Absinthe Timeline

1792
French Doctor Pierre Ordinaire distils a strong (68% abv/136° proof) spirit containing wormwood, anise, hyssop and varying amounts of other common herbs as a cure-all tonic. It becomes so popular others start to distil it and is quickly nicknamed 'La Fée Verte' (the green fairy).
1870
The Phylloxera bugThe start of 30 years of blight on the wine industry of France. The vineyards were devastated by a bug known as Phylloxera, which ate its way through the root stock of the vineyards from coast to coast. Wine became both scarce and very expensive, which in turn led, to an explosion in the sales of absinthe as it quickly became the café culture favourite in wine's absence.
1890
In the last decade of the 19th Century a wave of hedonism spread across France, typified by the antics of the bohemian revellers who attended the Moulin Rouge at this most prolific time in its history. Located at the centre of Montmartre, the Parisian red-light district, the patrons were well aware of absinthe's purported aphrodisiac qualities, and thus absinthe and the Moulin Rouge have now become synonymous.
1910
Absinthe banned in Switzerland. 36,000,000 litres of absinthe sold in France.
1912
Absinthe banned in USA. 220,000,000 litres of absinthe sold in France.
1915
Absinthe banned in France, at the height of its popularity. After years of issuing their troops with absinthe as a preventative against malaria, the French Government decided to ban absinthe, blaming it for widespread desertion in the trenches during World War I. But perhaps more influential was the fact that they were under extreme pressure from the French wine industry who believed that absinthe would usurp their market.
1998
On July 21st, George Rowley secured the UK government's authorisation on the landmark document that allows absinthe to be legally sold in the European Union after being banned in several European countries for over half a century.
2000
La Fée Absinthe — the first traditional absinthe to be commercially produced in France since the ban of 1915 — is released. Distilled in Paris it is the only absinthe produced in association with the French Absinthe Museum in Auvers-sur-Oise, France, it is critically acclaimed.
2002
After success initially in the style bar market, La Fée is catapulted into High Street shopping trolleys as it goes on sale in over 350 outlets of the UK's biggest drinks retailer, Tesco.
2003
International Spirits Challenge Silver MedalLa Fée Absinthe is the only absinthe brand to receive an award at the International Spirits Challenge, sponsored by Drinks International magazine.
La Fée Absinthe 45% abv is launched and is immediately snapped up by the Yates group, who feature it in their premium shooters range.
Celebrated French chef Jean-Christophe Novelli works with La Fée to create a spectacular series of absinthe menus for the 21st century.