The Most Famous Absinthe Drinkers Who Were Writers

Absinthe is notoriously connected to creativity. Many infamous writers have proclaimed Absinthe as a creative writing tool. The Green Fairy has been credited with giving them the creative boost they needed to produce some of their most famous works.

While Absinthe's effects on the mind are still debated, there is no doubt that this mystifying liquor has profoundly impacted the world of art. During the Belle Époque period, the Green Fairy became a popular drink of choice for artists and writers. In fact, in Paris, the five o'clock evening hour was known as l'heure verte, the Green Hour, because cafes would be full of people drinking Absinthe.

Famous Absinthe drinkers who were also authors include Oscar Wilde, Ernest Hemingway, and Charles Baudelaire. The Green Fairy has been credited with giving them the creative boost they needed to produce some of their most famous works. Let's explore some of these authors.

Which Writers Danced with the Green Fairy?

Oscar Wilde (1854 - 1900)

Wilde is one of the most quotable authors in our history. With his natural wit and celebrity status, Wilde was a popular and well-loved author. Wilde produced novels, short stories, poems, and stage plays with The Picture of Dorian Gray being his most well-known book. Wilde was a an avid Absinthe drinker and is noted for saying the following:

Ernest Hemingway (1899 - 1953)

Best known for his long-winded stories like The Sun Also Rises and For Whom the Bell Tolls, he is also well known for his adventurous life. Hemingway was a fan of many cocktails but enjoyed Absinthe the most. He even invented the Death in the Afternoon cocktail, named after his collection of bull fighting stories.

Alfred Jarry (1873 - 1907)

Alfred Jarry was an eccentric personality who frequented the literary salons of Paris. A dramatist and satirist, Jarry published stories, novels, and poems and was a French symbolist writer. Jarry enjoyed Absinthe so much that he allegedly called it the Green Goddess. It's rumored he rode his bicycle around town with his face painted green in celebration of Absinthe.

Guy de Maupassant (1850 -1893)

Guy de Maupassant was a 19th-century author praised for his talent with short stories. He is often credited as the father of the modern short story. De Maupassant wrote a short story called A Queer Night in Paris, where one of the characters drinks so much Absinthe, he waltzes with a chair. In this short story, de Maupassant also describes the feelings Absinthe aroused while meandering the streets of Paris. 

The next time you sit down to write, raise a glass to the Green Fairy and see where she takes you!

Need some inspiration on how to drink Absinthe? Check out my blog post 10 Absinthe Cocktails for Any Occasion. And don't forget to order a bottle of Absinthia's Absinthe for your home bar!