Absinthe... discuss.

In my opinion, you should pay 30 to 80 euros. Shipping is excessive however. I have to take four trips to Europe per year in the wine trade. I just pick up a new bottle or two while I am there each time. I realize that other people don't have that option realistically.
Some of the prices on the web are just scandalous. Making a hundred bucks for facilitating a bottle online seems to be a rip-off. By the way, there are many fantastic pastis brands besides Absente, and spiking with wormwood/thunjone extract can be a poorman's substitute. Do not worry if you have a drug test scrutinized job which requires urine sampling. Thunjone or properly alpha-thujone does NOT have a THC (cannabinoid) structure and will not trip a positive. I know the urban legend.
A-Thunjone has a similar molecular structure to menthol, a-pinene, eucalyptol, camphor and other monoterpenes. A-Thunjone is now known to modulate only an entirely different receptor site, the GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid) system. GABA moderates the firing of neural synapses; a-thujone mildly antagonizes such inhibition. Strangely, when I drink one or two louches, I feel alert and highly in tuned although buzzed. One night, we drank five louches with some heavy drinking Czech friends. Admittedly, we also drank many shots of Becherovka. After we retired Kim and I argued very much, and with much more intensity and emotion than what is normal. She won't drink Absinthe with me anymore. I believe you should respect the power of this spirit, and moderate your imbibbing.

Before the Revolution, the per capita consumption of RUM in the Colonies was 3.7 gallons PER person. We have become a Neo-temperant nation of wimps and quitters! We must rise, Tiki Nation, and raise our ceramic mugs in resistance to teatotaling!

[ Edited by: Rum Numb Davey 2005-09-15 11:33 ]

[ Edited by: Rum Numb Davey 2005-09-16 00:25 ]

On 2005-09-15 11:10, Rum Numb Davey wrote:
In my opinion, you should pay 30 to 80 euros. Shipping is excessive however. I have to take four trips to Europe per year in the wine trade. I just pick up a new bottle or two while I am there each time. I realize that other people don't have that option realistically.
Some of the prices on the web are just scandalous. Making a hundred bucks for facilitating a bottle online seems to be a rip-off. By the way, there are many fantastic pastis brands besides Absente, and spiking with wormwood/thunjone extract can be a poorman's substitute. Do not worry if you have a drug test scrutinized job which requires urine sampling. Thunjone or properly alpha-thujone is NOT have a THC (cannabinoid) structure and will not trip a positive.
A-Thunjone has a similar molecular structure to menthol, a-pinene, eucalyptol, camphor and other monoterpenes. A-Thunjone is now known to modulate only an entirely different receptor site, the GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid) system. GABA moderates the firing of neural synapses; a-thujone mildly antagonizes such inhibition. Strangely, when I drink one or two louches, I feel alert and highly in tuned although buzzed. One night, we drank five louches with some heavy drinking Czech friends. Admittedly, we also drank many shots of Becherovka. After we retired Kim and I argued very much, and with much more intensity and emotion than what is normal. She won't drink Absinthe with me anymore. I believe you should respect the power of this spirit, and moderate your imbibbing.

Before the Revolution, the per capita consumption of RUM in the Colonies was 3.7 gallons PER person. We have become a Neo-temperant nation of wimps and quitters! We must rise, Tiki Nation, and raise our ceramic mugs in resistance to teatotaling!

[ Edited by: Rum Numb Davey 2005-09-15 11:33 ]

That's a damn good story!

First off there are a few misconseptions floating around that need to be cleared up. Thujone (a-thujone) is not a neurotoxin, it is not illegal or even very harmful. In fact a box of stove top stuffing contains more thujone than an entire bottle of pre-ban absinthe. If it was a harmful substance, sage and other herbs that contain it would be illegal too.

Products containing wormwood are illegal to make or bring into the USA because it is a prohibited food additive by the FDA. Several medicines are allowed to contain it by the FDA because it has not been proven harmful in them, so it was allowed.

