Breaux began his lengthy journey to convince the Alcohol and Tax and Trade Bureau to allow au- thentic absinthe to re-enter the United States . As a scientist Breaux dedicated almost two decades of research toward resolving the mysteries and myths associ- ated with absinthe . Via mass spectrometry, Breaux identified absinthe’s molecu- lar components, and confirmed that true pre-ban absinthe contains only minute quantities of thujone . Thujone is the toxin that was long thought to make absinthe consumption dangerous . Breaux said that the thujone levels in absinthe were so slight that he became convinced absinthe wasn’t so dangerous after all and that its banning was more the product of abolitionist zeal than science . He found that traditional pre-ban absinthes contained only five parts of thujone per million . Lucid, Ted Breaux’s first absinthe, contains ingredients that match those found in the absinthe famously favored by artists, writers and bohemians over a century ago . “Lucid is distilled with historically correct amounts of ,” Breaux said, using the scientific name for Grande Wormwood, a pri- mary ingredient in authentic absinthe . “Genuine absinthe can be made using ap- propriate quantities of [Artemisia absinthium], and you don’t end up with a product that can be demonstrated to have any deleterious properties other than alcohol ”. In an interview with Wired magazine, Breaux describes absinthe as an “herbal speedball…Some of the compounds are excitatory, some are . That’s the real reason artists liked it . Drink two or three glasses and you can feel the effects of the alcohol, but your mind stays clear—you can still work ”.

27 28 Absinthe and the Belle Époque

a Belle Époque was an era best characterized by the expression “joie de L vivre,” the exuberant enjoyment of life . “The Beautiful Era,” also referred to as the “Gilded Age” in the United States, lasted from the end of the Franco-Prussian War (1871) until the start of World War I (1914) . After decades of unrest, characterized by revolution and terror, and the Belle Époque signaled an improved standard of living for the upper and middle classes in Europe . The newly constructed Eiffel Tower emblematized hope and progress in a new world of possibilities . Georges-Eugène Haussmann’s redesign of Paris, com- plete with new boulevards, parks, and public works, was nearly realized . This was the beginning of a period of peace, prosperity, optimism, and rapid developments in science and in France . The industrial output of France nearly tripled during La Belle Époque . across the nation was improving by the use of the telegraph, tele- phone, and expanding railways . The age of the mass consumer was introduced to the French public due to mass production of goods and a rise in wages . Reveling in this newfound financial confidence, the Parisian bourgeoisie flaunted their wealth with opulent fashions and extravagant dinners . enchanted the European dining scene, mostly due to the posh atmosphere and “ritzy” clientele of the Hôtel Ritz Paris, where Chef Auguste Escoffier modernized French haute cuisine and worked hard to spread its reputation abroad . was perfected during this era . Artistic expression erupted in France . Iconic , such as the Mou- lin Rouge in Paris, fed the demand for risqué and decadent entertainment, and

29 boundaries of decorum were pushed even further by those seeking a more Bohemi- an lifestyle . The impressionist movement, led by Monet, Renoir, and Sisley in the 1870s and ’80s, promoted increased flexibility in artistic mediums, leading to an inevitable flux of creativity in literature, , music and the birth of Art Nou- veau . Absinthe was cited by many Art artists as a muse and inspiration . The Art Nouveau movement sprung from the Académie des Beaux-Arts, fo- cusing on the natural forms of flowers and plants, emphasizing curved lines over straight . Architects, artists, and writers focused on harmonizing with the natural environment . The post-impressionist movement, the symbolist movement, and the early modernist movement began to take root during this time . Early cubist and abstract works were exhibited . Literary realism and naturalism became the new standard in writing . Symbolist thrived . The , with its concentration on “art for art’s ,” took hold of Paris . Artists strived for indulgence—in substance, in aesthetics, and emo- tion . This movement was marked by bizarre visual forms, the pursuit of beauty and eroticism, and a fascination with the grotesque . Decadence distressed those who cherished “traditional” norms and values . This sharp turn away from conven- tion and morality bred extreme fear of a society teetering on the edge of decline and decay . Artists became interested in capturing the interplay of joy and sadness found in the exquisite chaos of a decadent life . The timeline of absinthe’s rise and fall bleeds deeply into the Belle Époque . Absinthe culture in Paris was on the rise for most of the 1800s, and absinthe was a favorite of the Decadents . Folks crowded into cafés and bistros for l’heure verte, or the Green Hour, to sip this new and mysterious elixir that involved such ritual preparation . Bohemians exalted its intellectual benefits in art and literature, and drank themselves nearly to death on this high proof . While fashionable in the early and mid 1800s, Absinthe began to decline in reputation by the century’s end . The chaos and immorality that saturated the lives of absinthe drinkers earned the drink a dark reputation . Scandal followed this dram wherever it was found, and on the dawn of the 20th century, many social or- ganizations were calling for a full ban of this “dangerous” spirit . In 1915, just one year after the end of the Belle Époque, absinthe production was banned in France .

