It's a green (purportedly)hallucinogenic alcoholic drink. Some say it causes hallucinations and madness because of the fermented wormwood. Others say its a myth and just causes you to get really drunk from a high alcohol content. In any case, it tastes bad, but gets you really drunk. I recommend trying it once though.

Many say Van Gogh cut off his ear under the influence of Absinthe. It was illegal in the United States, but I've recently been seeing potentially fake knock-offs at liquor stores. I don't know if they're fake absinthe, but they probably aren't as authentic as some that you can buy online from Europe. Google Absinthe Europe and you'll find some good ones for sale.
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A very powerful alcoholic drink, (45 to 75%) ethanol
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Absinthe is a kind of alcohol that's bright greenish and that has a reputation for being a hallucinogenic. It was popular with bohemian crowds in late 19th century Europe like the French Symbolist poets.
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I don't think you can buy Absinthe anywhere now with wormwood in it. It's a poison.
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from sarah hepola's salon.com's article "everything you know about absinthe is wrong"

"So let's clear up a few misconceptions. Absinthe does not make you hallucinate. It is not wildly addictive. It will not cause you to lop off your ear, unless (possibly, on the off-chance) you are a deeply disturbed painter racked by poverty, heartbreak and mental illness. Rather, absinthe is a good drink. It is most reminiscent of Pernod, a kick of licorice with a lingering menthol taste. (The similarity is not coincidental; Henri-Louis Pernod first commercialized absinthe in France in 1805.) Absinthe's flavor comes from its muscular key components -- anise, wormwood and fennel -- and though it's certainly an acquired taste, there's also something appealing about the ritual and presentation of it. Absinthe has its own special glasses, slotted spoons and drips. Absinthe even has its own verb, "louche," to describe the milky cloud kicking up when water hits the drink. Watching this -- on the right night, in the right light--you start to understand why artists like Toulouse-Lautrec and Rimbaud and Verlaine found inspiration in the stuff. And you start to understand why people might think it contained a little bit of black magic, too."

it's a great article, read the whole thing for the real story. these days absinthe is legal in the states and there are some pretty good one's out there.
Source(s):
http://www.salon.com/mwt/food/eat_drink/2007/12/21/absinthe/

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Absinthe is a liquor that is just almost always usually 100 proof and highly alcoholic drink that originated in Switzerland its found in and around allot of "Gothic" scenes and clubs. It's sometimes served by marinating the solution over a hard sugar cube and fermented .

There are many ways it can be served and it has a long line of myths that has come with this drink.

It is so potent it is bared from some bars and states/provinces because it has been known to cause hallucinations .

AOTS (Attack of the show) (formerly G4TV) formerly TechTV(i think) did a story on this drink, its origins and different ways to serve it.

Be very careful because if not served properly it can even be fatal if to much of it is consumed.

You want my advice ?
Try a thimble full of it first if you truly want to try it.
Other than that stay the hell away from this potent drink.


Kind Regards,
X
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It is an alcoholic beverage derived form wormwood that is popular in the goth subculture, among others. It has a noble history of being used as a hallucinogen by famous artists. It is illegal in most countries, and although it can be made oneself, it is supposedly rather dangerous to do so, and of course illegal (in most cases). Health impacts are debatable.

It is notable for it's color, which is a glowing green, and is sometimes called "the green fairy"

What is referred to by some as "absinthe" is not truly absinthe. Anything marketed as such in the U.S. is not true absinthe, as it is banned.

Wikipedia has more information.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Absinthe
Source(s):
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Absinthe

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Absinthe is a liquor famed for it's use by many great artists in all fields. It originated in the canton of Neuchatel Switzerland. It gained its fame and notoriety in 19th-20th century France. It's association with the bohemian culture led an outcry about it. It was rumored to be psychoactive because of drugs associated with wormwood, an ingredient in absinthe. It was outlawed in the US in 1915 and only recently was production/importation started again. See the Wikipedia entry: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Absinthe
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Wired.com has an informative article about an obsessed microbiologist, Ted Breaux, who has made it his life's work to understand absinthe. In the process, he has exploded many of the myths about absinthe.

http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/13.11/absinthe.html

"Absinthe is a 140-proof green liqueur made from herbs like fennel, anise, and the exceptionally bitter leaves of Artemisia absinthium. That last ingredient, also known as wormwood, gives the drink its name - and its sinister reputation."

"Breaux has made understanding the drink his life's work. He has pored over hundred-year-old texts, few of them in English. He has corresponded with other amateur liquor historians. The more he's learned, the more he's felt compelled to use his knowledge of chemistry to crack the absinthe code, figure out exactly what's in it, puncture the myths surrounding it - and maybe even drink a glass or two."
Source(s):
http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/13.11/absinthe.html?pg=2&topic=absin...

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I read a New York Times article that gave a good summary of the effect of the drink, why it was banned and why it's now legal, and a brief summary of the history and myth surrounding the drink. It is located here:

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/12/arts/12conn.html?pagewanted=1&sq=absinthe&st=cse&scp=1
Source(s):
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/12/arts/12conn.html?pagewanted=1&sq=absi...

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