The rumors that absinthe was harmful originated over one hundred years ago with lies and yellow journalism and has since been disproven by modern science.
Like most conspiracys it was the result of many forces coming up against it and all strengthening each others assults:

1. Anti-semitism (most of the producers were owned by Jews)
2. the French wine industry (after a phyloxera devestated production, French wine was back, but its market had been taken by absinthe)
3. Additives in some brands were harmful (like antimony trichloride and copper salts were added to cheaper brands to allow them to have the color and clouding ability of more expensive brands)
4. Alcoholism (all symtoms of absinthism are also symptoms of chronic alcohol abuse) absinthe was the cheapest alcohol on the market so it was also the most abused (like gin was in England at the same time). It got blamed for everything.
5. Worldwide prohibition movements Blue cross and other prohibitionists campained relentlessly againt absinthe. Unlike the United States which banned all forms of alcohol around this time, the French and Swiss tossed absinthe like a sandbag from the balloon which was crashing and probably saved all other forms of drink by doing so.
6. Around the time WWI started, people belived if you drank too much the damage you did could be passed forward genetically and in the near future the country would contain only weakened children who sat around in the gutter all day and vomiting just like their fathers. When recruiters reported a larger percentage of the population were not suitable for military service than previous wars, they blamed absinthe for that too.
7. The so called absinthe murder. A swiss drunk shot his wife and children to death with a high powered rifle so the press and everyone blamed absinthe. Only problem was this man was a violent drunk before he ever tasted absinthe. On the day of the murder only two of the sixteen or twenty drinks he consumed even had absinthe in them.

So in some countries it was banned, in others it never has been. Recently Switzerland proclaimed there was never any scientifically verifible reason to have banned it, and it is being legally produced in France again.

Enlightenment wins over ignorance, sometimes it just takes a hundred years or so.

[ Edited by: captnkirk 2005-10-30 16:49 ]

Cool post, Capnkirk...thanks for bringing your science background to the arguement. Ted Breaux told me it would take thujone equivilant of 100 bottle of modern absinthe for a lethal dose. He should know, he is the man in France.
Look if it was logic and reason behind laws, Cuba would be a wide open trading partner with us and my bar would be stocked with Havana Club Anejo constantly, and my humidoer with Cohiba Siglo V.
Some Swiss blue collar drunk went bizerk on an absinthe fueled rage and brutally killed his wife and children in 1908, and it caused a scandal and reactionary ban as a result. The legal status by Nation below.

Australia
Absinthe containing Thujone at around 7.8 mg per litre and 60% alcohol is scarce but legal and available in Australia. [

E.U.
EU rules allow beverages to contain 5 mg/kg thujone in beverages with less than 25% alcohol, 10 mg/kg in beverages with more than 25% alcohol and 35 mg/kg in bitters.

Canada
Thujone containing absinthe is available legally in 3 provinces (Ontario & Quebec allow 10ppm thujone, BC has no limit). All other provinces have laws against thujone containing absinthe.

Czech Republic
Absinthe is legal and common in the Czech Republic. Thujone containing absinthe is available in stores.

France
The sale of Absinthe has been prohibited in France since March 16, 1915. In 1988, a law was passed which specified that the 1915 law only applied to products that do not comply with European Union regulations on thujone content and products which explicitly call themselves "absinthe". Thujone containing beverages are now available, often labelled as "spiritueux à base de plantes d'absinthe." Higher thujone content absinthes are also produced in France for export.

Germany
Thujone-containing absinthe available at bars and stores in Germany, in 2002 it is quite popular in some parts of Germany and Austria.

Hungary
We have been told that Absinthe became legally available in Hungary in early 2004 but that quality and potency is generally low.

Israel
Absinthe sold in some liquor stores in 2004.

Italy
Absinthe sold in some smartshops.

Malta
Absinthe is available in bars and clubs.

Netherlands
1909 ban on absinthe sales lifted Jul 2004. Thujone-containing absinthe sold in liquor stores, as long as thujone quantity remain within European-accepted levels.

