Real’ absinthe is illegal in the U.S.
Fiction

Authentic absinthe is distilled from a mash which includes the flavoring holy trinity of green anise, Florence fennel, and grande wormwood. The only thing that is regulated in the U.S. is the content of thujone to less than 10 parts per million. Thujone is found in the southern wormwood. Nearly none of the thujone makes it through the distillation process; however the herbal bitterness of the southern wormwood survives to give absinthe its distinct flavor. Much of the pre-ban ‘real’ absinthe tested has been shown to contain levels of thujone which would have fallen below the U.S. limit. Anyone who equates the level of thujone to the authenticity of an absinthe does not know what they are talking about.

U.S. absinthe has had ingredients reduced or eliminated to be approved for import or manufacture.
Fiction

See ‘Real’ Absinthe above. Today’s absinthe producers use traditional recipes, ingredients, stills, and techniques to produce authentic absinthe.

Absinthe is a drug.
Fiction/ Fact

Absinthe is not hallucinogenic, psychedelic, or narcotic. Neither thujone nor absinthe have a similar effect to marijuana or any other drug. The hallucinations suffered by some around the turn of the century were most likely the result of severe chronic alcoholism and dementia. Alcohol, however, is a drug. As absinthe contains high levels of alcohol, it should be consumed responsibly. 

Absinthe will make you crazy.
Fiction

When absinthe was at its peak, demand outweighed supply. In an effort to meet the demand, fly by night absinthe producers began to forego the quality ingredients and care required to properly distill and color absinthe, replacing them with inferior industrial alcohol and harmful, often poisonous chemicals. This may have led to some cases of severe illnesses including blindness and even death. 

Absinthe produces ‘secondary effects’.
Fiction

Absinthe and thujone have been rumored to cause everything from hallucinogenic ‘trips’ to increased sexual drive. The only effect that is widely accepted is the increased sensory perception that accompanies the alcohol intoxication of absinthe. The idea of actually seeing a green fairy may have come from this feeling. Artists of the turn of the century looking for their ‘muse’ or creative inspiration would drink absinthe to release their inner creativity. They gave this feeling of inspiration a name that combined the source (the green absinthe drink) and the result (the creative ‘muse’) in to the mythical green fairy. 

Absinthe needs to be burned before drinking.
Fiction

In fact burning absinthe or sugar in to absinthe will actually corrupt the subtle flavor balance of quality absinthe. This ritual originates in Eastern Europe as a ‘sizzle’ to sell a poor tasting ‘steak’. 

Czech absinthe is the only real absinthe today.
Fiction

Absinthe from Eastern Europe which uses high thujone and alcohol content as their selling points are playing on the myths of absinthe to sell snake oil. The addition of thujone oils or extracts after the distillation process to artificially increase the content are not traditional, beneficial, or necessary. 

Pure absinthe is green.
Fiction

Pure absinthe is actually clear after it is distilled. In ‘verte’ or green absinthe, herbs are soaked in the absinthe after it is distilled to extract the chlorophyll and color the liquid green. This process may have come from the desire to add additional flavor complexity, much as finishing hops is added to beer in its late brewing stages. The artificial addition of green colorants has become common, although purists will insist that this detracts from the authenticity of an absinth. Many Swiss absinthes are clear. Color was intentionally left out of Swiss absinthe during the ban years to make it more difficult for authorities to identify. 

Absinthe must be consumed straight.
Fiction

Although the slow drip of cold water from an absinthe fountain is traditional (and releases the full aroma and flavor of absinthe) sugar may also be added to sweeten the traditionally bitter absinthe.  In addition to this classic method, absinthe mixes very well in cocktails, particularly those containing herbs like mint or ginger and citrus such as lemon or lime.

 
Absinthe is originally from Europe.
Fact

Absinthe originates from Neufchatel, Switzerland, and utilizes herbal mountain plants native to the high altitude of the region. The first industrial factories were built in Pontarlier, France by the Pernod family. Once absinthe was banned in France, the Pernod’s turned to the production of pastis, an anise flavored liquor containing no wormwood. Pernod pastis, and others including Ricard, are still widely consumed as aperitif drinks throughout Europe. Today there are many quality absinthes (and some not so good) being produced around the world. Some of the most notable are from Switzerland (Kubler and La Clandestine), France (Jade and Lucid), Spain (Obsello), Germany, the Czech Republic, and right here in the United States (Leopold Brothers and St. George). 

Distilled absinthe is better than mix absinthe.
Fact

Authentic absinthe is distilled from a mash containing whole plants that make up the holy trinity of green anise, Florence fennel, and grande wormwood. Mixing low grade alcohol with plant oils and extracts before adding artificial colorants does not produce the depth of complex flavors found in authentic absinthe any more than purple sugar water with artificial flavorings is grape juice.  Licorice flavored green vodka is not absinthe.