Post #252096 by twitch on Sat, Sep 2, 2006 5:00 PM

Canada is one of the countries where absinthe is legal(ish) - but the real deal is rare to find. I picked one out of three brands the main liquor branch in Vancouver had (mid-priced, from France) called Absente. Didn't realize til later that there was no wormwood or thujone content inside, even if the very NAME of the stuff practically screams it out for the buyer (roommate stamped a big 'Duh' on my forehead over that one).
Bought some actual powdered wormwood from an herbalist nearby to see if I could conjure an approximation, but haven't found the time for the research (probably do it around Halloween).
Haven't actually cracked the Absente for a taste - I did, however, try a raw pinch of the wormwood. Hey, I'll try anything once - I'll lick the sidewalk if someone says "Hmm, wonder what THAT tastes like?", but raw wormwood is a big no-no. Honestly, the first thought was to grab the jigsaw and separate myself from my tongue as fast as possible.

...OK, my curiosity got too piqued, so I cracked the Absente.
Good little kick to it, tastes like concentrated German licorice with a hint of some citrus.

Not nearly as horrible as I was expecting. This was straight from the bottle, tho' - no extras thrown in.
Can't wait to experiment!