New Zealand
Absinthe sold in liquor stores. Hell, you can distill your own liquor in NZ!

Norway
We are told that absinthe is legal in Norway and available in liquor stores but only with low thujone content.

Portugal
Thujone containing absinthe sold in liquor stores, bars, clubs, and supermarkets.

Russia
Absinthe (with as much as 50-75 mg thujone) available, mostly in stores geared towards foreigners.

South Africa
Absinthe is being legalised in South Africa, effective January 1, 2005.

Spain
Absinthe widely available.

Sweden
Absinthe sold in all liquor stores marked as containing wormwood extract:
"In Sweden absinthe can be bought in all liquor stores (Pere Kermann's Absinthe, made in France). And the way it works in the EU is that if a product is legal in one country it is automaticaly legal in all EU countries.

It says on the front label "Spiriteux aux extraits de plantes d'absinthe" and on the back label " ingredients: alcohol, water, aroma, wormwood infusion, sugar, colouring: E131-E102. It is sold as containing thujone."

In June, 2004, the Swiss parliament voted to end a 96-year ban on absinthe. Although absinthe had been available in most of Europe for 20 years, it had remained outlawed in Switzerland until June 14, 2004.

United Kingdom
Thujone-containing absinthe sold in some stores (liquor stores, Tesco, Harrods) and small number of pubs, as long as thujone quantity remains within European-accepted levels. Absinthe was never banned in the UK, as the market for it ended with the banning of French exports and the belt-tightening during and after the first world war.

I thought that it was available in Mexico too.

Is this another myth?

I don't see myself getting to Europe any time soon, and Canada is a bit of a stretch, but Mexice is a better possibility because I live in So. Cal.

-T.J.

P.S. I am also dying to get my hands on some good Cuban rum, so Mexico or Canada it is. Unless there were a cheap mail order alternative for rum and absinthe.

TJ: I live close to Mexico too. The problem with finding Havana Rum and Absinthe in border towns in Mexico is slim to none.
If you go to Mexico City..your chances are 100%. Juarez, Nogales, Mexicali, and Tijuana are lame when it comes to liquor shopping. The taxes are just flat out extreme, and unless the retailers sell a lot of product, they will not stock it. Most Americans down there that buy booze are not discriminating enough for unique or high end liquor.

I still want to get opinions on the strongest , best absinthe out there, and where to get it. I have been looking at absinthe 24 and the selection is so big, I am confused!. I know some of the snobby types say ONLY french will do, but I want the same or better buzz that I got with trull 1792, YIKES!!. that was neat, but before I lay a hundred bucks down, I want your opinions. Thanks. TWT

One of the first and very best absinthe sites out there is called "La Fee Verte". Anyway the site has the who's who of the absinthe producers and conosours on it. Their buyers guide is the bible for selecting something good.

http://www.feeverte.net/guide/idx.html

If you want a good traditional tasting absinthe you want something made using distillation, (not maceration or soaking herbs, and not from extracts) then just select a brand with the highest rating number you can afford and it will be the best absinthe you can get. The site tells you how to order it, and everthing else you need to know.

Check out their main page too, the content is excellent.

Their Forum discussions are intresting and a few tiki topics have been posted there from time to time. In fact I once saw a thread once where the name for the "Taboo Cove" tiki bar was suggested, because the creative force behind it was an absinthe enthusiast as well as a tikiphile and was looking for names.

[ Edited by: captnkirk 2005-09-21 21:06 ]

Some thoughts on absinthe.....

