Yo - yeah I can provide you with the definitive answer on this. Absinthe was originally distilled in Switzerland and then France. Absinthe was traditionally drank with 1 part absinthe : 4 parts chilled water poured over a sugar cube on a perforated silver spoon. They did not set the liquor on fire. When the production ban on absinthe came into force, the distillers Paul Ricard and Pernod (who originally produced Pernod Fils absinthe) started to produce a similarly flavoured drinks named Pastis and Pernod respectively. Later these distillers merged to form Pernod-Ricard. This is the source of the Pernod we drink today. Until recently this was the closest thing to absinthe that was available. In the 1990s some drinks pertaining to be absinthe were distilled in Spain and the Czech Republic. These bore little or similarity to the original product, other than they contained wormwood. In my opinion, the closest thing to authentic absinthe currently available is produced by Ted Breaux at Jade Liqueurs. Ted is a microbiologist who spent years researching absinthe, including purchasing bottles of vintage absinthe at auctions and running them through his GC/MS machine in order to determine their composition. He has also purchased wholesale much of the equipment, including the stills used by the original manufacturers. His absinthes are meticulous recreations right down to the bottle. To all intents and purposes they are genuine authentic absinthe. The story is very interesting. To the best of my knowledge The Moorings is the only bar in Scotland currently stocking Jade Liqueurs Absinthes, although you can also purchase them on-line. You can read about Ted Breaux here, the article helps dispel as few myths: Wired 13.11: The Mystery of the Green Menace As an aside, the reason absinthe was banned was not due to any profound hallucinogenic quality (other than that which we may experience with other forms of alcohol), it was more to do with the social impact of the drink. A similar thing occurred in London approx 150 years before the banning absinthe, known as The London Gin Craze, or The London Gin Scourge, you can read about this here: Gin Craze - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Of course the next big thing is the Aberdeen Ear Bud Menace...