London’s f irst absinthe distillery launches

Absinthe is closely associated with bohemian Paris of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, when its supposed hallucinogenic qualities inspired artists and writers such as Baudelaire and Toulouse-Lautrec.

Flavoured with wormwood, anise and fennel, the spirit was banned across most of Europe by 1915, but it has experienced a renaissance since the 1990s, with modern studies proving that its psychoactive properties are exaggerated.

While there are plenty of popular European brands, including La Fée and Pernod, so far none has been produced in the UK. However, new London distillery Devil’s Botany is redressing the balance.

The capital’s first absinthe distillery was founded by Allison Crawbuck and Rhys Everett, owners of The Last Tuesday Society’s cocktail bar and authors of Spirits of the Otherworld: A Grimoire of Curious Cocktails.

Their Devil’s Botany London Absinthe (Alc 55%) is copper pot distilled with British wheat spirit and 14 botanicals, including English and Swiss grand wormwood, green anise, fennel seed, devil’s claw root, lemon balm, meadowsweet and elderflower.

Diluted one part absinthe to three parts ice-cold water, Devil’s Botany has a sweet aniseed flavour that’s backed by subtle herbal and botanical notes, finishing with warming spicy green-chilli notes and a refreshing bitterness. £42.50/50cl www. devilsbotany.com/absinthe

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