Absinthe's Mind-Altering Mystery Solved Albert Maignan's
painting of "Green Muse" (1895) shows a poet succumbing to
absinthe's mind-altering effects. CREDIT: Courtesy of the Musee
de Picardie, Amiens An analysis of century-old bottles of
absinthe — the kind once quaffed by the likes of van Gogh and
Picasso to enhance their creativity — may end the controversy
over what ingredient caused the green liqueur's supposed mind-
altering effects . The culprit seems plain and simple: The
century-old absinthe contained about 70 percent alcohol, giving
it a 140-proof kick. In comparison, most gins, vodkas and
whiskeys are just 80- to 100-proof. In recent years, the
psychedelic nature of absinthe has been hotly debated. Absinthe
was notorious among 19th-century and early 20th-century bohemian
artists as "the Green Fairy" that expanded the mind. After it
became infamous for madness and toxic side effects among
drinkers, it was widely banned. The modern scientific consensus
is that absinthe's reputation could simply be trac