About 15 years ago, before the modern "reappearance" of "absinthe", I heard that absinthe was still legal in Spain and Portugal, and that it was made in Lisbon by the Pernod family. Having a holiday planned in Spain, I sent a letter to British Customs and Excise asking if it was all right for me to import some for personal use. They replied that I could import a small quantity for personal use. In the event, I didn't find any in the very rural part of Spain I was visiting. However, I also read that there was only ever a trace of thujone in Absinthe, and a lot of alcohol... the alcohol will always kick in long before the thujone has any discernable psychoactive effect.
Furthermore, Pernod, which as we all know, was introduced as an alternative to absinthe, goes cloudy when you mix it with water... as the original absinthe used to, but which the modern green concoctions do not. I once bought a bottle of a French brand of "absinthe", and discovered when I got it home that the label said in small letters, after a short history of the original Absinthe, something to the effect that this was an "absinthe-style liquer", that "evoked the spirit of the original absinthe".... in other words, it was not in itself Absinthe.
Now, if the Pernod family does continue to produce Absinthe in Portugal, that may well be true Absinthe...otherwise, for an authentic flavour in your cocktails, you might be better off with pernod, which also has the virtue of being cheaper. I think I've seen a recipe somewhere for a Monkey Gland cocktail, so I'll look it up and post it.

CHRIS.

On 2005-10-03 06:46, Chrisc wrote:
I think I've seen a recipe somewhere for a Monkey Gland cocktail, so I'll look it up and post it.

CHRIS.

From CocktailDB.com:

Monkey Gland

Shake with ice and strain
2/3 dry gin (2 oz, 6 cl, 1/2 gills)
1/3 orange juice (1 oz, 3 cl, 1/4 gills)
2 dashes absinthe
2 dashes grenadine
Shake
Serve in a cocktail glass (4.5 oz)

On another note, the Travel Channel showed the "Why the French Don't Suck" episode of Anthony Bourdain's "No Reservations" in which Tony gets plastered on Absinthe and tries to sleep in the room where Oscar Wilde died after a 3 year Absinthe bender. Anyway, they were explaining the difference between "Legal" and "Illegal" French Absinthes, and that you'd need to drink about 200 glasses of Absinthe before the Thujone would start to affect your system, and you'd probably be dead from the high alcohol content long before then.

Just a little update on my search. I found a place ( http://www.eabsinthe.com/absinthe-shop.htm )that delivered from england to california in 4 days....to my door by courier no less!!. Prices are better than most I have checked. I am quite lit as I type and I will say this, this stuff gives you CLARITY!. It all looks to be sharper and sound better than normal....I LIKE IT!!!.No wonder artists love this stuff!. good luck. TWT

What kind did you get from that site, and about how much did it cost to get it delivered?

I am still really interested in trying Absinthe, but have been turned off by the cost of delivery and the potential for it being seized.

My dream would be to find a place that I can order Absinthe and Cuban Rum, at a decent price, and not have to worry about it being seized.

-T.J.

money back if customs gets it!. the pernod is just filler for the pic. Get lots-O- sugar!!!.

Neat! I love to see different bottles in use.
Thanks for posting an update!
-Tw

Oh what the hell, let's get 2 more bottles!

Oh, man....does that picture of Mari Mayans ever bring back memories! Or, lack of memories!! I still think that my lost-year-of-absinthe may have burned a hole in my brain. Mari's had a beautiful louche, but I eventually had to quit when I was just drinking it straight. A LOT of it! Ugh.

If you could drink that stuff straight and you can still spell your name, that is amazing!. I tried a sip of the fees and had to wash it down with brandy (only thing close) to keep from choking to death!.

Just a quick opinion. La fees parisian and mari mayans are the best tasting so far.More is on the way....

Have a few in the French tradition (no fire, thanks) and put on the classic silent film "Phantom of the Opera" w/Lon Chaney. Suddenly it all makes sense.

Yeah the "Kreepy Tiki" crew from Miami came over to our vending area for me to do a shot of this stuff with'em at the Hukilau. Wasn't too bad. Lit me up though.......Tasted kinda like liquorish to me, which I do not like. Don't remember halucinating or anything though....unfortunately.

[ Edited by: Tiki G. 2005-10-21 11:18 ]

Tiki G: I was wondering what that stuff was they were passing around. They were serving capfuls up to people then taking pictures of their reactions.

