Post #562804 by Mr. Moto on Mon, Nov 1, 2010 6:04 AM

Conrad's book is a fun read, but it's woefully out of date (hard to believe it was published 13 years ago!). For a more up-to-date reference, I'd recommend the recently published book, A Taste for Absinthe, by Guthrie and Thompson. It's nominally a book of classic and modern cocktail recipes that use absinthe, but it's also quite a nice introduction to the spirit, with little of the usual misinformation and myth-mongering (absinthe is a drug, causes hallucinations, etc) one often finds in books on absinthe.

I'd also recommend that anyone interested in learning more about absinthe check out the Wormwood Society, which is the premiere website for absinthe information, product reviews, and more.

Finally, I'd point out that in the past 2-3 years, a number of genuine, high-quality American absinthes have entered the market, including Pacifique, Delaware Phoenix Walton Waters, Delaware Phoenix Meadow of Love, Marteau Absinthe de la Belle Epoque, Vieux Carre, Leopold Brothers, and Ridge Verte and Blanche. All of these are the equal of anything coming out of Europe today; most can be found through online retailers like Drink Up New York. Best of all, most work fabulously well in tiki drinks!

Whatever you do, take Torch Guy's advice and avoid Eastern European "absinth" like the plague. Not only is it outrageously expensive, most of it is vile dreck that's not even properly distilled--it's horribly bitter, artificially colored, and doesn't louche. Guaranteed to ruin your Zombie or Jet Pilot. A good rule of thumb to follow: if the brand you're considering hypes its "high thujone content," run in the other direction.