Absinthe is a distilled, highly alcoholic, anise-flavored spirit
derived from herbs including the flowers and leaves of the medicinal
plant Artemisia absinthium, also called wormwood. Although it is
sometimes incorrectly called a liqueur, absinthe does not contain
added sugar and is therefore classified as a liquor. Absinthe
originated in Switzerland as an elixir, but is more well-known for its
popularity in late 19th and early 20th century France, particularly
among Parisian artists and writers whose romantic associations with
the drink still linger in popular culture. In its heyday the most
popular brand of absinthe worldwide was Pernod Fils. At the height of
this popularity, absinthe was portrayed as a dangerously addictive,
psychoactive drug; the chemical thujone was blamed for most of its
deleterious effects. By 1915 it was banned in a number of European
countries and the United States. Modern evidence shows it to be no
more dangerous or psychoactive than ordinary alcohol. A modern-day
absinthe revival began in the 1990s, as countries in the European
Union began to reauthorize its manufacture and sale.
Read the rest of this article:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Absinthe
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Today's selected anniversaries:
451:
The Battle of Chalons against Attila the Hun is the last major battle
of the Roman Empire.
(
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Chalons)
1756:
A garrison of the British army in India was imprisoned in the Black
Hole of Calcutta.
(
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Hole_of_Calcutta)
1789:
577 deputies of the French National Assembly took the Tennis Court
Oath, starting the French Revolution.
(
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tennis_Court_Oath)
1837:
Queen Victoria succeeded to the British throne.
(
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victoria_of_the_United_Kingdom)
1947:
A Mafia hitman murdered gangster Bugsy Siegel in Beverly Hills,
California, United States.
(
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bugsy_Siegel)
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Wikiquote of the day:
"We wanted to bring some love to the world. I thought we were good at
doing that. Bringin' love to the world." -- Brian Wilson
(
http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Brian_Wilson)