Absinthe is a spirit of curiosity, of legend, of tradition and timeless endurance. But how did it come to earn such a reputation? Created as an elixir in 1797 by Dr. Pierre Ordinaire, it was lauded as a 'miracle cure-all.' Henri-Louis Pernod opened the first absinthe distillery in Switzerland and then moved to a larger one in Pontarlier, France in 1805.

Absinthe gained its popularity among French soldiers stationed in North Africa in the 1840s, who used it as a disease preventative and water purifier. They brought their taste for the herbal beverage back to the cafés of Paris, where it became a fashionable drink of the bourgeoisie. It became so popular that the time between 5:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. became known as "l'heure verte" (the Green Hour), and absinthe soon became the most popular aperitif in France. Urbanites embraced its entrancing mix of grande wormwood, green anise, fennel and other European herbs that created an almost ethereal warmth.

Absinthe was embraced by the bohemians of Paris, due to its alleged "rapturous" qualities that were claimed to induce creativity. It was featured frequently in the paintings of such artists as Lautrec, Manet, Van Gogh and Picasso. When they were not painting it, they were drinking it in large quantities, joined by contemporary poets such as Baudelaire, Rimbaud and Verlaine.

Absinthe production grew so much that it eventually became cheaper than wine. This was compounded by the fact that during the late 1800s, phylloxera ravaged the vineyards of Europe, making wine both expensive and scare.

By the turn of the century, prohibition and temperance movements were well underway. The advocates of the wine industry joined in the effort, taking advantage of the opportunity to demonize their green rival. Absinthe was singled out as the maddening culprit of society's ills and became synonymous with alcohol. On July 25th, 1912, following an earlier Swiss ban in 1910, the U.S. Department of Agriculture issued Food Inspection 147, which effectively banned absinthe in America, and France finally abolished its 'national drink' at the onset of the First World War in 1915.

Over the last decade, absinthe has reemerged on the European scene following its re-legalization in the EU and Switzerland. The legalization of absinthe in Europe, as well as its recent appearance in popular culture, has led to a resurgence of interest in the United States. Curious consumers and US travelers returning from Europe with tales of sipping absinthe fueled the desire for availability in the American market.

In 2007, after 95 years of prohibition, genuine absinthe was finally authorized again for sale in the United States with the approval of Lucid® - the first authentic absinthe legal in the U.S. since 1912. This remarkable development was largely thanks to the efforts of the partnership of T.A. Breaux and Viridian Spirits, a startup headed by Jared Gurfein, a New York attorney. With the help of supporting materials from Mr. Breaux, Viridian negotiated with the US government for over a year after they discovered that by adhering strictly to the absinthe-making techniques used over a century ago, the result was not only a genuine, historically accurate product, but a product that also happens to meet US regulatory requirements. Despite the government's initial refusals even to discuss the issue, Viridian eventually broke through and got the full attention of the government, which at long last, thanks to their efforts, lifted the longstanding ban.