Tucked away behind a psychic readings storefront, Employees Only, the West Village memorial to the speakeasy, celebrated last night not just the 81st anniversary of the end of Prohibition, but also its own 10th anniversary. Between the libations, the jazz band and the burlesque dancers, revelers might have forgotten what decade it was. And there was a distinct element of yuletide cheer about the night’s knockout drink, the absinthe punch. Somewhere between the Champagne, cucumber and nutmeg, an urge to sing “Auld Lang Syne” bubbled forth. “We don’t do any punches, usually,” the bar’s manager, Steve Schneider, said, “but every year we get the punch bowls out of storage and make it happen.”

American views of absinthe, both popular and political, have historically been alarmist. A chemical called thujone found in the drink was the excuse for a longstanding ban. In truth, the sage leaves in turkey stuffing have about as much thujone as absinthe does, and that never drove anyone crazy (unless Black Friday counts). The infamous “green fairy” effect? That refers to the louche, the white “cloud” that forms when sugar water is added to an absinthe cocktail.

It wasn’t until 2007, however, that absinthe finally became widely available again, when the U.S. Alcohol Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau announced the legality of versions containing fewer than 10 parts per million of thujone. “For a little while, I didn’t want it to be legal,” said Lance Winters, who makes St. George Absinthe Verte in California. “I really enjoyed it being a scofflaw product!”

Even today, temperance-era propaganda like Edgar Degas’s “L’Absinthe,” which depicts a despondent Parisienne in front of a glass of the green liquid, still holds sway. Many a college graduate still shares cautionary tales from semesters abroad in Prague. “It took all of my time and energy to explain to people you drink it because it tastes good,” Winters said.