A pretty perforated metal spoon sits on a glass with a sugar cube on top. The absinthe waits patiently at the bottom for you to gently turn the tap and release the merest trickle of iced water. Drip, drip, drip, with every drop of water the oils are released and the liquid magically transforms, like the fairy, from a clear liquor to a cloudy and sweetly perfumed liquid ready to be sipped and savoured. Is it dangerous or hallucinogenic? No, that’s just propaganda allowing it to be banned in the early 1900’s. That being said, the wormwood which is a main component of Absinthe does have a gentle relaxing effect on the mind and body, which is probably why it was so sought after by some of the most noted artists and writers around Europe from that time in history.

So why are we talking so much about this spirit? It’s because at Absinthesalon Melbourne, that’s pretty much all you’ll get to drink and the story is very important because it is intrinsically linked to its owners. This is a bar created with passion, owned by husband and wife Vince Marino and Rebecca Lombardo, one a builder, one an interior designer. Both highly creative, motivated and wanting to transform their lives, they moved from Sydney to share their favourite drink with our city. In Fitzroy they have created the most unique space reminiscent of a beautiful little Parisian cafe or bar, filled with wicker chairs, murals on the walls and tulip flowers hanging precariously from the ceiling. There is a sense of calm here, it’s a silence you embrace because you know it should be so. The little tables have a shared water fountain in the centre and everybody gets to have their own absinthe experience. You have 36 to choose from, each with a story and most unavailable anywhere else, but just remember the house rule, you can only have three in one sitting. This place isn’t about over indulging, it’s a celebration of a very misunderstood spirit and one which should get far more recognition than it does.

The fairy’s enchanting green glow washes over the venue and spills out onto the street, like a beacon of light drawing you inside. Allow yourself to fall under her spell, indulge in her magical scented potion and be transported to a place that may feel like bohemian Paris but is unmistakably Absinthesalon Melbourne.