La Fée Bohemian Absinthe

A modern twist on a traditional Czech Absinth, inspired by the Velvet Revolution.

Do you remember how back in the day they used to say that Absinthe would make you “crazy and criminal”? In France, Absinthe was banned for almost a century starting in 1915. It wasn’t until George Rowley wandered into the Musée de l’Absinthe in Auvers-sur-Oise, France, and convinced the founder and curator Marie-Claude Delahaye to jump on board with him and start distilling the first legal Absinthe in France since the infamous ban. That was in July 2000 and since then, they managed to shift the public opinion on Absinthe and bring it to the modern audience. It’s created in copper stills with 9 different herbs and spices, including of course Artemisia absinthium (Grande Wormwood) and Artemisia pontica (Petite Wormwood). Their range covers 6 different Absinthes, including a traditional French style Verte absinthe; a traditional Blanche style; a modern, Czech style Absinth; two “extra supérieure,” Wine-based Absinthes; and a lower strength one for "modern drinking."

La Fee Bohemian is an Absinth. Notice how the “e” is missing? That’s because this is a Czech-style Spirit that was initially produced south of Prague in the region of Bohemia. Due to its low anise content, this Spirit does not create a louche when diluted with iced water, unlike Absinthe. Rowley decided to give a modern twist to the old recipes from the 1890s that he found in the Schimmel Library, Europe’s oldest collection of works on herbalism. And what does a modern version of Bohemian Absinth taste like? The anise is subtler than in its French counterparts yet the palate is bold with spicy undertones and hints of chamomile, fennel, and mint. This one is especially tasty in modern and traditional cocktails like an Absinth Sour or a Bohemian Mule.