One of my favorite drinks of all time is absinthe. But finding others who also enjoy it isn't very easy. Some people simply do not like the flavor, often noting the anise as the deal breaker, while other people are misguided, or uninformed on the subject entirely.
Some just jump a bandwagon and stay on. This is evident when talking to people about absinthe's effects; it does NOT induce hallucinations. In fact, when diluted properly, it's not much stronger than a good glass of wine.
The amount of Thujone is regulated federally, meaning it can only have so much (which isn't an issue, since the amount of wormwood used isn't enough to cause harm, and you would die of alcohol poisoning LONG before any thujone could do it!)
And others are hung up on false preparations, thanks largely to Hollywood's lack of desire to research any facts (fire is NOT traditional, or even acceptable in most circles.)
Fire being introduced was done so (from what I've found anyway) because the "Bohemians" in the Czech Republic (and surrounding areas) found a way to sell the swill they try to pass off as absinthe to unsuspecting tourists. Real absinthe is indeed made worldwide now, but there are rules... NO additives, sugars, or anything outside of the process can be added and maintain the title, and ... damn, lost my train of thought here. I started off asking a simple question...
Anway, so, who here (if anyone) enjoys or is at least interested in absinthe?
http://www.wormwoodsociety.org (http://www.wormwoodsociety.org) <--- Very good site concerning all things absinthe... 8)
I have dabbled in absinthe, TJ Dude. First on its own (just to see what the hype was about), now only occasionally as a mixer for cocktails -- sazeracs and a drink I don't go after much anymore, the Asylum.
Nice. I've never had The Asylum, but after looking it up, I will try it. I don't usually do cocktails that often, but I do like the Sazerac. Usually I go the traditional route with absinthe (w/o the sugar cubes though).
I have to order more soon, anyway, so I think a bottle of gin will be picked up too... I really want to try the asylum
Welcome to our beach community Rev TJ dude! ;D
Sorry never indulged Absinthe....but I have heard of it.
But I have heard of another liquor along those lines....of course since I reside in the Fascist state of PennsylTucky with a Nazi Governor Corbit who will not even legalize Medical Marijuana so even people going through Chemo can not get access!!!....this is all word of mouth dudes...and not from any personal experience....;D
For all the dude who grow their own just for the buds...there is still a lot of goodness throughout the plant dudes....lots of healing cbd's and a lot of thc and other cannabinoids still distributed in the leaves and stems and even in the stalk.
Slice and dice them dudes....put a hand full of stalks and leaves in a mason jar and top it off with vodka....let soak with an occasional stir for a few days...a week...or even a month or more...and you got yourself a real nice elixir. Good for sipping on it's own, or to add a whole new dimension to a White Russian!
Just saying dudes....never tried it myself dudes....nope not here in PennsylTucky....nope...can't do it...get my ass thrown in jail for and ounce dudes. 8)
Nice, Dude. Go easy on the grenadine. That shit is sweet.
Definitely love absinthe. I used to always have at least one bottle in the cupboard. A friend of mine gave me an almost full one. I forget where it was from but had a LOT more than is allowed here in the USA. No idea how he got it past customs.
One year for my birthday (St. Patrick's Day) a few guys brought me for a sort of pub crawl. We found an awesome dive. The bartender poured two small glasses (more like tall double shot glasses) for a couple of them and added more oil of wormwood. One of the guys sipped at it for almost half an hour, drinking less than a quarter of an ounce. He turned to me and asks if I wanted it. I said yes and drank it all in one chug. His eyes got huge and he asked, "How the hell did you do that?" I just smiled and said, "Lots of absinthe, dude."
Love me some absinthe. Gotta prepare it a good distance from my special lady, as she can't even stand the smell, but I seriously dig it. My favorite use for it is for Death in the Afternoon. In Hemingway's own words:
"Pour one jigger absinthe into a Champagne glass. Add iced Champagne until it attains the proper opalescent milkiness. Drink three to five of these slowly."
Aptly named. Goddamn. But so very tasty.
Quote from: Kogwheal on January 21, 2014, 11:51:33 PM
Love me some absinthe. Gotta prepare it a good distance from my special lady, as she can't even stand the smell, but I seriously dig it. My favorite use for it is for Death in the Afternoon. In Hemingway's own words:
"Pour one jigger absinthe into a Champagne glass. Add iced Champagne until it attains the proper opalescent milkiness. Drink three to five of these slowly."
Aptly named. Goddamn. But so very tasty.
We've always called those "Hemmingways". Good Christmas drink. But mind your head afterwards, mine goes to strange places.
;D
Nice! It's good to know there are a few here who enjoy it.
I usually have at least 1 bottle too, but that's getting low. I'm down to my last 1/2 a bottle (Pacifique) and need to order more soon. This time a few bottles of brands I haven't tried yet.
I wish the reactionary half-wits in South Dakota would pull their heads out of their asses though. I hate ordering it, but I can only get Lucid here (not a bad entry level absinthe, but not a top shelf drink by any means). The folks at the liquor store either misinterpreted the law, or didn't read it all.
I think I should print off some info for them! ;)
If nothing else, maybe it could open the door to more business for them? Variety is a good thing!