30 Absinthe: The Holy Herbs

Main Herbs

31 32 Wormwood

he Wormwood plant is a bitter perennial shrub with a silver-sage hue . T She is a member of the family , in the genus Artemisia, which in- cludes 500 of aromatic herbs and shrubs, such as her sisters, tarragon and sagebrush . She has a pungent, mentholated bitterness . The word “absinthe” most likely comes from the Greek word apsinthion, which means “undrinkable,” because of the bitterness of the wormwood leaf . The story of Artemisia is woven into the fabric of many cultures . Her roots can be traced as far back as the Egyptian dynasty of 1600 B C. E. ,. when Worm- wood was used as a tonic for cramps, fevers, dysentery and anemia . Wormwood is referenced several times in the Bible: she is that plant that grew along the path that the evil serpent slithered from the Garden of Eden . In Rome during the first century C E. ,. it was customary for the victors in chariot races to drink a draft of Wormwood leaves infused into wine as a reminder that even the of conquest had a bitter side . Doctors and herbalists incorporated Wormwood into many remedies . Galen, the famous Greek physician, prescribed her to treat viruses . Nicholas Culpeper, an English herbalist, recommended her for choler and rat bites . The medicinal uses can be traced to Wormwood’s bitter flavor . Simply put, bitterness stimulates digestion . We have evolved to find bitter flavor off-putting because bitterness can indicate that a plant may be toxic . The accelerated digestion of bitter compounds is an evolutionary response to protect us from ingesting spoiled foods, toxic plants, and poisons . This mechanism, called

33 the “bitter reflex,” works because our taste receptors trigger a release to hormones involved in digestion and metabolism . Research shows that activating these recep- tors in the gut triggers the intestines to release enzymes and bile that are essential for breaking down food and that speed up movement of food through the gastro- intestinal system . Bitter foods also stimulate the liver to produce bile, which is an important part of optimal digestion . Non-toxic plants also evolved bitterness as a defense mechanism so they would be mistaken for toxic and avoid being eaten . There are different kinds of Wormwood . Grand Wormwood (Artemisia ab- sinthium) is the most commonly used in absinthe . Roman Wormwood (Artemisia pontica) and Mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris) are also seen in some absinthe recipes . In the , Mugwort was associated with St . John the Baptist, who wore a belt of Mugwort during the time he spent in the wilderness . Mugwort is also one of the nine sacred herbs mentioned in the Lacnunga manuscript, a collection of medical texts and prayers written by the Anglo-Saxons, and is often burned at the beginning of Northern Shamanic rituals .

34 Anise

he name “Anise” is derived via Old French from the word, anisum, T or Greek, ánison, and she is one of the oldest cultivated for medicine, starting as early as 1500 B C. E. . in Egypt . Anise is native to the eastern Mediter- ranean region, Southeast Asia, and Egypt . Her roots and leaves are edible, but her seeds are most commonly used . In Biblical times, Anise was so valuable that she was used as a currency for offerings and payment of taxes in Palestine; she is mentioned in the Bible, in a directive to “pay tithe of Mint and Anise ”. She maintained her prestige well after these times, and in the 14th century, taxes from the import of Anise to England were used to fund the London Bridge . Pliny, the Roman generalist, reported that anise mixed with wine was used by the Egyptians to treat asp bites, and that when she was mixed with cucumber seeds and , the result was a mixture that dispelled childbirth-related vertigo . Anise oil works well as an insect deterrent . Anise has widely been used as a digestive aid . The Romans ate Anise-spiced cake, known as mustaceoe, after meals as a digestif . American Indians called her “Tut-te See-Hau,” meaning “it expels the wind,” to celebrate her carminative prop- erties . In the Middle Ages, John Gerarde, a famous herbalist, recommended the use of Anise to aid a stomach . It is common to chew Anise seeds after meals in parts of Europe, the Middle East and . During the Civil War era, Anise was used in antiseptics .

