Czech Absinth - Scam or Staple?

A naked eye of a Prague tourist will easily spot bottles of absinth in the shining windows of overpriced souvenir shops. More diligent visitors will even discover hidden absinth bars in the allies of the Old Town. True history buffs will be able to point out Czech writers and painters who were visited by the green fairy in the 19th-century salons and cafes. This poses a question: is absinth a thing here or is it just a tourist trap? Let’s find out!

There is no doubt that absinthe is a magnet to stag parties who frequently visit Prague because of the relatively cheap prices for alcohol. If you follow the Royal Way, you will stumble upon stores that sell a “window cleaner” absinthe, which you will recognize by its almost fluorescent artificial color, as well as the infamous pot plant absinth. Prague has recently declared a war on bachelor parties and “drunk tourism” perpetuated by pub crawls, and this advertisement of low-quality absinth is rather a disservice to the common efforts. Nevertheless, there is much more to absinth than you might think, so let’s talk history.

Absinthe is made of common wormwood or Artemisia Absinthium. In Greek mythology, Artemisia, a daughter of Zeus, was the goddess of the hunt, forest, and childbirth. Artemisia absinthium was used as a cure for labor pains, menstruation cramps, getting rid of intestinal worms, and rheumatism as early as 1552 BC. Herbs like anise and coriander were added to sweeten the medicine. As you can see, drinking absinthe in moderation can also provide benefits to your health.

In the 19th century, absinthe was at the peak of its popularity, and soldiers were taking it for malaria prevention. They acquired a taste for absinthe and Brough it back home. Soon it became popular in bars, restaurants, cafes, and cabarets. So much so, that five o'clock was nicknamed “the green hour”. Absinthe makes a perfect long drink because the absinthe plant contains terpenes oils. One of them is called thujone and it has psychoactive properties like nicotine, caffeine, sugar, or chocolate. Thujone provides an increase in the flow of neurotransmitters, and creative types would consume it when their brains were tired and they could not produce more art, poetry, literature, and music. That is how the beverage was nicknamed “the green fairy” - it provided inspiration and creativity to the tired mind.

In short, absinth can turn you into a highly functional individual that is able to hold long philosophical conversations. But you know which drink did not want to share its connection to philosophy? In vino veritas - wine, of course! Winemakers felt threatened by the growing popularity of absinthe, and they decided to play dirty. Rumors that absinth is poisonous, and makes you hallucinate were spread by them to ruin the green fairy’s reputation. Winemakers also suggested that the absinth hallucinations can be so severe, you might actually murder people! In 1905 they got a perfect opportunity to fabricate a case against absinthe when a French farmer called Jean Lanfray killed his wife and his two daughters and tried taking his own life after he consumed seven glasses of wine, six glasses of cognac, a coffee, two mint liquors, and two glasses of absinthe. Guess which one of these beverages was blamed for the crime? Absinthe! So in 1905, a petition to ban absinthe was created, and the “dangerous” beverage was canceled in Brazil, America, Belgium, Switzerland, France, and the Netherlands. Does absinthe actually make you hallucinate? Modern researchers have found out that absinthe has very low psychoactive properties, not more than sage or oregano.

Czechs produced absinthe since 1915, it was insanely popular, especially during the times of the first Czechoslovakian Republic. Even in the 1880s people were drinking it in restaurants and cafes. The Art Deco cafe Slavia opened in 1863 is one of the most famous cafes in Prague. Slavia is the epitome of Czech national pride as it is standing right in front of the National Theatre next to the Vltava river with a view of Prague Castle. It was visited by Franz Kafka, Jaroslav Seifert, Reiner Marie Rilke, Antonin Dvorak, and Vaclav Havel. Among its many decorations, you will find a painting “the Absinthe drinker” by the Czech painter Victor Oliva. Oliva, like many other Bohemian painters, visited Paris where he tried absinthe and brought it to Prague. Therefore it is safe to say that if absinthe wasn’t a staple of Czech culture once upon a time, “the Absinthe drinker” would not have been hanging on Slavia’s wall. In other words, much like no Czech parties today go on without drinking beer, Slivovice (plum brandy), or Becherovka, parties in the 1920s always had people sipping on absinthe.

The question remains though - what is the real absinth and where can you try it?

Most bars serve absinthe as a shot set on fire, and that is blasphemy! The proper way of drinking absinthe is by diluting it with water and sugar. It is an interesting and complicated ritual, and there are a few bars in Prague that can provide this authentic experience.

• Hemingway Bar, Karoliny Světlé 26, 110 00 Staré Město - THE place to get educated about a traditional way of drinking absinthe. Hemingway bar also has an old-school and sophisticated atmosphere. You will definitely feel fancy sipping on your absinthe there.

  • Green Devil’s Absinth Bar & Shop, Týn 637/7, 110 00 Staré Město - a devilish creature’s lair, this bar will set the mood for chilling and tripping ever so slightly. Their absinth pouring is more of a show (watch our video for more), and they have dozens of absinth types to choose from.

  Should You Try Czech Absinth?

  There’s a certain stigma attached to Czech absinth, and some connoisseurs even say that it is not real or worth tasting. This is due to the fact that Czech absinth doesn’t use anise as one of its main ingredients. We have asked the owner of Bairnsfather Absinth, Kyle, to shed some light on this issue. It turns out, that absinth is not defined in the laws about spirit-based beverages, hence the only ingredient that is required to be used is the wormwood itself. Unlike what everyone says about absinthe with low to zero anise&content, Czech absinth doesn’t taste bitter, it has a strong herbal flavor.