Absinthe Essay - 862 Words

Absinthe Since its introduction to the drinking community, absinthe has the most compelling history of any liqueur. The drink, nicknamed the green fairy, gained popularity in the artistic social circle. Among its devotees were Pablo Picasso, Oscar Wilde, Ernest Dowson, Edgar Allen Poe, Verlaine, and Vincent Van Gough. As time continued, absinthe soared in popularity, reaching the everyday, working-class man. By 1910, French refiners produced thirty-six million liters of absinthe a year (Kiffel). As the drink became increasingly popular, questions concerning the safety of the drink arose leading to bans by almost every European nation between the years 1912 and 1915. While its reign was short, absinthe signified early twentieth†¦show more content†¦As the war ended, the soldiers returned to France with a taste for absinthe. Inspired by the soldiers, the Perrod-Fils company marketed absinthe as an aperitif, which French counterculture embraced. At this time, the drink was very expensive, but found favor in Paris, where aristocrats and wealthy artists took a liking to the bitter drink. Absinthe became synonymous with the Parisian artistic culture, personifying the values embraced by that culture. A writer of the time called absinthe a â€Å"symbol of Bohemian spirit† (Kiffel). Many artists of the time, the pioneers of modernist realism, incorporated absinthe into their work, thereby associating absinthe with the realist movement. Manet had a painting titled The Absinthe Drinker, while Degas painted L’Absinthe. Many of Van Gough’s paintings depicted the bar where he drank absinthe and incorporated colors similar to absinthe’s pale green (Kiffel). As time continued, absinthe found popularity outside the artistic circle. With more companies producing it, absinthe became affordable and available to the general public, who turned to it after wine prices skyrocketed. The mid nineteenth century saw a decade long phylloxera blight of the vineyards, causing the price of wine to soar and its availability to plummet (Kiffel). Many people turned to new drinks and chose absinthe because of its chic reputation and low price. With the onset of the Franco-Prussian War inShow MoreRelatedGetting to Know Absinthe650 Words   |  3 Pagesknown as absinthe. However its referred to, absinthe has made a big name for itself throughout history, eventually leading to its banning, and is now making a come back. The name â€Å"absinthe† comes from the scientific name for its main ingredient Artemisia absinthium, or wormwood. Woodworm flavored wines date back to the Egyptians, who drank it for medicinal purposes as early as 1550 B.C. Ancient Greeks also consumed a woodworm flavored wine that may have been the predecessor of modern absinthe. (HistoryRead MoreHow Absinthe Is A Alcoholic Distilled Spirit1340 Words   |  6 PagesAbsinthe is a highly alcoholic distilled spirit, reputed to have psychotropic qualities. In the history of liquors it holds a special place for being one of the most controversial drinks of French history. Yet it wasn’t always that way, for a period in the late 1800’s absinthe was one of the most popular liquors in the western world. Some companies at the height of its popularity produced over 30,000 liters of it a day. American Chemist T. A. Breaux has spent years researching the drink; throughRead More Alcohol and its Effects on Social Behavior E ssay examples1093 Words   |  5 Pagesand provides refreshment after a long day at work. The additional camaraderie that results between the men from sharing this rejuvenating experience is an added benefit. The same feelings of strength and sustenance are attributed to the drink Absinthe as well, which comes soon after the masculine working class scene. A widespread myth that this mysterious drink made from wormwood extract promotes health and increases the strength of the individual contributes to its increase in popularity amongRead MoreSample Critique Essay1366 Words   |  6 Pagesor Mac. To do it you need an iPhone, a computer with the latest version of iTunes installed, a downloaded jailbreaking program with instructions and some time. Some of the more popular programs are QuickPwn, PwnageTool, GreenPoison, or RedSnow, or Absinthe these programs can be searched for on the web, and can be downloaded onto your computer for free. Youll also need to know what version of firmware is installed on your phone. Third party applications can then be browsed, downloaded and installedRead MoreVincent Van Gogh: A Brief Biography1168 Words   |  5 Pagesexperiences, thoughts, and feelings. V incent lived with a mild brain ulcer, but it was later worsened by his excessive use of absinthe, causing his epileptic condition. Voluminous and redundant doses of digitalis can often result in seeing yellow or yellow spots. Van Gogh often complained of seeing yellow spots surrounding his cornea. Although his excessive consumption of absinthe may have caused him to see all objects with yellow hue, it is more likely that it was his overmedication with digitalis.Read MoreA Case Study Of Vincent Van Gogh1723 Words   |  7 Pagesdrinking or change his habits. More specifically, there is some indication that Van Gogh regularly drank absinthe, an extremely strong alcoholic drink that causes psychotic symptoms such as delusions and hallucinations. This beverage is so potent that it is banned in many countries because of its association criminal activities and the negative aftereffects of the drink. His drinking absinthe had allegedly precipitated his cutting off his own ear and had ma de him hallucinate. One interesting aspectRead MoreHills Like White Elephants By Ernest Hemingway1037 Words   |  5 Pagesthe couple’s relationship. After Jig takes a sip of the new drink she is trying, she states that â€Å"Everything tastes like licorice. Especially all the things you’ve waited so long for, like absinthe.† (Hemingway 241). The unexpected pregnancy has made this couple unhappy, and the drink absinthe shows that. Absinthe is a drink that starts off sweet, but has a terribly bitter aftertaste which masks it. This symbolizes that Jig now has a bittersweet feeling because now that the man has been given a decisionRead More An Analysis Of Hemingways Hills Like White Elephants Essay examples928 Words   |  4 Pagesattempting to hide her pain over his rejection of the baby, she responds to his comment â€Å"That’s the way with everything.† by agreeing with him and adding bitterly â€Å"Especially the things you’ve waited so l ong for, like absinthe.† This, I assume, is a reference to the base ingredient of absinthe, which is the aromatic herb called wormwood, once considered a remedy for intestinal worms. As an interesting note, the name ‘wormwood’ derives from the German word Wermut, which translates as ‘grievous’ in the EnglishRead MoreAn Inferential Analysis of Hemingways Hills Like White Elephants.931 Words   |  4 Pagesattempting to hide her pain over his rejection of the baby, she responds to his comment That s the way with everything. by agreeing with him and adding bitterly Especially the things you ve waited so long for, like absinthe. This, I assume, is a reference to the base ingredient of absinthe, which is the aromatic herb called wormwood, once considered a remedy for intestinal worms. As an interesting note, the name ‘wormwood derives from the German word Wermut, which translates as ‘grievous in theRead MoreHills Like White Elephants Lessons968 Words   |  4 Pagesexample is when Jig comments that the anis del toro tastes like licorice, and the man replies saying that’s the way with everything, to which the girl says, â€Å"Everything tastes of licorice. Especially all the things you’ve waited so long for, like absinthe,† absinthe can easily mean that she has been waiting so long to be pregnant and now the man is ruining it. These deeper meanings in the narrative not only further engage the reader but gives them a sense of having more knowledge after reading. As previously