Absinthe: The Allure and Lore in New Orleans and Where to Experience It

Despite the warning inherent in this description, during the 19th century New Orleans imbibed more absinthe than any other American city. How did this drink become so popular here? How did it acquire such a tawdry reputation? What caused its demise and what were the forces that brought absinthe back to the Crescent City? Let’s follow the Green Fairy and find out.

December 31, 2024 |By Elizabeth Pearce and Photos by Sam Hanna|New Orleans Magazine January 2025

“Absinthe has its fanatics and its victims—Noble minds drowned in this dark and sickening liquid. We have seen them pass by with despairing glance and trembling steps—the shadows of their former selves—still unconscious of their misfortune” – Daily Picayune, October 31, 1858 Absinthe is a licorice-flavored spirit derived from a variety of plants including fennel […]

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