Absinthe, the mysterious forbidden liquor that's garnered a fabled status over the past century, has found a new refuge in State College.

The beverage, often referred to as the "Green Fairy" for its dazzling green shade, was a favorite among French bohemians in the late 19th century before being banned in several countries including France and Switzerland for its severe potency. The liquor, however, has enjoyed a rebirth of sorts in the United States — particularly in State College.

"We've had (absinthe) in stock for a year or so," said Al Pettina, manager of Wine and Spirits, 1688 Atherton St.

"There are a lot more people asking about it than there are people buying it," Pettina said. "It's fairly expensive if you're simply looking to experiment."

Though enjoying a slight resurgence in popularity among alcohol consumers, speculation remains on the true effects of the extremely potent cocktail.

"I've heard it drives you insane," Pettina said jokingly.

A 25-ounce bottle of the bitter, black licorice-tasting beverage averages $40 a bottle, and is "75 percent alcohol by volume, or 150 proof," said Tara Murtha, an alcohol, tobacco and other drug (ATOD) peer educator with the Health Works Peer Education Program. "So it's pretty safe to say it's strong."

Murtha said that absinthe is composed of wormwood, an element the Food and Drug Administration found to be "unsafe" in 1975 and that wormwood itself contains thujone (pronounced thoo-jone) — an additive that "has psycho-active effects, similar to those that marijuana induces on the mind and body."

The absinthe being distributed in State College, however, is of a decidedly more domestic manner.

"The distillation process removes most, if not all, of the toxicity of the wormwood in well-made absinthe," according to The Absinthe Forum (www.sepulchritude.com/chapelperilous/absinthe/index.html), a Web site devoted to the history of absinthe.

"The ingredients aren't ever listed on the bottle, but I'm willing to bet that the product sold over in Europe is the same that we put out here," Pettina said. "Producers are basically using the 'absinthe' name to sell it."

Despite being available in State College, absinthe has yet to become a common fixture on liquor store shelves along the likes of wine and hard alcohol.

"We don't carry it at all," said Bob Scott, manager of Wine and Spirits, 2051 S. Atherton St. "Over a 25-year span, two people have asked about it."

Pettina explained that absinthe is a "specialty item" that isn't readily carried in stock in his store. "It's generally purchased through a special order," he said. "The state keeps it in low stock so as to get better distribution throughout the commonwealth."

Several erroneous assumptions clouded the facts surrounding absinthe, leading to its banishment in Europe and the United States in the early 20th century, according to The Absinthe Forum.

"The hysteria surrounding absinthe in the early 20th century fueled the misconception that absinthe is a wild intoxicant, caused hallucinations that drove men 'mad,' threw them into convulsions, and made (Vincent) Van Gogh slice off his ear," the Web site said.

Recently, absinthe was thrust into the spotlight with last year's movie, Moulin Rouge, which is being shown this weekend as part of the Graduate Student Association's Café film show. The film, which will be shown at 6:45 and 9 Friday and Saturday nights in 112 Kern, depicts artists and actors in 1880s France gulping copious amounts of the drink and hallucinating wildly.