Ah, absinthe: Mind-scourging wastrel of artists throughout the centuries, this anise-flavored, green spirit—watered down and sweetened with sugar—was so high in alcohol content (and so often toxic from poor distillation) that it was thought to create hallucinations and madness. So feared for its hypnotic carnage it was banned in the U.S. for almost 80 years, it slowly made its way back onto our shores in the '90s. Rest assured that if you're creating your next masterpiece and need some liquid inspiration, the varieties available to you now no longer contain the toxins that helped to send Baudelaire to his grave. The delightfully alternative Amanda at the Orange location of BevMo! showed us 14 varieties behind a locked glass case, ranging in price between $40 and $90, and she tells us that the store sells absinthe spoons separately, so you don't have to buy the most expensive one.