35

ennel (Foeniculum vulgare) is a in the carrot family . The F foliage, bulb, and seeds of the plant are commonly harvested for use in baking and . Originally, Fennel grew around the Mediterranean, but because of her popularity and hardy nature, she now grows all over the world . Fennel has sizable presence in mythology . The root of her name comes from the Latin feniculum, which, in Italian, is finocchio . The Greek name for Fennel is marathon or marathos, Marathon literally means “a place full of ”. It is believed that the town of Marathon was originally named so because of an abun- dance of Fennel plants growing in the area . This town was the site of the battle of Marathon in 490 B C. E. ,. in which the Athenian army defeated the Persians, despite the fact that the Athenians were heavily outnumbered . Legend has it that Pheidippides, a Greek herald at the battle, was sent running from Marathon to Athens to announce the victory, inspiring the marathon running race we think of today . In Greek mythology, the Titan Prometheus stole fire from the workshop on Mount Olympus, concealing it in a hollowed out Fennel stalk, and then gave the fire to mankind to help him in life’s struggle . Fennel has a long cultural history spanning a multitude of cuisines, but she is also used in spiritual and medicinal practice . In the Middle Ages, Fennel was used to ward off evil spirits . People hung sacks of Fennel leaves over their doors and packed Fennel seeds into keyholes to keep ghosts and ghouls at bay . She is believed in India to improve eyesight, ease coughs, and improve breast milk . The emperor Charlemagne made great declarations of the plant’s healing properties and insisted

36 that she be grown in imperial gardens . In early American History, Fennel also played a role: the Puritans chewed her seeds to stay alert and curb hunger during lengthy church services and meetings . In the Lacnunga, Fennel is one of the nine sacred herbs used in charms against many forms of evil, from to sorcerers to insanity .

37 Enhancing Herbs

Angelica

ngelica () is related to Parsley and Dill, and is a A member of the family Apiaceae (carrot family) . She is also related to Poison Hemlock . She grows best in Northern regions and is native to . Her flavor profile is comparable to Juniper . In floriography (the language of flowers), her bright, starburst flowers sym- bolize inspiration, and in spiritualism she signifies protection and healing . Her roots are also known as Holy Ghost Root, Archangel Root, and Dong Quai . The name archangelica comes from the Greek arkhangelos, meaning archangel . This is due to the belief that one of the archangels revealed her healing properties to hu- manity and inspired her use in medicine as a cure for smallpox and the plague . The Iroquois tribe sprinkled Angelica tea in their homes to quiet ghosts, and mixed her leaves into Kinnikinnick, a ceremonial botanical blend, to promote good health

38 during their smudging rituals and ceremonies . In the African-American folk tradition, a whole Angelica root is placed in a bag with a mix of Marshmallow root, Flax seed and buds, and placed near an infant’s crib for protection . In medicine, she can treat indigestion, act as an expectorant, and increase appetite through stimulation of the salivary glands . The herbalist John Gerarde proclaimed: “The root of garden Angelica is a singular remedy against poison, and against the plague, and all infections taken by evil and corrupt air” (The Herball or Generall Historie of Plantes, 1597) . Her seeds and dried roots are used to flavor spirits, , and baked goods all over the world . She is a star player in the Italian liqueur Strega . In Scandinavia, the Sámi people fashion a musical instrument called a Fadno from her reeds .

39 Calamus

corus calamus, also called Sweet Flag, is a species of herbaceous A perennial in the Acoraceae family, similar to the Iris . The generic name, , which is derived from the Greek áchórou and comes from the word kóri, meaning pupil, because of the from the root of the plant was used as a remedy for diseases of the eye . The word Calamus comes from the Greek word kálamos, meaning “reed ”. She is semi-aquatic, and has a ginger-like root structure . Calamus has a bitter, spicy flavor . Her oil has been traded for many centuries to treat mild ailments, as an additive in , and as a flavoring agent in pipe tobacco . She has been infused into wine, and was thought to be one of the more secret ingredients in absinthe . Her oils were used to perfume churches during rushbearing ceremonies in the Middle Ages . In modern Egypt, she is used as a perfume and aphrodisiac . It is thought that chemicals in Calamus cause muscle relaxation and sleepi- ness, and her healing properties have been showcased for centuries in Chinese and Indian medicine . She has been used to treat indigestion, dysentery, inflammation, ADHD, and anxiety . According to Ayurvedic tradition, where she is called Vacha, meaning “speaking” in , she is a “sattvic” herb that helps improve alertness and stimulates self-expression . For the Penobscot Tribal Nation, the root of Cala- mus holds much significance and is chewed to ward off sickness .

