It was the spirit of choice for history’s most bohemian creatives, from Oscar Wilde to Vincent van Gogh, popular during the belle époque for its high alcoholic content and supposedly mind-altering effects.
Absinthe, known as the “green fairy”, was banned by French officials in 1915 for almost 100 years. But now it is enjoying a resurgence in popularity in the UK, with numerous new brands launching their versions and market research predicting that sales could reach £35m by 2026.
