It was hard to say what year it was in the windowless upper floor of NYC’s KGB Bar: The vintage cocktail dresses and sharp-tailored suits suggested 1923; the anise-tinged absinthe pours presented on a green-fringed tray channeled 1823.
But no, it was 2023, where revelers turned out to enjoy burlesque and anise-spiked cocktails at an event hosted by the Green Fairy Society. Once a Belle Époque darling, today the legendary Green Fairy—a popular nickname for absinthe—is inspiring a new generation.
The personalities driving the modern absinthe wave tell us how they got here. You’ll also find recommendations on bottles to pour and tips for serving and enjoying the legendary liquor. And if you notice a number of mystifying coincidences woven throughout these pages, you’re not imagining it—the Green Fairy works in mysterious ways.
The Impresario
Don Spiro
“A turn-of-the-century absinthe cabaret for the 21st century,” is how Don Spiro describes the monthly soirée hosted
