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What is Absinthe?

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Absinthe is a beverage with a kind of a history: it was said that I could make you hallucinate. There are stories that famous painter Vincent van Gogh cut off his ear under the influence of absinthe. The chemical compound thujone which is present in absinthe was blamed for these effects and the reason it was banned in the United States and several European countries in 1915. Recent studies show that this spirit is not any more dangerous than any other spirit.

Since the 1990s it has become a more popular drink, due to the lifting of the ban. Absinthe itself is high in alcohol (45% tot 74%) and is anise flavoured. It is derived from botanicals, flowers and leaves, anise, fennel and other herbs. Traditional absinthe has a green colour but is also available without colour. Because of the stories of hallucination and the green colour it is often referred to as The Green Fairy.

Want to know more about Absinthe check out Absinthe 101

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Dry January

What is Dry January?

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Dry January is a custom of abstaining from alcohol for the month of January

Dry January is a custom of abstaining from alcohol for the month of January, invented by Liam Kelly while at University in the early 90s, particularly practised in the United Kingdom

The custom, as a formal entity, appears to be relatively recent, being described as having sprung up in recent years even in 2014. Although the Finnish government launched a campaign called Sober January already in 1942 as part of its war effort. The term Dry January was registered as a trademark by the charity Alcohol Concern in mid-2014; the first ever Dry January campaign by Alcohol Concern occurred in January 2013. In the leadup to the January 2015 campaign, for the first time Alcohol Concern partnered with Public Health England.

In January 2014 according to Alcohol Concern, which initiated the campaign, over 17,000 Britons stopped drinking for that month. While there is controversy as to the efficacy and benefits of the practice, a 2014 survey by the University of Sussex found that six months following January 2014, out of 900 surveyed participants in the custom, 72% had kept harmful drinking episodes down and 4% were still not drinking.

Source: Wikipedia

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