The Absinthe Craze: France's Green Fairy

In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the rise and fall of absinthe in France, from its origins as a Swiss medicinal elixir to its status as the iconic drink of Belle Époque Paris. They discuss how the green fairy captured the imaginations of artists like Vincent van Gogh, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, and Paul Verlaine, and became a symbol of bohemian rebellion. The conversation delves into the temperance movement, the role of the wine lobby, and the pseudoscience that fueled the ban in 1914. Along the way, they touch on the myth of thujone as a hallucinogen, the rituals of the absinthe fountain, and the legacy of the drink after its legalization in the 21st century. This episode offers a vivid portrait of a cultural phenomenon that shaped French social life and continues to fascinate. #Absinthe #BellePoque #GreenFairy #FrenchHistory #VanGogh #ToulouseLautrec #Temperance #Thujone #AbsintheFountain #PaulVerlaine #BohMe #Montmartre #CafCulture #LaFEVerte #France #History #FexingoHistory #Podcast #FrenchRevolution #NapoleonBonaparte Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo