Anyone drink Absinthe?

It really gets a bad wrap...the fact is (in a way) kind of like shaving, the complex (taste)smells, the ritual of preparation.

Absinthe does not make you have hallucinations that is all a myth.

Just wondering if anyone else drinks this or likes it. Ive had it once and am planning on ordering a bottle. Any suggestions on good kinds?

I took a trip to Canada just to pick up a bottle. It is some good stuff. Get the slotted spoon and do the flaming sugar ritual. Makes it tasty and it takes on the awesome milky green colour. If you drink enough to make you hallucinate, do not forget that it is alcoholic as well...you can tell something else is in there. That was a pretty cool night...

I tried one of the first US legal brands, but I don't care for licorice so it's not for me.

Yep, sure do -- it's an essential ingredient in many classic cocktails, which are a hobby of mine. I use to import them from France, but now that they're legal in the US again, that is more economical what with the exchange rate. They're still not as good as some of the better foreign brands, but more are arriving every day and there are some good ones already with more on the way!

It's an extremely strong, very complex, difficult flavor profile when had in the traditional preparation. That is to say, about three parts ice water to one part absinthe (the water drizzled over the sugar cube is optional and largely depends on the particular absinthe in question and the experience of the drinker) -- not as a shot, as became popular to serve to tourists overseas, or amongst hallucination-seeking fools here in the US. It's never been traditional to drink neat.

I prefer it in the cocktails that call for its inclusion, but have come to enjoy it in the traditional preparation as well.

Its socially taboo history is a comedy of errors and sensationalism. In fact, its psychoactive characteristics have never been due to anything more than high-than-usual proofage. Not only is thujone, the originally-suspected wormwood derivative, not actually psychoactive, but it's not even present in appreciable quantities in properly-made absinthe. You can read the history at Wikipedia, amongst other places.

Unfortunately, this is still not widely known, as the media loves to cling to the more sensationalist image. This is only just now finally beginning to turn around.

Excellent general information and reviews are available here:

http://www.feeverte.net

Edit: incidentally, the licorice-like flavor you're detecting is actually anise -- similar to, but not quite the same as, licorice. It and wormwood are the two main flavors in the profile of absinthe, with many other herbs and spices also contributing to the complexity. Also, it's an acquired taste -- we all hated wine the first time we tried it as children, too, remember. I'd try it first in a cocktail like the Sazerac, and work your way up the ladder, so to speak.

Edit again: setting the sugar ablaze is a modern marketing/tourist innovation and has no place in the traditional preparation.

Yes, I drink absinthe. As remarked by gilrain, burning sugarcubes is a nonsensical, made-up ritual, designed to make it more 'spectacular'. As for the alleged hallucinogenic elements in absinthe, if you wanted to notice anything about those, you'd have to drink so much that you will be dead because of alcohol poisoning long before.

There are many horrible, artificlally colored sickly-green 'absinthes' on the market, trying to capitalize on the absinthe 'mystique'. Don't fall for that and buy a less spectacular authentic absinthe. For instance, have a look at this list. I have good experiences with the shop in question.

Attached is picture of some of my best absinthes: the "Jade" collection.

Jan Pieter

Very nice, Jan! The Jade 1901 happens to be my favorite, and is always in my collection! I didn't expect to find another connoisseur, here.

Absinthe does not make you have hallucinations that is all a myth.

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Really? Modern day copies of absinthe may have a lesser effect due to the lower levels of thujone. Note I used the word effect and not hallucination.

Oracle said:

Really? Modern day copies of absinthe may have a lesser effect due to the lower levels of thujone. Note I used the word effect and not hallucination.

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No, traditional absinthe had extremely small amounts of thujone, which is not actually psychoactive. This is because thujone does not make it through the distilling process in significant amounts. The only high-thujone absinthes are those with thujone specifically added for the purpose of marketing to the uneducated. Feel free to research and confirm for yourself.

From here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thujone

Thujone is most famous for being a chemical in the drink absinthe and many modern producers list their supposed thujone levels on the bottle. At one time it was estimated absinthe contained up to 260–350 mg/L thujone,[8] but this has been shown false through testing. A 2005 study recreated three 1899 high-wormwood recipes and tested them with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), the highest contained 4.3 mg/L thujone. A 1930s Pernod Tarragona was also tested and contained 1.8 mg/L thujone.[9] These results match earlier findings showing a vintage 1900s bottle contained 6 mg/L.[10] GC-MS testing is important in this capacity, because gas chromatography alone may record an inaccurately high reading of thujone because of other chemicals present that interfere and add to the apparent measured amount.[11] Through these tests it has become evident absinthe contains very little thujone.
Despite these American studies, many companies still play up the myth that traditional absinthe contains a large amount of thujone and that it will produce some sort of psychedelic effect on the drinker.
Although it contains thujone, anyone binging on absinthe would die of alcohol poisoning long before the thujone would cause any major, i.e. life-threatening, effects.[12]

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Please stop propagating the myth. Yes, drinking a lot of absinthe has psychoactive effects -- because of alcohol.

Oracle said:

Really? Modern day copies of absinthe may have a lesser effect due to the lower levels of thujone. Note I used the word effect and not hallucination.

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Limecat the 2nd!!!!!

gilrain said:

Please stop propagating the myth. Yes, drinking a lot of absinthe has psychoactive effects -- because of alcohol.