40 Chamomile

hamomile is one of the most ancient medicinal herbs . Her name comes C from the Greek word, khamaimēlon, meaning “apple on the ground” because of her apple-like smell . The Spanish call her , or “little apple ”. She adds a crisp aroma and flavor to absinthe . She is a calming plant, and has long been used in folk medicine, , cosmetics, and aromatherapy . Chamomile is also a disinfectant and anti-inflammatory agent . There are several species of Chamomile and two of them, Roman and Ger- man, have been referenced as “True Chamomile” because they have similar medic- inal applications and appearances . Roman Chamomile (Chamaemelum nobile) is a perennial plant with daisy-like flowers from the family Asteraceae native to eastern Europe and . Due to her flavonoid content, Roman Chamomile has been found to have a significant relaxant effect . Chamomile has been appreciated as a digestive relaxant . German Chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla) is an annual of Cham- omile native to Western Europe that is more commonly used in rituals . Ancient Egyptians believed her to be sacred to the sun god Ra and used her oils to anoint the body in rituals of honor . The Egyptians also used her to treat malaria . She was another one of the nine sacred herbs mentioned in the Lacnunga, a collection of medical texts and prayers written by the Anglo-Saxons . She is associated with Baldr, the Nordic God of light, because of her white blossom and soothing prop- erties . Asclepius, the god of healing, was closely associated with German Chamomile .

41 Coriander

oriander (Coriandrum sativum), also known as Chinese Parsley, is an an- C nual herb in the family Apiaceae . In the United States, we refer to the leaves of the plant as the herb Cilantro (the Spanish translation) and to the seeds as the Coriander . The word “Coriander” derives from the Old French coriandre, which comes from Latin coriandrum, in turn from Ancient Greek: koriannon . The word koris (bed bug), is at the root of koriannon, due to Pliny the Elder’s descrip- tion of her odor as akin to that of bed bugs . About 15% of the population is genet- ically predisposed to find the smell and taste of her leaves off-putting and soapy . Coriander has long history, stretching back to 5000 B .C .E . She was cultivated by the Egyptians and Hebrews as early as 1550 B C. E. . Her seeds were recovered from the tomb of Tutankhamen . The Chinese have used her leaves in cooking for hundreds of years, and also believed in her medicinal and supposed aphrodisiacal qualities . She is mentioned in the Bible: manna is described as being “like a Co- riander seed, white” ( 16:31) . Coriander was one of the first plants culti- vated by the American colonists in their gardens . In more contemporary culture, Coriander features prominently into the secret recipe that yields the flavor profile for Coca Cola . Medical studies have found that Coriander extract can produce an- ti-anxiety effects and is useful in the management of neurodegenerative diseases . The seeds have a lemon-lime flavor when crushed due to , linalool, and pinene present in the plant oils . The seeds are popular in Indian and are a prevalent ingredient in distilled spirits such as , apertifs, , and, of course, absinthes .

42 Elecampane

lecampane (Inula helenium), also called horse-heal or elfdock, is a wide- E spread plant species in the sunflower family Asteraceae . Her name, helenium, derives from Helen of Troy; this plant was said to have sprung up where Helen’s tears fell as she was kidnapped from her home . The Russian name for Elecampane is de-via-sil which means “nine ” or di-vasil which means “magic powers ”. Elecampane has a pungent, bitter, and forceful flavor . Pliny prescribed her as both a medicine and a condiment . She is recognized for her capacity to fortify and support the respiratory system, but has also been used to treat inflammation, congestion, and as an immune-system . She has also been suggested as an aphrodisiac .

