Absinthe

Ready for some weird science? When you add a few drops of water to clear green Absinthe, it turns milky white. Scientists call it the "ouzo effect," whic happens when the unique characteristics of anethole (the essential oil responsible for anise flavor), high-proof ethanol and water are mixed.

The nickname, "The Green Fairy," is the English translation of La Fee Verte, the affectionate French nickname given to the popular drink in the 19th century. Though Absinthe is not a hallucinogen, the Green Fairy was representative of the metaphorical concept of the artistic enlightenment and exploration, of poetic inspiration, of a freer state of mind, of new ideas, of a changing social order.

Absinthe was actually invented by a French doctor named Pierre Ordinaire. He invented absinthe by distilling wormwood and several other herbs into an alcoholic base. Although this may seem strange in today's modern world of medicine, at the time it was considered a viable remedy for patients with various ailments.