Absinthe, nicknamed the Fée Verte ('The Green Fairy') or also nicknamed the Green Devil, is an alcoholic drink with a slight anise flavor, with a bitter background of complex tints due to the contribution of the herbs it contains, mainly Artemisia absinthium. When cold water and sugar are added, the drink transforms into the milky essence (louche). It started out as an elixir in Switzerland, but it was in France that it became popular due to the association between artists and writers who drank this drink in late 19th century Paris until its production was banned in 1915.