"Absinthe," by Edgar Degas

Absinthe

Absinthe, the strong anise liquor that has inspired writers, painters, and, some say, murderers, is no longer legal in the United States.

Although it's a distillation of a combination of countless roots, seeds, barks, leaves, and herbs, Artemisia absinthium, or wormwood, is widely considered to give the drink its reported narcotic and addicting qualities.

Following the ban on wormwood (and using the word absinthe for any brew that doesn't contain wormwood), both commercial absinthe substitutes, such as Pernod, and a small group of home absinthe producers have appeared to fill the gap.