- Home
- Local Politics
- How Absinthe Brought Together The Classes Of The 1900's
How Absinthe Brought Together The Classes Of The 1900's
- By Dominic Donaldson
- Published 08/21/2009
- Local Politics
- Unrated
Dominic Donaldson
Dominic Donaldson is an expert in the diamond industry.
Find out more about certified diamonds and the cut, colour, clarity and carat available at Diamond Manufacturers.
http://www.highposition.net
From its humble beginnings considered a medical elixir, the drink known as absinthe progressively became a global phenomenon. In France, absinthe quickly became the fashionable and favourite drink of the aristocracy. In the 1850's the popularity of the green drink really rose as the bohemian culture did. Many famous writers and poets of this time began to indulge in the drink to find inspiration within their work, which made the drink even more popular and trendy.
By the 1870's absinthe had become a massive part of French culture, just about everyone was drinking it and most days. People would start their day with a glass of the 'green fairy' and end it with the 'l'heure vert' which means 'green hour'. One or more glasses would be drunk as an appetiser before supper was served.
It is thought that the 1870's blight in French vineyards was what ignited the spread of absinthe through all levels of society. Originally the drink was an exclusive part of aristocracy but it soon was being embraced by people from all walks of life. At the time, wine was often drunk with water because water in the 1870's had a high bacterial content and people believed wine would help.
When the phylloxera outbreak caused a surge in the price of wine, the working class started adding absinthe to their water to 'purify' it.
By the end of the nineteenth century absinthe was so popular in France over two million litres of the drink were being consumed each year. It is reported that by 1910 this had reached to an extraordinary 36 million litres. By this point the drink had spread beyond the French borders and other places in Europe had demand for the green liquor. Absinthe distilleries began popping up in Swiss valleys and Bohemian forests across Europe, highlighting how popular the drink really was becoming.
Absinthe ended up having quite an effect on class-conscious Europe, once being adored by only the wealthy, it moved throughout society with quite a freedom that hasn't been seen before. Cafes across European countries were filled with labourers, butchers and bankers all bonding together over this special drink. It even saw the lady taking part in the absinthe rural in public, a sight that may not have been expected at that time. Overall, the introduction to absinthe in France had many effects on culture and class, which no other drink has really done before or since then.
By the 1870's absinthe had become a massive part of French culture, just about everyone was drinking it and most days. People would start their day with a glass of the 'green fairy' and end it with the 'l'heure vert' which means 'green hour'. One or more glasses would be drunk as an appetiser before supper was served.
It is thought that the 1870's blight in French vineyards was what ignited the spread of absinthe through all levels of society. Originally the drink was an exclusive part of aristocracy but it soon was being embraced by people from all walks of life. At the time, wine was often drunk with water because water in the 1870's had a high bacterial content and people believed wine would help.
By the end of the nineteenth century absinthe was so popular in France over two million litres of the drink were being consumed each year. It is reported that by 1910 this had reached to an extraordinary 36 million litres. By this point the drink had spread beyond the French borders and other places in Europe had demand for the green liquor. Absinthe distilleries began popping up in Swiss valleys and Bohemian forests across Europe, highlighting how popular the drink really was becoming.
Absinthe ended up having quite an effect on class-conscious Europe, once being adored by only the wealthy, it moved throughout society with quite a freedom that hasn't been seen before. Cafes across European countries were filled with labourers, butchers and bankers all bonding together over this special drink. It even saw the lady taking part in the absinthe rural in public, a sight that may not have been expected at that time. Overall, the introduction to absinthe in France had many effects on culture and class, which no other drink has really done before or since then.
