The potent liquor absinthe made its Los Angeles comeback at the Green Door on November 14, after a centurylong ban in the United States. Organizers created a speakeasy vibe that took guests back to absinthe’s inaugural year. “We wanted to create the 1863 feel, bring the authentic feeling of absinthe to life, and have the absinthe energy in an old-world way,” said W.L. Lyons Brown, C.E.O. of Altamar Ventures, which is responsible for importing the product.
Kübler Absinthe played on the liquor's nickname, "the green fairy," by bringing in scantily clad performers to walk around the venue with the Kübler logo painted on their chests. “Absinthe has been called ‘dancing with the green fairy,’ or ‘the green muse,’ and we want to own that idea,” Brown said. New venue the Green Door offered appropriate decor, with its long green drapes and a green carpet.
At table demonstrations, staffers taught guests how to pour an absinthe cocktail with a specialized spoon, mineral water, and sugar, and allowed them to witness the transformation of clear absinthe to opalescence. Expert mixologists, including Kübler’s own Nick Gallegos, were on hand to conjure cocktails with the newly legalized liquor.
