I was reading about La Fée absinthe — the green fairy that once got banned, then got trendy, then got forgotten again, like most things that try too hard to be mysterious.
Now La Martiniquaise-Bardinet, a French spirits group that knows how to move bottles without making eye contact, has taken over UK distribution. No fanfare. No green smoke. Just logistics and shelf space.
La Fée started in Pontarlier, where absinthe was born and nearly died. It’s been around since 2000 — young for absinthe, ancient for marketing departments. Whether British pubs will pour it straight or drown it in sugar and water remains to be seen. I’ve seen both. Neither ends well before 2 a.m.
