absinthe

This bitter distilled alcoholic beverage (about 140 proof), popular early in the 20th century was flavored with aromatic herbs including wormwood (Artemisia absinthium), angelica root, star anise, dittany leaves, licorice, hyssop, sweet flag and others. Henri-Lous Pernod began producing it commercially in 1797, but it was first concocted by French Dr. Ordinaire. Its production has been prohibited in many countries based on the belief that it may cause brain damage (absinthism) over and above that which can result from alcohol alone resulting from the neurotoxic substance alpha-thujone (GABA type A receptor and GABA gated chloride channel modulator) which is found in oil of wormwood.

Also: Abisante, absente, absinth, abson, absynthe, anisette, la Fée Verte, green fairy, herbaaint, mistra, ojen, oxygene, Pernod

Books and Other Media:
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Bataille, Christophe & Howard, Richard (Translator) Absinthe Hardcover 1999
Children of the Century Juliette Binoche, Benoît Magimel, Stefano Dionisi 1999
Conrad, Barnaby Absinthe - History in a Bottle Paperback 1997
Crowley, Aleister Absinthe - The Green Goddess Paperback 1994

French Cancan Jean Gabin, Françoise Arnoul 1956

From Hell DVD Johnny Depp, Heather Graham 2001
Lanier, Doris Absinthe the Cocaine of the Nineteenth Century - A History of the Hallucinogenic Drug and Its Effect on Artitsts and Writers in Europe and the United Hardcover 1995

Man in the Attic Jack Palance, Constance Smith, Byron Palmer 1953

Midnight in Paris Owen Wilson, Rachel McAdams, Kathy Bates, Adrien Brody, Carla Bruni, Marion Cotillard 2011
Moulin Rouge Nicole Kidman, Ewan McGregor 2001
My Mother's Castle Julien Ciamaca, Philippe Caubère, Nathalie Roussel, and Didier Pain 1991