In 1981, Marie-Claude Delahaye, founder and creator of the Absinthe Museum; chanced upon a slotted spoon at a flea market. “How can anybody possibly eat with a slotted spoon?”, she asked herself. The stall owner told her it was to drink absinthe. Marie-Claude didn’t know anything about absinthe at the time. Accused of being hallucinogenic, absinthe is a distilled anise-flavored spirit. Traditionally, the spirit is green from the inclusion of green anise, and this is where the nickname, “la fée verte” or “The Green Fairy” comes from. For alcoholism-related public health reasons, absinthe had been banned in 1915. The prohibited alcohol immediately intrigued Marie-Claude. We spoke with Marie-Claude to understand her deep relationship with the green fairy.
The making of an immersive experience
The over consumption of absinthe led to nervous disorders; which the Academy of Medicine called ‘absinthism‘. As a researcher in Cell Biology, this health aspect of absinthe fascinated Marie. She published her first book in 1984 titled ‘Absinthe, History of the Green Fairy’. The book has even been awarded by the Academy of Medicine. By now, Marie had started collecting everything related to absinthe.
After several travelling exhibitions, she installed her collection at Auvers-sur-Ois. This is a village which is about 40 kilometres from Paris. Several impressionist painters, including Vincent and Theo Van Gogh lived (and are buried) here. The impressionists, Van Gogh and absinthe; a whole era can be found in the museum which displays objects, drawings; posters and paintings related to absinthe. Visitors can taste absinthe at the museum. Marie demonstrates the correct way to enjoy absinthe, poured over a sugar cube. She uses an absinthe ‘fountain’, an engaging, interactive and communal way for an unforgettable tasting experience.
Triumphs and turbulence
At the very beginning, one of the bigger challenges was to make people understand why the museum is located in Auvers-sur-Oise. Today, we are familiar with the absinthe-related works of several artists including Manet, Toulouse-Lautrec, Van Gogh. The museum has acquired its legitimacy.
If I had to start over I wouldn’t change anything. This absinthe adventure brought me a lot of satisfaction. I’ve met a lot of interesting people from all over the world. – Marie-Claude Delahaye, Founder, Musée de l’Absinthe, Auvers-sur-Oise
The museum is now 26 years old and even houses a very beautiful sculpture by César. Along with George Rowley, a British entrepreneur, Marie-Claude challenged the 80 year-old ban through the European court and won. In 2000, they launched the first traditionally distilled absinthe commercially produced in France since 1915 called La Fée Parisienne. One of her fondest memories is being approached by Francis Ford Coppola. He requested to feature Marie-Claude’s absinthe spoon in his film Dracula in 1992.
Marie-Claude’s curiosity, fascination and passion wafts through the museum which reopens its doors to the public in early 2021. The next time you’re in France, take a trip to Auvers-sur-Oise and say hello to the Green Fairy herself. And if you’re lucky, she’ll even serve up some aromatic magic in the traditional way.
Translated from French. Immersive Food Experiences – An exploration of the food-inspired experiential pop-up phenomenon across the globe. If you’ve experienced an immersive space of food – let us know! Tell us about your experience at info@sugarandspace.in
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