absinthe, now having reviewed over 300 brands. “Absinthe itself has such a curious history and has so much misinformation surrounding it that it’s almost impossible not to get sucked in.”

The lure of the Green Fairy also captivated Cheryl Lins, New York State’s first absinthe distiller and one of just 13 or so in the country who have begun to produce the spirit legally since a 2007 Treasury Department action allowing the drink sales to flow freely again – under the same federal regulations that oversee the making of other liquors such as whisky and gin. A self- proclaimed tee-totaler, Lins became intrigued with absinthe’s history after reading a 2006 New Yorker article, and, after ordering several $100-bottles from Europe, decided to order her own copper still.