Green fairy flies again

DRINK. Opalescent muse, bottled madness, the essence of life: Absinthe has answered to many names over the centuries, feeding inspiration and insanity in equal measures to artists from Baudelaire to Degas before facing a ban that lasted nearly a century. Now, the emerald witch is stepping out of the shadows.

Since the federal government approved the sale of absinthe in March, two brands of the high-proof liquor, Lucid and Kubler, have been introduced to the U.S. market. Both made according to original recipes, they are fueling a revival among the inquisitive and quenching the thirst of cultish devotees.