The Absinthe Forger: A Tale of Fraud and the Fascinating World of Absinthe

Evan Rail's book, The Absinthe Forger, delves into two parallel narratives: an investigation into the world of absinthe and the mentality of an accused forger. Absinthe is made from the herb grand wormwood and was invented in Switzerland over two centuries ago. Consumption of the drink increased fifteen-fold in France between 1875 and 1913. The book explores the banning of absinthe in Switzerland and France in the early 1900s and the practice of finding and reselling bottles of pre-ban absinthe, which can be lucrative but also lead to fraud. The book also covers online absinthe communities, distillers, and the vagaries of human nature.