43 Hyssop

yssop () is an evergreen herb in the mint family that H flowers in the summertime . The flavor of Hyssop is floral and minty . In ab- sinthe, she adds a bitter, floral, vanilla-like quality . She is very attractive to bees, hummingbirds, and butterflies . In the culinary realm, she most famously co-stars with Sumac in the famed Middle Eastern spice mix za’atar . She has long been used in folk medicine for ear, nose, and throat ailments . Hyssop tea and Hyssop baths have been used to ease rheumatism and bruising . Hyssop can be used to relax vessels, improve alertness, and soothe anxiety . Her oil contains a compound called ketone pinocamphone, which, in its purest form, has similar properties to thujone . Hyssop has strong ties to symbolic purification . In floriography, she sym- bolizes cleanliness and sacrifice . The name comes from the Greek word hyssopos, then from azob, the Hebrew word for a holy herb used for cleaning sacred places . The word Hyssop appears as “ezov” in translations of the Bible, notably in verse 7 of Psalm 51: “Thou shalt purge me with Hyssop, and I shall be clean ”. Research suggests that the Biblical Hyssop refers to a myriad of different herbs, not Hyssopus officinalis, which wasn’t native to the area at that time . At , it is said that her stems were used to sprinkle the blood of the sacrificial lamb on the doorposts . Egyptian priests also consumed Hyssop in religious purification rituals . In Voo- doo culture, a spiritual bath that includes her leaves can ward off a jinx and get rid of bad habits . Hyssop has been hung in homes to ward off the evil eye and witches .

44

emon Balm (Melissa officinalis), also called Melissa, is a genus of perennial L herb in the Lamiaceae family, native to Europe and Asia . She is related to mint and has a floral, citrusy aroma reminiscent of lemons and geraniums . The Greek word mélissa means “honeybee,” owing to the wealth of nectar in her flowers and bees’ attraction to her oil and beautiful aroma . The chemical makeup of Lemon Balm oil is very similar to the content of the honeybee’s Nasonov gland, which they use primarily for communication . She has long been used in teas as treatment for indigestion . Lemon Balm is the primary ingredient in Carmelite water, first crafted in the 14th century by Carmelite nuns from the Abbey of St Just, and sold as Eau de Carmes . Carmelite water was taken internally to ease digestion and applied externally as a perfume . Her leaves have antioxidant, antimicrobial, and anti-carcinogenic properties .

45 Licorice

icorice is the root of Glycyrrhiza glabra plant, a herbaceous perennial L legume, indigenous to southern Europe and parts of Asia . She is not botan- ically related to Anise, though they have a similar flavor . The word Licorice is derived from the Greek phrase for “sweet root ”. Her sweetness can be attributed to the compound glycyrrhizin, which is 50 times sweeter than sugar . Licorice has been used to flavor candies, pipe tobacco, sodas, baked goods, and . She is used in Chinese medicine to harmonize the flavors in special botanical blends . She originated in southern Asia and then spread East through the Middle East and into southern Europe . She is used in many systems of medicines including Unani, homeopathy, Chinese, and Siddha, to treat a myriad of issues ranging from hepatitis, to ulcers, to skin disease and lung problems .

46 Mint

he Lamiaceae are a sprawling family of flowering plants known more T commonly as the Mint family . Basil, Rosemary, Sage, Hyssop, and Thyme are also part of this family . Mint symbolizes refreshment, wisdom, and virtue . Mint is featured prominently in Greek mythology . Minthe was a nymph who was favored by Hades, and so his wife Persephone was overcome with jealousy and turned Minthe into a crawling plant . Hades couldn’t reverse his wife’s spell, so he blessed Minthe with a delicious fragrance so that she would always be noticed . Mint also became associated with hospitality: Greek mythology tells of an old cou- ple in a very inhospitable village that welcomed two strangers into their home and rubbed their table with Mint . After receiving such treatment, the two strangers revealed themselves as Hermes and Zeus, and made the house into a temple . (Mentha piperita), a cross between watermint and spearmint, is grown all over the world . Peppermint is used most often in the production of absinthe, because of her attractive flavor . Dried Peppermint was discovered in Egyptian pyramids dated from 1000 B .C .E . She was cultivated in England as early in the 17th century . Mint has been used to aid digestion since ancient times . Menthol acts to stim- ulate the stomach lining and compounds of the mint oil have antispasmodic prop- erties, reducing spasms of the colon and relaxing the stomach muscles . Because of her cooling effect, she as been used topically to soothe muscle pain and rubbed on the temples to ease headaches . She is proven as an expectorant and decongestant when inhaled .

