It's New Orleans: Louisiana Eats

From the height of its popularity in the 19th century to its modern revival, absinthe has a long and storied reputation. On this week s show, we learn all about the formerly illicit elixir and those whose ongoing fascination with the spirit has helped transform the discourse and regulations here in the United States. Before false scientific claims and anti absinthe hysteria lead to it to being banned for almost a century, Pernod Fils was the most celebrated commercial producer of absinthe. We speak with Anne Louise Marquis, former Pernod brand ambassador, about the history of the preferred drink among artists, writers, and bohemians. Then, we turn to Ted Breaux, environmental chemist turned absinthe distiller from New Orleans, who explains his pivotal role in the legalization of absinthe in the United States by challenging misconceptions with scientific evidence and a dogged perseverance. Next, we visit Atelier Vie, a New Orleans based distillery that is reviving the absinthe tradition for a new generation of