The “heyday” of absinthe was during the end of the 19th Century and the beginning of the next. The drink has become synonymous with artists, writers and the bohemian lifestyle in general during that period, particularly those living in Paris. One explanation as to why it was the bohemian culture in particular that embraced the drink is that is was simply a cheap way to get drunk – perfect for struggling actors, writers and artists! A more romantic explanation is that it enabled the creative spirit to flow through its effect on mind and body so was naturally favoured by those in the arts.

Either way, there are several well known artists who were living in Paris and across the rest of Europe at that time and are well known for being keen absinthe drinkers. Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec painted impressionist scene views of the pubs and other night spots around the area of Montmartre. This was the very epicentre of Absinthe drinking of that time. Legend has it that Lautrec used to walk with a hollowed out cane, the centre of which was filled with absinthe. One of his most famous paintings “Monsieur Boileau au café” is clearly influenced by absinthe with a glass of the green liquid placed in the foreground.

Van Gogh was another known heavy consumer of absinthe and perhaps it was the drink that was the cause of the ear cutting incident. Picasso too was greatly inspired by absinthe hence the production of the wax sculpture “Absinthe Glass” in 1914.

Oscar Wilde always enjoyed a glass or two of absinthe as did Arthur Rimbaud and Ernest Hemingway. A very famous quote about absinthe is attributed to Oscar Wilde who said “after the first glass [of absinthe] you see things as you wish they were. After the second, you see things as they are not. Finally you see things as they really are, and that is the most horrible thing in the world.”

Because of the heavy influence absinthe had on the artists of the time, the drink has understandably become interwoven into the literature and paintings produced during that time. One only has to look at some impressionist paintings of that era to see the influence absinthe had. That makes absinthe so much more than just another alcoholic drink. It cannot be compared to the likes of gin or vodka as no other spirit has had such an influence on culture and lifestyle like absinthe has had over the years. It is steeped in history and ritual and that makes Hapsburg absinthe a drink like no other.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, March 16th, 2010 at 12:18 pm and is filed under Absinthe. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.