In 2001 ALANDIA went online. Supported by Absintheurs around the world, ALANDIA quickly developed into one of the leading Absinthe online stores on the market. Therefore, since 2001 we are proudly serving the Absinthe community! In our online store you can buy real Absinthe, this means all our Absinthes are distilled with wormwood (artemisia absinthium). Our mission statement is to bring you back to the intriguing world of Absinthe. That is why we offer real Absinthe plus original Absinthe accessories to drink and prepare Absinthe the traditional and therefore best way.
No matter if you want to try Absinthe for the first time, or if you already have some experiences with the Green Fairy. The selection of brands is sometimes overwhelming, and it is hard to decide which Absinthe to buy. Above, you find a list of products we can highly recommend buying. They are especially good, if you are new to the world of Absinthe. Because these Absinthes are the real thing with wormwood, no artificial coloring or other adding, but tastewise not too extreme. We also include an Absinthe accessories set, because drinking Absinthe is about the right preparation. It is part of the authentic experience.
Placing an order is safe and convenient, as we accept PayPal, credit cards and bank transfer payments. We ship all of our Absinthes to the USA, Japan, Australia, Germany and many other countries. Within Europe, we can unfortunately only ship accessories (no alcohol, as excise duty products are not allowed to be shipped within the EU). All Absinthe orders to the USA are shipped via DHL Airmail. Shipping takes 5-10 business days, depending on the final destination. The shipments are fully trackable, and the delivery is 100% guaranteed, meaning that you will get your order safe and sound, or we will refund you your money. This is the trusted 100% ALANDIA Delivery Guarantee which is included in our prices. You do not have to pay extra for this premium service. There is absolutely nothing you have to worry about if you buy Absinthe at ALANDIA. Especially as we are in business for more than 20 years and serve 30,000+ satisfied Absintheurs around the world. We wish you a good time browsing through our online store, welcome to the world of Absinthe, welcome to ALANDIA - the place where to buy real Absinthe online!
To get started, we recommend buying our bestselling Absinthe Strong68, which is as well available for sale in our 20th anniversary limited edition. Strong68 is, as the name suggests, a strong Absinthe, made according to a traditional recipe from the 19th century. Distillation takes place in France (Europe) at a small-batch distillery from 1859. The wormwood for this Absinthe is locally grown at the fields of the distillery. This guarantees authenticity and best quality. The color of Strong68 is naturally green, solely deriving from the coloring herbs. Maison ALANDIA is our house brand. This original Absinthe has a very complex recipe and taste (it is distilled with 16 herbs and spices) and comes with a classic alcohol percentage of 68%. It is a very good Absinthe if you are looking for highest quality and complexity. A popular Absinthe is as well Mansinthe, the official brand of the artist Marilyn Manson or Hamlet Classic Green in a skull bottle. If you want to taste authenticity, try one of the Jade Absinthes made by Ted Breaux. Our favorite is Jade Verte Suisse.
The green Absinthes ALANDIA Verte and Absinthe Heritage Verte are as well a recommended purchase. ALANDIA Verte is a very original Absinthe and its smooth flavor profile makes it very suitable for beginners. Heritage Verte Absinthe has the same alcoholic volume but uses an aromatic wine alcohol base, which gives this delicious Green Fairy liquor a nice Cognac note in the finish. Both Absinthes were awarded at the International Spirits Competition in 2023 (ISW). ALANDIA Verte was the best Absinthe, winning the gold medal. Heritage followed with a silver medal.
Overall, we have so many good Absinthes for sale, that you should take your time and browse through our authentic selection of real Absinthes. Absinthe reviews written by Absintheurs for Absintheurs are available for many brands. They will help you find the best Absinthe at the right price. Just check the detailed product description pages and you will see the reviews. Of course, you can also consult our bestseller list. We also recommend buying original Absinthe accessories like Absinthe Spoons, Absinthe Glasses and Absinthe Fountains while visiting our online store. The right accessories add so much nostalgia and excitement to the ritual. With them, you will experience the Green Fairy the original way, enjoy your journey!
Absinthe can be described as a spirit of wormwood. Typically of green color, with a high alcoholic strength of 50-68% (100-136 proof). You should not confuse Absinthe with vermouth. The latter is not a distilled spirit, it is a wine-based macerate made with herbs and spices including wormwood but no thujone. Real Absinthe is different, it is a distilled liquor and contains thujone (read more about Absinthe with thujone in our article). Besides artemisia absinthium, the wormwood specie that is used for real Absinthe, the green spirit is made of fennel and green aniseed. Other popular flavouring substances are lemon balm and hyssop or even more natural ingredients such as calamus, angelica root, vanilla, coriander, nutmeg and veronica. But the trio of wormwood, green anise and fennel is almost a must in any ingredient list of true Absinthe recipes. These three main ingredients are therefore as well responsible for the fresh taste of Absinthe, while the other herbs and spices round off the drinking experience. If you want to learn more about how to make Absinthe visit our Blog.