Been interested in getting Absinthe for a while, you know, just for the bottles wink

Capfuls, ECCH!, like I said before, hitting on this stuff straight is VILE!!!. I can down sips of chartruse, but not abbe!.The bottle on the right called absente, it is "legal in the USA absinthe" with out the wormwood. If you have nothing , or pals with no taste, this is the stuff, kinda "absinthe light'!. For $36.00 with glass and spoon, it was well worth it!. The green chartruse is pictured cuz it is a damn fine cousin of abbe. The collection grows.....

[ Edited by: twowheelin'tiki 2005-10-24 19:02 ]

Two Wheelin', it looks like somebody dropped a bundle on their little absinthe habit. I like the LaFee's also, but any idea how to get some of this?

It's Italian and has none of the anise flavor of most products, so of course there is no louche. My friend brought a bottle back for me and I'd love to re-stock!

2 Wheelin Tiki:

Green Chartreuse is a cousin of Absinthe? Not hardly....mabeye a step second cousin thrice removed on a weird religious Uncle's side.
Got to agree with you, however, how fantastic it is. Do you know that only two men on Planet Earth know exactly what is in Chartreuse, and how it is made? They ain't talking..some kind of religious vow. They even add many chemicals and herbs to the waste residue from distillation so other corporate distillers cannot analyze and synthesize a similar formula.

Try to find some of Ted Breaux's French Absinthe's to add to your growing collection. They are expensive, but will BLOW your dome, homeboy.

Thanks to the people who posted their absinthe collections.
Here is my collection of absinthe and related stuff:

I started collecting absinthe spoons about 15 years ago after reading an article about absinthe in Scientific American, and then going to an antique mall where I found my first spoon.

I agree with Dave that Ted Breaux's absinthes are the best you can buy because they are historically accurate copys. I have tasted them and they will be the next bottle(s) of the stuff I buy, but I don't have the money or the will to add another bottle to my collection at this time.

Edouard Pernod (125 year old bottle) this would be the prize of my collection if it had not been opened in the 1920s. It is so air oxidized it tastes like wet cardboard flavored vodka. (Thanks again to Ted for showing me what it used to taste like). Deva Absenta, Philip Lasala Absenta and Montana Absenta are from Spain and all taste pretty good. Sebor Absinth is the only product from the Czech Republic I have tasted that I like. La Muse Verte from France and Herbsaint from New Orleans are two good Pastis bottles I have at this time. If you ever visit New Orleans and need an Absinthe substitute for your tiki bar, buy some Herbsaint it tastes good and it is under $10 a bottle. Hills Absinth is just nasty, don't even try it, the only people on earth that drink this stuff are British soccer hooligans.

[ Edited by: captnkirk 2005-11-02 14:24 ]

Great collection cptn.kirk!

My husband and I have just started collecting spoons, at the moment we have a collection of one. Heh. We'd also like a nice fountain and some glasses at some point.

Have a look at this one on e-bay right now!

It's at $559 Euro, with almost 4 days left to go!
CUILLERE à ABSINTHE métal argenté FEUILLE ancienne

If you are going to collect spoons, I suggest you get Marie Claude Delahaye's spoon collectors book (L'Absinthe, les Cuilerès). It is in French but once you figure a few words you can use even if you don't speak the language (I don't).

You can find it here:

http://www.lafeeabsinthe.com/acatalog/books_mcd.htm
You can probably find it at the French Amazon.com site or on the publisher's webpage too. Try the website of Marie-Claude Delahaye's Absinthe Museum in France too.

It classifies every known antique spoon and a few repro spoons by style, rates each and every known spoon by rarity. There is a photo for each one also. It shows you how to spot forgeries every thing you need to know absinthe spoon collecting.

Otherwise you will be like a coin collector wondering why one coin is worth $1 and almost the exact same one is a million.

[ Edited by: captnkirk 2005-11-10 12:20 ]

My husband just spent 8 months in Quebec learning french, I knew it had a purpose in there somewhere.
It's made searching for absinthe spoons online that much easier!

