"The First round of Absynthe" Absynthe, a drink with a long and controversial history, enjoyed its greatest popularity in late 19th century Paris. Vincent Van Gogh, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, Paul Verlaine, Ernest Hemmingway and Oscar Wilde were among its most ardent fans, and heralded Absynthe for it's "inspirational" qualities. While some say it that drinking absynthe is a precursor to creating great painting and literature, I say that drinking absynthe is a precursor to getting drunk and throwing up. This was the first round (of far too many) with my friends Jeff, Ty, and Lee. I spent the following day, for the most part, horizontally.