With an extensive collection of absinthe through the years, absinthe spoons, absinthe cocktail recipes, and absinthe fountains – this gallery explores the world of absinthe. Founded by Raymond Bordelon, it is devoted solely to the education and preservation of this unique spirit. The Southern Food and Beverage Museum’s La Galerie de l'Absinthe is only one of its kind in the U.S. In early 2004, decades after Repeal Day, the original bar from the Old Absinthe House was returned to its 240 Bourbon Street home and currently resides in the adjacent, speakeasy-style cocktail bar, Belle Époque. This speakeasy operation was known as "The Absinthe House Bar” and served bootleg booze. At the start of Prohibition, The original Absinthe House bar and all of its fixtures were moved to 400 Bourbon Street in order to preserve it.
For the next forty years, the store was home to the bartering of food, tobacco and Spanish liquor, and functioned as a typical "corner grocery." In 1815, the ground floor was converted into a saloon known as "Aleix's Coffee House," later rechristened "The Absinthe Room" when mixologist Cayetano Ferrer created the famous Absinthe House Frappe there in 1874 - which became a favorite for Mark Twain and Oscar Wilde. The Original Old Absinthe House is an iconic building on the corner of Bienville and Bourbon Streets was initially erected by Pedro Front and Francisco Juncadelia of Barcelona to house their importing firm. However, it has long been rumored to cause hallucinations – giving it the nickname “The Green Fairy.” The Original Old Absinthe House Because of its high alcohol percentage, it was made illegal in the United States in 1912, only to be made legal again in 2007. Absinthe is a spirit derived from botanicals, including the flowers and leaves of Artemisia absinthium, together with green anise, sweet fennel, and other herbs.