Three years ago, Johnny’s Half Shell co-owner Johnny Fulchino was at a Southern Foodways Alliance event when he heard absinthe codebreaker, fanatic and microbiologist Ted Breaux talk about the Green Fairy, absinthe. It piqued his interested in adding a program to Half Shell, but absinthe only became legal in the U.S. in 2007. When his business partner, Chef Ann Cashion, and original Abita brewmaster Brooks Hamaker discovered an old absinthe fountain in New Orleans and numerous notable absinthes starting flowing into the country, he began working on it in earnest.

Absinthe’s reputation precedes itself. The drink of bohemians and degenerates, it was supposed to cause hallucinations and absinthe madness. But recent scientific research demonstrated that the levels of the hallucinogen, thujone, were low in pre-ban bottles of absinthe, and hypothesized that absinthe’s reputation was due to its high levels of alcohol and that the most noted imbibers were alcoholics. But if you do it right, as Fulchino explained, it’s a way to kick back, have a little fun, and get your appetite going or rest after a big meal.