Post #375269 by jacflash on Tue, Apr 22, 2008 4:35 AM

Hi y'all -

I joined up to learn more about rum and tiki drinks, but absinthe is something I've got a fair bit of experience with, so here goes my first post. I second what others have said here -- the kits are a joke, terrible, not worth the time. Making real absinthe requires fresh herbs, not dried ones, and a still, and a lot of patience and experience. Imagine trying to make rum at home by shaking brown sugar with cheap vodka...

If you're curious about the stuff, skip the tea and get a bottle of Lucid (which is more of a classic nuanced absinthe than Kubler -- Kubler is a huge blast of anise, sort of a Swiss moonshine-absinthe gone legit, interesting but not the best starting point IMO) and prepare it following the label directions (diluting 4:1 or so with icy cold water dripped in slowly, with or without a sugar cube in the dripping water's path). Lucid isn't as good as the very best European-market absinthes, but it is quite good, and thoroughly authentic -- and widely available, at least here in MA.

If you like it and want to explore further, hit absintheonline.com and order something more complex -- the Jades are probably still the best on the world market right now, though the competition is intensifying. Enjoy!