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A slotted gilt absinthe spoon with a sugar cube resting across a stemmed glass of pale, cloudy green absinthe on a wooden bar.

Spirit Academy › Liqueur Aperitivo › Absinthe

Absinthe

Wormwood, anise and fennel: absinthe's Swiss origins, its century-long bans, and the U.S. thujone rule that brought it back.

Level 23 min readUpdated October 2026 Liqueur aperitivo shelf

In one sip

Absinthe is a high-strength spirit distilled with wormwood, green anise and fennel, meant to be diluted with cold water until it clouds. It was banned in several European countries and the United States in the early 20th century, and came back once regulators set clear rules on its wormwood compound, thujone. Today it is a legal, labeled category with a long, colorful backstory.

Where it started

Absinthe's cradle is the Val-de-Travers, a Swiss valley between Neuchâtel and Pontarlier. In 1797 Daniel-Henri Dubied, his son Marcelin and son-in-law Henri-Louis Pernod founded a distillery in Couvet; eight years later Pernod opened his own factory just over the French border in Pontarlier.3 By the end of the 19th century, absinthe was the drink of Paris cafés and of painters and writers.3

The backlash was political. In Switzerland a 1908 popular vote, carried by 63.5 percent, approved a ban on distilling absinthe that took effect in 1910; Belgium had acted in 1906 and France followed in 1915, per swissinfo;3 Difford's dates those bans to 1905 and 1914/15, and adds the United States (1912) and Italy (1932).4 Switzerland lifted its ban in 2005.3

Where and how it's made

Wormwood (Artemisia absinthium) and other herbs macerate overnight in alcohol, and the next day the mix is distilled; one Val-de-Travers recipe uses wormwood, fennel, green anise, hyssop and lemon balm.3 The spirit is often sold at high strength because it is meant to be diluted.3

The U.S. rule

FDA lists Artemisia (wormwood) among natural flavoring substances allowed only if the finished food is "thujone free".2 TTB's 2007 industry circular, still posted in its archive and written before the 2022 renumbering of the labeling rules, sets the working number: it considers a product thujone-free if it contains less than 10 parts per million of thujone.1 Producers and importers using wormwood must send a 750 millilitre sample to TTB's laboratory before seeking label approval.1

Labeling

Because there is no U.S. class-and-type standard for absinthe, the word may not be the brand or fanciful name, may not stand alone on the label, and artwork may not suggest hallucinogenic or mind-altering effects.1 Swiss law caps thujone at 35 milligrams per litre.3

How to taste it

Pour a small measure into a stemmed glass and slowly add ice-cold water, ideally drop by drop, until it louches into an opal cloud. Sugar is optional. Smell for anise first, then the bitter-green wormwood underneath. Pairings: oysters, goat cheese, dark chocolate.

Styles and what the label means

  • Verte — green absinthe, colored traditionally by herbs.
  • Blanche — clear, uncolored absinthe.
  • La Bleue — the Val-de-Travers nickname for absinthe, probably from the bluish hue it takes when water is added.3
  • "Absinthe" on a U.S. label — always paired with other words, and thujone-free under 10 ppm.1
  • Pastis — the anise aperitif that filled the gap after the bans. anise-sambuca-ouzo-arak →

Words to know

Tap a term to get asked about it in The Tasting Room.

WormwoodThujoneThujone-freeLoucheGreen fairyVal-de-Travers
Wormwood — Artemisia absinthium, the plant that names the drink.
Thujone — the wormwood compound regulators measure.
Thujone-free — under 10 ppm, by TTB's test.
Louche — the cloud that forms when water is added.
Green fairy — absinthe's old nickname.
Val-de-Travers — the Swiss valley where absinthe began.

Sources

  1. TTB Industry Circular 2007-5 — Use of the Term Absinthe for Distilled Spirits accessed 2026-10-12
  2. 21 CFR 172.510 Natural flavoring substances (eCFR) accessed 2026-10-12
  3. swissinfo.ch — Absinthe: the return of the green fairy (May 2025) accessed 2026-10-12
  4. Difford's Guide — History of vermouth accessed 2026-10-12

Photo: Викидим, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

For adults 21+. Please enjoy responsibly.Tipxy Spirit Academy