A journalist and photographer set out to the "absinthe valley" in search of the history, the botany and the illicit mysteries of the "Green Fairy" Invented
in a small valley in Switzerland, absinthe was the drink of choice for
19th century Bohemians. Van Gogh, Picasso and Oscar Wilde swore by its
creative powers. But by the early 20th century, the drink was prohibited
around the world. This "other prohibition" lasted nearly 100
years. Only in 2005 was it legal to make absinthe again in Switzerland. This is the story of the invention and reinvention of the much-feared drink, and of the
craftsmen who kept the traditions alive, despite the risks. Swiss
journalist Tania Brasseur travels through the few remote valley of
Switzerland and France where absinthe is made today, and meets the people
who have brought about absinthe's renaissance. Along the way she discovers the turbulent story of "the green fairy's" heyday in Paris, and delves
into how it is made, how its very success led to its prohibition, and
why it has now become a darling of barkeepers everywhere. With more than
100-photos from Tamara Berger, and illustrations by Ajsa Vera Dorothy Zdravkovic, this is an intimate look at a stunning
region of Europe never seen this way before.
A journalist and photographer set out to the "absinthe valley" in search of the history, the botany and the illicit mysteries of the "Green Fairy" Invented in a small valley in Switzerland, absinthe was the drink of choice for 19th century Bohemians. Van Gogh, Picasso and Oscar Wilde swore by its creative powers. But by the early 20th century, the drink was prohibited around the world. This "other prohibition" lasted nearly 100 years. Only in 2005 was it legal to make absinthe again in Switzerland. This is the story of the invention and reinvention of the much-feared drink, and of the craftsmen who kept the traditions alive, despite the risks. Swiss journalist Tania Brasseur travels through the few remote valley of Switzerland and France where absinthe is made today, and meets the people who have brought about absinthe's renaissance. Along the way she discovers the turbulent story of "the green fairy's" heyday in Paris, and delves into how it is made, how its very success led to its prohibition, and why it has now become a darling of barkeepers everywhere. With more than 100-photos from Tamara Berger, and illustrations by Ajsa Vera Dorothy Zdravkovic, this is an intimate l