Thanks for the tip!

Kono wrote:

How about bleu cheese? "See that big beast over there? The one with the
bulbous gland swinging underneath? What we do is we squeeze that gland
until juice starts to come out. We leave the juice to lay around until
it gets all hard and dry and fungus grows on it. Then we eat it.
Delicious!"

Hmm. This is SO reminiscent of Robin William's postulation of the creation
of the sport/game of Golf.

AbsintheSupply.net has Czech Absinthe, Red Absinthe, Staroplzenecky Absinth, Spoons, and more.

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!

A French company is going to start marketing an absinthe called Lucid here in the US. They claim that it's the real deal, made with "Grande Wormwood". They also claim to have tested several bottles of absinthe dating from the 19th century, and found that they contained negligible amounts of Thujone.

Lack of real Absinthe in the USA has nothing to do with prohibition. Wormwood is the 2nd most bitter herb. Real absinthe is made by soaking wormwood (and other stuff) in the alcohol and then distilling it. Real Absinthe has a nice flavor only because the bitter flavors are left in the stillpot. Don't add wormwood to booze and expect to make absinthe.

Real wormwood is classified as a illegal food additive by the FDA. If any liquor contains wormwood it can not be sold in the USA. Herbsaint is the best substitute I have found in the USA, but I have not tasted Lucid so it may be good too.

I don't know what thujone has to do with any of this, a box of stove top stuffing contains more thujone than most bottles of absinthe. It is not an indication of how real any bottle of absinthe is.

[ Edited by: captnkirk 2007-05-02 04:26 ]

[ Edited by: captnkirk 2007-05-02 04:35 ]

On 2007-05-02 04:19, captnkirk wrote:
I don't know what thujone has to do with any of this

Absinthe was originally banned in Europe based on the premise that it contained large amounts of thujone, which was claimed to be a dangerous hallucinogen. Modern-day testing shows that was false.

Here's a house specialty from Ken's Tiki Lounge. Named after the strong, wet tropical airstream coming off Hawaii, it's a sleeper and I don't recommend more than two.

KEN'S PINEAPPLE EXPRESS
2 oz. Myers dark rum
1 oz. Malibu coconut flavored rum
1 oz. La Cour absinthe (180 proof)
8 oz. cold pineapple juice

Using a 16 oz. Glass, pour the booze first, then pour the pineapple juice to mix. Top off with large cube ice, stir lightly and serve. Some might want to halve the recipe, but why mess around? Garnish with whatever...or not. You'll probably just put your eye out anyway.

I have been knocking back absinthe for 2 years and have had no problemrigjaigjsufjAdfumAW(erqMR8Q4RQvy q3rqYR2e=34uvm b3UTE......SORRY, NO PROBLEMS YET.

On 2007-05-02 06:01, MrBaliHai wrote:

Absinthe was originally banned in Europe based on the premise that it contained large amounts of thujone, which was claimed to be a dangerous hallucinogen. Modern-day testing shows that was false.

My research has said this was mostly a campaign by the wine industry to discredit it because Absinthe had become a very popular drink during the Great French Wine Blight.

The Irony is that today people want to drink it because of the supposed effects that were attached to it to dissuade people from drinking it at the time.

I think the reality, like on most things, is not as interesting as the hype. Thujone is not a big deal but the laws haven't caught up to the actual science.

I think the stuff tastes nasty. I do however use some anise type liquors when making vintage drinks, but usually it's only about a drop. I am not a big anise flavor fan.

If anyone's interested, there's an excellent collection of information located at the following link:

http://www.erowid.org/chemicals/absinthe/

Most types of absinthe were a very high alcohol percentage,up around 70%.I think most people are going to start hallucinating when you start drinking bottles of the stuff at that strength.

As of October, 2007, 'real' Absinthe is now legal in some US states, including Illinois.

