Absinthe is a distilled, highly alcoholic drink. It is anise flavoured, derived from the plants wormwood, green anise and sweet fennel. It was popular in early 20thC Paris, especially among bohemian artists and writers such as Picasso, Proust, Vincent van Gogh, Toulouse-Lautrec, Edgar Allan Poe and Oscar Wilde. Dubbed the Green Fairy, it was condemned as being hallucinogenic and leading to depravity. For many years it was banned. Below is Albert Maigran’s 1895 painting of the fairy, titled Green Muse.
When Blackheath Bar and Bistro created their absinthe based Bohemian Frappe during the recent heatwave I was unable to resist. ‘What a great way to support a local venue in these difficult, post bushfire times,’ I told my partner….and fortunately he agreed.
Oh my, it was as different and delicious as I had imagined. I was a bit tired and emotional, as most of us are in Australia at the moment, so I suspect its effect was intensified.
Rob stuck to cider…well he’s not as adventurous as me!
Food wasn’t a priority for us, but the vegetarian dumplings were great. As for the chips…well I’m not sure we needed so many, but somehow they just vanished. Must have been that wicked green fairy!
I was disinhibited enough when we got home to perform a little rain dance. It worked, but disappointingly only produced a sprinkle. Hmm….probably should have downed a few more.
Absinthe….the antidote to everything in my opinion, especially when served in a Bohemian Frappe at the Blackheath Bistro.
PLEASE DO TRY TO SUPPORT OUR LOCAL SHOPS AND VENUES. THEY ARE TRYING SO HARD TO SURVIVE.
