When I read Hemingway’s wonderful dialogue-based story Hills Like White Elephants, I wondered about absinthe, which gets a small mention. Absinthe was banned in the United States and many European countries early in the 20th century. Some entrepreneurial Londoners discovered in 1998 that it had not been legally banned in Britain and began importing absinthe from the Czech Republic. So bar patrons can order up a drink containing the 140 proof liquor with its scant traces of wormwood, which give it supposed hallucinogenic qualities. In a New York Times article, Amanda Hesser details her experiences with the potent fluid. (Update: Regular reader Steve says you can try ordering Deva absinthe at http://www.spiritscorner.com/, a Spanish site.)