ABSINTHE  , a liqueur or aromatized spirit, the characteristic flavouring

matter of which is derived from various species of wormwood (Artemisia absinthium) . Among the other substances generally employed in its- manufacture are angelica root, sweet flag, dittany leaves, star-anise fruit, fennel and hyssop . A colourless " alcoholate " (see LIQUEURS) is first prepared, and to this the well-known green colour of the beverage is imparted by maceration with green leaves of wormwood, hyssop and mint . Inferior varieties are made by means of essences, the distillation process being omitted . There are two varieties of absinthe, the French and the Swiss, the latter of which is of a higher alcoholic strength than the former . The best absinthe contains 7o to 8o% of alcohol . It is said to improve very materially by storage . There is a popular belief to the effect that absinthe is frequently adulterated with copper, indigo or other dye-stuffs (to impart the green colour), but, in fact, this is now very rarely the case . There is some reason to believe that excessive absinthe-drinking leads to effects which are specifically worse than those associated with over-indulgence in other forms of alcohol .