Absinthe typically has a green color. But there are also the so called "Blanches" or "La Bleues" for sale on the market. These Absinthes are clear, as the coloration step after distillation is skipped. The result is a very smooth taste as these liquors do not have the bitter compounds of the coloring herbs in it. There are also Absinthes in different colors available for sale. For example the black Absinthe Hamlet Hardcore. It is a modern interpretation of the Green Fairy, as the wormwood liquor is often associated with mystical worlds. But the real thing is still a green Absinthe with natural coloration.
The original way of drinking Absinthe is the so-called "French Absinthe Ritual" with water and sugar. It is the way how you should prepare your glass of Absinthe. The focus of this preparation method is set on the “Louche”, the change of color once the green spirit is mixed with ice-cold water. Despite popular belief, the original way of serving Absinthe does not include fire. The “Fire Ritual” where a sugar cubes gets soaked with Absinthe and is lit up is not historically authentic and we do not recommend it. In simple words, do not burn your Absinthe. It destroys the fine flavor of the green spirit and is as well quite dangerous.
Following the recommended classic French Absinthe Ritual, you start with pouring some Absinthe (30 ml / 1 oz) out of a water carafe or Absinthe fountain into the glass. Then an Absinthe spoon with one or two sugar cubes is placed on the rim and iced water is poured over the sugar into the glass. The sugar cube dissolves, water blends with Absinthe and the green liquor begins to louche in white sages. Your glass of Absinthe is prepared after adding approx. 120 ml / 4 oz of water. In our Absinthe Ritual video you will notice, that we pour as well some Absinthe over the sugar cube. You can do it as well, it is a little trick. The sugar cube dissolves a little bit slower, when it is soaked with Absinthe / alcohol.
As you probably know, Absinthe (or Absynthe, an alternative spelling) was banned at the beginning of the 20th century. Fortunately, since 1998 making, sale and consumption of Absinthe in the European Union and a short time later in all other countries of the world is legal again (as well in the US, imported Absinthe and locally made brands). But what actually led to the ban of the Green Fairy? There are some stubborn rumors about this, which is why we would like to tell you the true reasons about the Absinthe ban.
At the beginning of the 20th century, Absinthe and with it wormwood was increasingly stigmatized as a drink that makes people crazy and violent. It was assumed that excessive consumption of Absinthe led to mental confusion and even hallucinations, which were caused by the nerve poison thujone contained in wormwood. In high doses and over a longer period of time, irreversible nerve and brain damage is the result. However, more recent studies of the 21st century refute this harmful effect of drinking Absinthe. Rather, it is assumed that any side effects that may occur when drinking some glasses of Absinthe can be attributed mainly to the very high alcohol content of Absinthe of 45% to 74%. In addition, the "cheap" Absinthe brands that were widespread at that time contained toxic chemicals like methanol, copper sulfate and zinc sulfate. With these chemicals, Absinthe was often artificially colored green, which was cheaper and easier than using natural coloring herbs. But of course toxic.
The decisive factor for the negative propaganda that ultimately led to the ban of Absinthe was a spectacular murder in 1905. Mr. Jean Lanfray, a Swiss farmer with a severe alcohol problem, murdered his pregnant wife and his two little daughters in an intoxication with alcohol. Horrified by the brutality of the murders, a culprit was quickly found: The devilish liquor Absinthe! Because Mr. Lanfray had drunk - beside various glasses of wine and cognac - as well a glass of Absinthe. A welcomed information for the prohibitionists, now they had a media-effective event, which justified their interests to forbid the high-percentage alcoholic drink. The story seemed clear at first glance: Absinthe makes you crazy. However, the farmer had already drunk a lot of (other) alcohol that evening. This fact, however, was deliberately concealed in the sense of an intended ban of the wormwood spirit. In addition, the wine industry also advocated a ban. Their sales had declined strongly due to the phylloxera that had invaded Europe, as the poor harvest led to an increase in the prices of wine and cognac. The Absinthe producers were new competitors on the market, whose one could get rid of by a prohibition of the drink comfortably. Therefore, false research, economic interests as well as a general advance of the prohibitionists were the real reasons for the ban of the Green Fairy.