In 2007, after being banned for almost a century, absinthe became legal in the United States. The re-evaluation came after European distillers pressured American officials to conduct real research on the supposed deleterious effects of the herbal liqueur. With scientific data debunking the common public misconception that traditional absinthe caused hallucinations or had toxic side effects, the U.S. government lifted the ban and brought glee to American absinthe connoisseurs and distillers. But among the general public, many of the myths still prevail. To help set the record straight, Laurence Liss, Web Editor for Outside's Go, went to Alameda, California, to speak with Lance Winters, distiller at St. George Spirits, the first American absinthe producer in nearly 100 years.