Haven't seen any trickling into my liquor stores yet, but I imagine that it is just a matter of time before someone opens an Absinthe bar in Chicago...

I've been enjoying the discussion here about one of my favorite alky bevs and looking forward to trying some of the recipes. I've had a number of different kind of pastis - IMHO, Herbsaint is quite the best of that genre. The herb in some of these is a cousin of wormword called southernwood. No thujone. There is an Indian restaurant in my town advertising itself as an "absinthe lounge." Like da kids say, "As if."

Haven't gotten around to hittin' the rounds of absinthe brands, but so far find La Fee to be quite satisfactory. Cheaper when the U.S. dollar isn't so strong, but as I drink it in the traditional fashion (a small portion with a larger one of ice cold water and a sugar cube), I find that a bottle goes a long way. Not usually fond of the licorice flavor, but it makes a lovely drink for a warm summer night...

The scandalous hallucinatory effects reported in the 19th century, I suspect, are simply the result of good ol' fashioned alcoholism or the effects of horrible things put in by underground distillers -- mercury and other toxic goodies.

The essential oil in wormwood can be deadly however. There is a cautionary tale to be found at the Gumbo Pages (a celebration of all things N'Awlins): http://www.gumbopages.com/nejm.html

I have been thinking of making a simple syrup out of absinthe and trying it out over green tea ice cream, or perhaps ice cream made with coconut milk. Shall report on it anon...

There's a swell web site called La Fee Verte that gives a lot of attention to absinthe with good advice: http://www.feeverte.net/retrospective/index-1998.html

[ Edited by: Carmine Verandah 2007-11-12 20:43 ]

If you want to learn about absinthe including the recent relegalization of it, I recomend this website.

http://www.wormwoodsociety.org

They have really done their homework, no 120 year old BS or rumors being repeated as facts here. Plus they have a link to Beachbum Berry on their site so you know it must be good. They have links to all the sellers of absinthe and absinthe related paraphernalia too for one stop shopping.

On 2007-04-29 18:52, MrBaliHai wrote:
A French company is going to start marketing an absinthe called Lucid here in the US. They claim that it's the real deal, made with "Grande Wormwood". They also claim to have tested several bottles of absinthe dating from the 19th century, and found that they contained negligible amounts of Thujone.

My bottle of Lucid just came last week...

http://www.shoppersvinyard.com had it listed on the front page when I went by to pick up some Eldorado 151. The Lucid wasn't cheap ($50 on sale, $70 msrp), but it's one of Ted Breaux's and I'd been waiting for it to become readily available in the States.
http://www.shoppersvineyard.com/product_new.asp?pID=34286

We've picked up a couple of bottles of La Fee "Bohemian" in Prague in the past. Czech Absinthe doesn't louche properly, so we routinely use it for drinks that call for Pernod/Herbsaint.

Lucid may be the real deal, but what an awful piece of graphic design on the bottle!
The guys who supply Green island Rum here are doing an Organic Absinthe, but I only breifly saw a pic of it. I will find out more.

The first new US-made absinthe will be on the market in a few weeks. And it is superb.

For what it's worth, public reviews at feeverte have been giving Lucid pretty respectable ratings (the reason I bought a bottle sight unseen).

http://www.feeverte.net/guide/country/france/lucid_absinthe_superieure/

5 reviews so far: 80, 82, 83, 79 & 60 out of 100. Average score 77.

It's not top-end, but like the reviews mention, it's pretty good, there's no transatlantic shipping, and there's zero risk of customs seizing it. Heh, it beats the heck out of vodka-upgrade kits.:^D

I can't give it a review yet: We're planning to crack the bottle at a gathering this weekend.

[ Edited by: tin_omen 2007-12-04 20:57 ]

Now you can buy American absinthe.

Alameda distiller helps make absinthe legitimate again

On 2007-12-04 09:01, martiki wrote:
The first new US-made absinthe will be on the market in a few weeks. And it is superb.

Alright Alameda!

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/12/05/MNQJTO9FM.DTL