Bonjour,
Today, I am posting Antoine’s final chapter on the history of absinthe. It deals with the absinthe ban in France, and explains how the anti-absinthe movement achieved its prohibition in 1915.
The absinthe ban in Switzerland
A wine-grower named John Lanfray lived with his wife and two daughters in a small village in the canton of Vaud. Just like many winegrowers in this village, John Lanfray used to enjoy alcohol very frequently. One evening, an arument between him and his pregnant wife occured. Voices were raised, and under the influence of alcohol, Lanfray grabbed a gun and killed first his wife, then his two children before shooting himself. The shot shattered his jaw, but didn’t kill him, he survived – albeit with a disfigured face.
The media devoured this incident immediately. The martyr: Absinthe. They must have “forgotten” about the fact that the incident took place in a vineyard area, and that it was no secret that Lanfrey used to drink numerous liters of wine every day. This article led to the assumption that Lanfrey suffered from absinthism. But the parish confirmed Lanfreys alcohol addiction – they claimed that he used to drink absinthe in the morning, even before going into the local bistro to order a coffee with a dash of cognac. To get himself through the day, he allegedly drank 6 glasses of wine at his winery, only to return to the bistro to drink a coffee with brandy during his lunch break. After work, he usually drank another liter of wine together with his father.A few weeks later, another man committed suicide with an ax under the influence of alcohol in Geneva – and again, absinthe was made responsible for it, and ultimately banned.
The absinthe ban in France
When France declared the war against absinthe on 3 August 1914, the representatives of schools and educational institutions were ordered to announce the ban that prohibited both purchase and sale of absinthe, in their institutions. Wholesale and production was prohibited in March the following year. A few months later, the association of absinthe manufacturers and distributors filed an appeal towards the French government, which was rejected. This raises the following question: How can you just wipe out an entire segment of a market, that has contributed to the country’s economy for more than 100 years, without worrying about what will happen to all manufacturers, dealers and employees working in this segment?
Absinthe substitutes
The ban brought imitations and substitutes on the market, that were hoping for an advantage by using nostalgic incentives. However, the myth and nostalgia soon died, and only one product was successful in 1932: “pastis de Marseille” by Paul Ricard.
Numerous manufacturers tried to use similar and common names in order to trigger customer’s attention. (They failed.) Here you can have a look at a couple of examples from Switzerland:
L’Absinthe perd nos fils „L’Atletic“
Suprême Verte
Boisson Idéale (Verte Illusion)
Royal Anis
Petite Verte Simulabsinthe, similar to Absinthe Légal
The world had to wait until 1994, until Absinthe appeared on the radar again – in the Czech Republic! There, our beloved Green Fairy was a great success and became a fashionable drink – even though rituals and aromas weren’t considered. But it was a start.
In 2000, absinthe returned to France, where the ancient rituals and flavours were celebrated and appreciated, just like they were before the ban.
Santé!
Very good article, and well written. Although the U.S. is not mentioned, there are a few of the absinthe brands beginning to appear in the U.S… Although the European max for thujone is 35mg/l, I prefer many of the brands out of the Czech Republic because they truly try to attain the maximum allowed by European laws.