March 13, I was invited to attend an Absinthe unveiling party and demonstration, The Green Hour, at Morton's Steakhouse in Phoenix. Everybody's favorite steakhouse has now added Pernod Absinthe to their bottomless liquor cabinet, and I pushed aside the fears of green fairy hallucinations to give the glorious green spirit a whirl.

Once illegal and since forgotten, the cloudy green cocktail is now back in action in the US, thanks to Pernod, the first-ever producer of Absinthe. After a brief history lesson and demonstration from Pernod Brand Manager Brian Eckert, we were able to sample several Absinthe cocktails and accompanying appetizers, all of which are now available at Morton's.