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The city is buzzing with students, the future scientists and doctors, artists and a world of others who all flood the bistros every afternoon to sip on Absinthe. The lucky ones later make their evening pilgrimage to a cabaret, many of them not returning home until the dawn of the next day.
Ah, sweet joie de vivre!
Today, la Belle Epoque is a mere memory of the good times we can sense in Toulouse-Lautrec’s posters. There’s a part of it, however, that remains: Absinthe.
And we're throwing in five more reasons to join us for l’heure verte:
The Colour
If its colour is a suspiciously vibrant, blue-ish green, then the Absinthe has probably been artificially coloured and you should just skip on those ones. The naturally coloured Absinthe is of a yellow-green or brown-green colour.
The Absinthe Effects

“Absinthe makes you hallucinate”,
“You’ll be more potent in bed”,
“The Green Fairy will come to see you”
Are any of these Absinthe effects rumours true? There’s only one way to find out. We did come across some rather intriguing finds though, like this confession:
Absinthe challenges whatever expectations you have about how stuff should feel, on a physical and emotional level as well. Everything is so much intensified. Sometimes you even experience sensations you never knew existed!"
(L.D., Australia)
We hope it's clear by now that Absinthe effects are definitely worth exploring!
The Ritual
You can use an Absinthe dripper to do that, or a lot of focus, a very steady hand and s-l-o-w-l-y pour the water from a carafe. In the halcyon days of booming Absinthe popularity in France “absinthe professors” in the cafés would help the patrons to do it properly.
Water is often dripped over a sugar cube placed on the spoon over the glass. Modern times have brought a bit more drama (and a great photo op too, Instagrammers!) to the serving ritual with the idea of dipping sugar in alcohol first and then flaming it on the spoon.
The Louche

The Cuillère
They’re actually a subtle way of building your image.
Not just in the shape you’ll choose, but you can even go for a solid silver cuillère or an antique piece.
The Eiffel Tower spoon that was created to celebrate its unveiling in 1889 can be yours for just under a thousand euros.
And here’s a bonus: You’ll also get to use French words and have a great reason for an incredibly unique travel destination, such as the French town of Pontarlier, where the Absinthiades Absinthe festival is held every year.
Et alors, Mon Dieu, what are you waiting for?