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+1. Unfortunately we have been down this road several times before. As always, there are plenty of people who would rather embrace the myth.

I made some Artemisia absinthium tea last weekend and now I can say for sure that there is definitely something more than just the alcohol in effect while drinking Absinthe.

No hallucinations, but there is a certain sparkle and clarity to the field of vision along with a slight feeling of euphoria.

Wormwood is also without a doubt among the most bitter plants on earth, the flavour is actually quite pleasant once you get past the bitterness, almost like a strong green tea.

I'll be in Europe in two days and will try to sample some good authentic absinthes.

I have more more wormwood at home and some growing, the plan is to try and come up with a palatable Purl (spiced, wormwood steeped ale) recipe.

Yep, Czech, but usually at home so I can enjoy it properly with ice water. Not at all hallucinogenic - unless you drink vast quantities of it which is the same as any other alcoholic drink.

Confuzius said:

No hallucinations, but there is a certain sparkle and clarity to the field of vision along with a slight feeling of euphoria.

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There is no basis for this, though, so it's just as though you told us you got a euphoric effect from dijon mustard. Maybe there's something different about your body chemistry that makes it so... or, more likely, it's placebo effect, which can be powerful. A person can experience drunkenness without touching a drop of alcohol, so long as they think they have and are suggestible.

My recommendation would be to steer clear of anything made in by a Czech company. French, Swiss and Spanish absinthes have been fine by me. I have had luck ordering through LdF (absintheonline.com) Un Emile and Verte de Fougerolles, Jade Verte Suisse 65 .... yummy. I also have a bottle of Deva from Spain that was dirt cheap (by absinthe standards) and is an above average absinthe. I can't remember where I ordered it through but it shouldn't be too hard to find, if anyone has a hankering.

I also concur with the ridiculousness of the claims of tripping ballz or hallucinating. And the burning sugar cube...yet another reason to avoid Czech products, IMHO.

Lefty said:

I took a trip to Canada just to pick up a bottle. It is some good stuff. Get the slotted spoon and do the flaming sugar ritual. Makes it tasty and it takes on the awesome milky green colour. If you drink enough to make you hallucinate, do not forget that it is alcoholic as well...you can tell something else is in there. That was a pretty cool night...

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The variety of absinthe you get from Canada is quite limited and mild mannered. France is a better place for procurement....

Éric

SmoovD said:

My recommendation would be to steer clear of anything made in by a Czech company. French, Swiss and Spanish absinthes have been fine by me. I have had luck ordering through LdF (absintheonline.com) Un Emile and Verte de Fougerolles, Jade Verte Suisse 65 .... yummy. I also have a bottle of Deva from Spain that was dirt cheap (by absinthe standards) and is an above average absinthe. I can't remember where I ordered it through but it shouldn't be too hard to find, if anyone has a hankering.

I also concur with the ridiculousness of the claims of tripping ballz or hallucinating. And the burning sugar cube...yet another reason to avoid Czech products, IMHO.

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Yes I love a good absinthe. I've tried many brands and have gotten mine from
http://www.absinthe.de/en/cur/1/?sid=4d52339ffa8355676a05f50d2fb88181 You can't go wrong with the Jade line, many Duplais brands are excellent as well. We have an absinthe renaissance of sorts going on now and a few great brands are available here in the USA. I would recommend Kubler 53 for a USA legal absinthe for a newbie or veteran as well, it is light tasty stuff.

Friends don't let friends burn absinthe!!

Yeah, +1.

Czech absinthes, and their version of traditional absinthe culture, is almost entirely an artificial construct tailored for tourists. Amongst real absinthe enthusiasts, their products are, generally, given short shrift and considered a gimmick.

In general (there are always exceptions), Swiss and French absinthes are the best regarded and tend to be the most traditional. In particular, the ban only drove absinthe underground, in Switzerland, where it continued to be illegally produced. Now that it's legal there again, those distilleries have resurfaced and can boast an unbroken tradition of absinthe made in the correct way.

Anyway, it's an interesting, complex spirit with a fascinating history that only increases its appeal. I highly recommend anyone interested do a lot of thorough research to get the real facts, as there's so much misinformation out there. I'll again point out this website, which has long been considered an authority on the subject. Wikipedia also has a good article.

Edit: I also recommend Kubler 53 as a great, available-locally absinthe to start with. It's a real, reputable Swiss absinthe, and has a somewhat lighter flavor profile and proofage that makes it a bit more accessible.

R-James said:

Limecat the 2nd!!!!!

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I think he's avatar poaching hell to pay when the real limecat gets back.


As to the absinthe... I avoid it, it makes me absinthe minded. seriously, i had a minor obsession with it about a year ago and then decided it wasn't my thing.

There is a great You Tube video about absinthe.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5wqW1IgSKmI

It originally aired on the History Channel.
The person they interview is from the Jade distillery in France. I hear they make excellent stuff.


Has anyone tried the Swiss brand Kubler...they sell it in the USA and I hear its the best absinthe you can get in the states.

http://www.drinkupny.com/category_s/86.htm

One German brand I can highly recommend is Eichelberger, particularly the limitee 68. I had a good cry when I finished my bottle over the weekend. Such amazing depth of flavor that reminds me of some of the best pre-ban Absinthes.