I have a few friends that only knew of Lucid, and due to it's higher anise content, they were turned off by the lack of variety, and complexity a good absinthe offers. To them, Lucid was like drinking a box of Good N Plenty, or something.
I offered them a taste of Vieux Pontarlier, Pacifique, Mansinthe, and Obsello II, and all but 1 of them actually liked some or all of them. Sadly, our biggest liquor store here is confused and blames thujone content as the reason for only stocking Lucid, which is complete BS - unless something has changed and I missed it; which is very possible...
Last I knew (as of a few months ago) in the U.S. (and elsewhere), Thujone levels in all absinthe have regulations, HOWEVER, these amounts are small, & do nothing to the toxicity of absinthe; meaning, that a properly crafted Swiss, French, or even American absinthe all have similar thujone levels (it comes from the wormwood, and to avoid an overly bitter drink it is not the main, or only ingredient!) Plus these levels are small enough that alcohol poisoning would kill you long before thujone poisoning did!
http://www.wormwoodsociety.org/index.php/component/search/?searchword=thujone&ordering=&searchphrase=all (http://www.wormwoodsociety.org/index.php/component/search/?searchword=thujone&ordering=&searchphrase=all)
I almost forgot about the DITA cocktail... Looks like Dude needs to pick up some champagne as well! 8|
I used to have to louche mine away from my special lady too, then she decided to try it again, and found she actually likes it better when it ages. Can't blame her there! Absinthe is good, but absinthe that's aged = oh man, it really ties it all together, man!
Nice link there TJ.
Good to see an enthusiast.
It's a bit difficult getting decent quality here in the UK as well.
My mate Rev Klaus has the gen on where to get the good stuff though.
Thanks. I agree, it IS good to see an enthusiast, though I'm not too picky, I'll even take those who are curious!
I know of a few sites to order from, but I've never ordered from overseas. Drink Up New York is a good site in the US to order from... And thorough ;)
I'm kinda stuck though... I have a list of about 8 I want to try, and the budget for 5 maybe 6 of them!
Ah, good to see other absinthe aficionados here as well! Cheers, Dudes! Check into Vieux Carre. It's a nice, traditional French style verte that's made in the States, but to authentic recipe. Depending on the batch you may find little herbal floaters in the bottle, lending creedence to it's authentic preparation. (But I've not formally researched that myself). It is indeed a nice verte that's not too heavy on the anise-only flavors some absinthes have. Also good balance with the bitterness of the wormwood and other woodsy and herbal notes. Sugar used in moderation can really help this absinthe bloom.
If you're lucky, now and then you can find a bottle of La Bleue's La Clandestine. VERY good, herbal suisse clear absinthe. No sugar cubes needed in my opinion as it's already naturally sweet and well balanced, but too much sugar washes out the delicate herbal complexities.
I found both in a specialty liquor store in Kentucky: The Party Source
Hey, ZoeAbides, good to meet ya. I'll check out the Vieux Carre, I haven't tried that yet. I'm actually ordering a bottle of Clandestine very soon. I have a list, and Clandestine has been near the top for some time now. I don't use sugar anymore, and have found a better (imo) drink w/o it.
The list for the next order is: Clandestine, Marteau Master's Reserve, Butterfly, Jade Liqueurs "Nouvelle-Orleans" Absinthe Superieure, and Duplais, or a bottle of Ridge (now Vilya Spirits either Blanche or Verte...or both!)
I went to pour myself a bourbon tonight and traces of this conversation flickered in my head. So my bourbon became a Sazerac. Now the problem with the Sazerac is that just as you're taking the last sip, as the surviving ice cubes go clink-clink in your glass, there's this sweet taste that blossoms out of the anise flavor of the absinthe. And then you want another... and another.
I just louched up some Pacifique.
The "takin' 'er easy" officially begins ...
now. 8)
Speak of the devil, Dudes, this just came up on BBC:
http://www.bbc.com/travel/feature/20131003-in-paris-the-drink-that-drove-van-gogh-mad (http://www.bbc.com/travel/feature/20131003-in-paris-the-drink-that-drove-van-gogh-mad)
Drudging up an ancient vintage by posting in this thread, but MindAbiding's experience with his Sazerac reminded me. This is a poem I wrote back in 2012... under the effects of absinthe of course.
La Louche
Drifting tendrils
Reach up to grip my soul
To drag me down
Into your murky depths.
Drip, drip, drip...
The nectar teased,
Twisted, pinched, squeezed
Seduced into my chalice
As if milk
From the breast
Of the Green Goddess
Herself.
Or licked
From the vine
Of the earthy, musky thighs
Of the emerald divine.
Drip,
Drip,
Drip...
You cloud my glass
Yet not my mind.
You levitate my senses,
You dilate me wholly.
Holy art thou,
Thy Green Goddess
Until
Thou art not.
You bring me warmth
And comfort.
You bear me passion
Until,
You leave me utterly.
So again
I
Drip,
Drip,
Drip.
Very nice, ZoeA. If my experience came anywhere near what you've just described I don't see how I could ever go without the stuff.