Conjuring the Green Angel in Heidelberg

It was blamed for driving van Gogh to cut off his ear. It gets credit for inspiring Freud, Hemingway, and the painter Toulouse-Lautrec. It was considered so dangerous it was banned until 1990, and some brands are still not allowed into the United States. The hysteria surrounding “La Fee Verte,” as absynthe was called, compares to that around “Reefer Madness.” The Wormwood Society, an organization that provides scientific and historical information about absynthe, calls it the most maligned and misunderstood drink in history.

It tastes a little like ouzo and makes a fine-enough cocktail, with names like “In-Seine” and “Absynthe Minded.” But its real allure comes from the mystique dating back to the salons and cafes of turn-of-the century Europe, the escapades of the artists and rebels who made it part of their lives, and the rituals around its consumption.

It’s this dark allure that lives on in the little shop “Gruener Engel,” just a block from the main tourist street with its brightly lit chain stores. Inside, you feel like you’ve been dropped off by the magic carriage from Midnight in Paris. The lighting is dim, there are old-time wooden cabinets with rows of bottles, art-deco “fountains” for preparing the louche concoction, slotted silver spoons for dissolving the sugar;you almost feel you’re doing something forbidden just being there. But then a nice kid-next-door type will appear to tell you all about the history and ingredients of various brands—and the impostors.

When you’re ready to emerge back to the light of day and the 21^st century, try Café Burkhart just down the street for a nice meal, great cake, charming surroundings, and another surprise—a back door to a museum.

Map