47 Parsley

arsley is a part of the family Apiaceae, native to the Mediterranean and P found in cuisines all over the world . Her name means “rock celery” and comes from the combination of two Greek words: petrose meaning rock, due to her ability to flourish in rocky areas, and selenium, an ancient name for celery . In Greek culture, Parsley was closely associated with death . She was incorpo- rated into funeral wreaths, and sprinkled on the dead at funerals to conceal their odor . Victors at funeral games (which were held to honor the recently deceased) were crowned in Parsley . This association comes from a myth about Archemorus, whose name meant “Forerunner of Death ”. Parsley was said to have sprung up from where his blood spilled when he was eaten by a serpent . Parsley is also asso- ciated with death in culture . A common maxim was “Welsh parsley is a good physic”—“Welsh parsley” signified the gallows rope . Long before she was used in cooking, as far back as Hippocrates, Parsley was used in medicine . She was incorporated into cure-alls and medicinal tonics, to ease digestion and inflammation and to support kidney and bladder health . Culpeper recommends her to ease menstrual symptoms and for a diuretic effect . Modern science corroborates many of these claims . Parsley is rich in vitamin A and C, which help to clear toxins from the body . Parsley has also been found to reduce in- flammation, for she produces inhibitors and is a free radical scavenger .

48 Star Anise

tar Anise is a spice that is extracted from the star-shaped fruit of llicium S verum, an evergreen tree native to northeast Vietnam and southwest . Star Anise is not related to the common anise, Anisum vulgare; she is of a complete- ly different natural order . She was first introduced into Europe in the 17th century . She goes by many names, including Sweet Cumin, badiane in Persian, batgok in Cantonese, and saunf in Indian . In traditional Chinese medicine, Star Anise, like Fennel, is recommend- ed for cough and stomach troubles . Hippocrates prescribed her to treat coughs . She has antibacterial and antifungal properties, can be used as a sedative, and can help bolster the immune system . The oil of Star Anise was commonly used in rituals and to ward off the evil eye . It was believed that stuffing your pillow with Star Anise would keep night- mares away . Star Anise made her way to France as early as the 14th century, thanks to the chef Taillevent . Star Anise was the main ingredient in “liqueur d’Arabie,” an elixir favored by Madame de Sevigne and the Marquise de Pompadour . By the 17th century, Star Anise seed became a common in grocery stores . The legal import of Star Anise to the U S. . only started in 1971, when President Richard Nixon lifted a 21-year trade embargo with China .

49 Tarragon

arragon (Artemisia dracunculus) is a perennial herb and a close relative of T Wormwood . Her scientific name is derived from the Latin dracunculus mean- ing “a little dragon” and she is called Dragonwort in . Her association with dragons comes from the serpentine shape of her coiled roots . She has a bright, verdant Anise flavor and she is found often French cuisine, especially as a primary element in Béarnaise sauce . The French refer to her as the “King of Herbs” because they use her as the basis for many sauces . Originally native to and , she was brought to Europe around the tenth century by the invading Mongols . The common types of Tarragon are the more delicate, pungent French Tarragon and the hardier Russian Tarragon . Tarragon leaves contain eugenol, an essential oil in the herb that gives a slight numbing effect when chewed; pilgrims in the Middle Ages put sprigs in their shoes to alleviate soreness from walking and chewed it for toothaches . She has been used as a folk remedy for alleviating symptoms of hiccups, dyspepsia, and flatulence . Tarragon tea can help ease insomnia .

50 Veronica

eronica is a flowering perennial plant in the plantain family Plantagina- V ceae, commonly referenced as Speedwell, ’s Eye, and Gypsyweed . Her name most likely reflects a connection with Saint Veronica, whose Latin name is ultimately derived from the Greek Berenice . Her taste is slightly bitter and herbal, and in absinthe she is used to provide a spicy bitterness and deepen the green color . In floriography, she symbolizes fidelity in friendship . Veronica has edible leaves and flowers that have been used as both a medicine and a salve in the treat- ment of gastrointestinal, respiratory, urinary, and rheumatic issues . It can be used as a tonic to help with circulation and increase metabolism . As a balm, Veronica can be applied to the skin to help with healing and irritation .

51 52