Absinthe at the hotel Bar

Absinthe, a Mythical Spirit. Sung by great poets, portrayed by the most illustrious of painters, appreciated by all, and finally outlawed in France in 1915, absinthe today is experiencing a rebirth. The Green Fairy has not cast her last spell!. Adored then banished, accused of driving men mad, absinthe today without its most harmful ingredients, no longer presents the neurotoxic dangers of its 19 th century version.

Originating in Swtizerland in the canton of Neuchâtel in 1798, the result of an old woman's interest in mixing the plants she found on the mountainside, absinthe was brought to France in 1805 by Pernod and became the popular beverage among the bourgeoisie and the artists. It was the fashionable drink, more expensive than wine until about 1860, when the working classes began to acquire a taste for it. More common, cheaper and often falsified, the Green Fairy became the Wicked Fairy, blamed for all the ills of humanity. Outlawed, absinthe was abandoned by history for a century before new generations began to take interest in it once again

Drawing by Pierre Vidal, 1893

Discover the Convivial Absinthe Ritual. When staying at the Hotel Royal Fromentin, you too can experience this extremely convivial ritual that made absinthe so popular a century ago. An aperitif drink with anis flavour served with ice water, absinthe was prepared in a very elaborate manner which made the cocktail hour so unique that it became known as the “green” hour.

“Mystify” your absinthe by pouring it into a glass and then placing a slotted spoon with a cube of sugar on the rim of the glass. Let the water penetrate, drop by drop, slowly dissolving the sugar into the absinthe. A veritable alchemy occurs between the water and plant essences as pale green swirls spiral up through the glass. The pleasure, first visual, becomes aromatic and slowly prepares the palate for a taste experience. The green-eyed muse thus set free will release your imagination.

You are now ready to embark on the discovery of this mythical « quartier » where so many famous artists savoured absinthe before you.