Absinthe again legal

[M Tatterscratch]

slapping down 10 bucks, sitting down and a guy comes out of the back with a smoking bong is overrated for me. but not for the college kids. can't enjoy it that way in my opinion.

Very true, that. Point taken.

T.

 

[KilroyCD]

Okay, I'll get "Booed" for this...

There was a woman who regularly drank to excess. She developed a flatulence problem due to her regular drinking, and her farts came out sounding like "Honda". She sought the advice of many doctors, none of whom could figure out why her flatulence sounded that way. Finally, she sought the advice of a local doctor who also had the reputation of hitting the bottle rather hard. She explained to him that she is a regular drinker, and that her unusual-sounding flatulence came about as a result of this. He asked what she drank, and she replied "Absinthe". He said, "well haven't you heard? Absinthe makes the fart go Honda!"
:eusa_doh: :eusa_doh: :eusa_doh: :eusa_doh:

 

[Twitch]

All else I know besides the newspaper article is what I saw on History Channel covering a history of absinthe. Unfortunately about all I can recall is that whatever specific ingredients there were in previous bottlers' blends were illegal in the US.

The fact was that there was no precise recipe for the old style absinthe. At any rate some chap feels after years he has come up with the proper mixture and blend and no illegal parts.

Then a month later this article was in the Long Beach newspaper so knowing the interest here I posted it.

 

[LocktownDog]

There was a woman who regularly drank to excess......

Somebody call security.

Richard

 

[scotrace]

I know it's mentioned in other threads, but to be harmed by the thujone, you'd have to drink enough Absinth to be dead as a doornail of alcohol poisoning.

 

[Shaul-Ike Cohen]

Yes, and to repeat it, even though the myth will persist, people got crazy because the stuff was produced badly and cheaply, not because of thujone.

The other way around, absinthe is something you might like or not - in fact, chances are you might if you like pastis, and vice versa, but that's where it starts and ends. Forget about the myth, really, and even the colour - the greener, the worse the brand, and some of the very best, like Kubler, have rather an inconspicuous colour. Also, forget about the flamb?©ing, again it's the worse brands that need caramelised sugar to distract. (Though I concede sweetness as such is a matter of personal taste.)

 

[killertomata]

I used to love absinthe because of the effect, over time I've grown quite unhappy with the taste. I didn't like anise to begin with, but I could stand it in the absinthe my friend made, and in a brand from France, but over time, I just ... blech.

One thing to remember is that absinthe has a cumulative effect; if you drink it day one, then two, then three, the thujone stays in your system for a bit and builds up. This is why people who aren't accustomed to it can overdo drinking the same amount the fourth day but were fine the first few days. Regular drinking of it isn't usually a good idea, although there are some who can handle it. My ex is one of them. But he ended up a meth addict, so I wouldn't go by him.

Since absinthe is often stronger depending on what country it's from, I imagine whatever is approved here will not be all that potent.

 

[Samsa]

Since absinthe is often stronger depending on what country it's from, I imagine whatever is approved here will not be all that potent.

From what I understand modern absinthe ranges from 10mg - 35mg / l of thujone, and what is approved in the U.S. is 10mg/l or less.

 

[LocktownDog]

My wife (soon to be ex) just bought me a huge bottle of Kubler absinthe from Switzerland. I don't know why she keeps buying me everything she sees. Guilt perhaps? [huh] Either way, I figure I'll open the bottle on Christmas. She got it from a liquor distributor in the grocery store she manages.

Richard

 

[Absinthe_1900]

Much of the talk about thujone is based on old wives-tales, out of date studies, and ignorance.

http://thujone.info/

Most of the vintage, and current absinthe, has actually tested quite low for thujone, and the only claims for high thujone levels in absinthe are promoted by out and out frauds, such as Czech "absinth" mixers. (They don't distill their "absinth", it's mixed from extracts & low quality alcohol.)

It's just a pleasant drink, and it should be remembered that the main psycho active compound is the alcohol, your body can't detect the difference between 3mg, and 35mg, of thujone.

Read the studies at the link and learn.

 

[Mr. Sable]

They serve Absinthe with champagne and call it a 'Hemingway' at The Edison in Los Angeles. Sheer blasphemy and it tastes like kerosene that way (but you really must check out The Edison).

In Canada, it's been available in liquor stores for years, from the cheap Czech stuff to the nice properly loaching expensive stuff.

Maybe with these new lax laws they'll update the 'no horses in bathtubs' type ones and make everyone happy.

 

[Shaul-Ike Cohen]

Most of the vintage, and current absinthe, has actually tested quite low for thujone, and the only claims for high thujone levels in absinthe are promoted by out and out frauds, such as Czech "absinth" mixers. (They don't distill their "absinth", it's mixed from extracts & low quality alcohol.)

But it's green! Frog green! Like when Van Gogh cut his nose!

It's just a pleasant drink, and it should be remembered that the main psycho active compound is the alcohol, your body can't detect the difference between 3mg, and 35mg, of thujone.

Read the studies at the link and learn.

But Van Gogh chopped his ears off!:eusa_doh:

 

[retrogirl1941]

I have found a bar in St. Augustine that serves absinthe. So I have decided for my 21st birthday I will be there!I have never had it but, the mystery and ritual intrugues me.

Samantha

 

[Edward]

Never tried it myself. I love aniseed, though the closest I've been to absinthe to date was Pernod... I may dabble with some at some point, thugh I doubt i would be drinking enough to feel any effect as I swore to myself after making rather a fool of myself at a party last year that I'm never going to get hammered again (famous last words, I know).

The wormwood is used (in some, not all absinthes) as part of the bitter flavoring.

If memory serves, when they first started to import it legally into the UK again the best part of a decade or so ago, what made the difference was that the stuff they were bringing in here doesn't contain any wormwood (usually attributed as the hallucinogenic(?) element, as far as I am aware).


I can certainly understand the appeal of the ritual.... that's something that would have an appeal to me too....

Blas - ah' -say - blas - pheemy!

Blas-pha-you, blas pha everybody in the room.... lol

 

[retrogirl1941]

The ritual appeals to me b/c it goes back to the 19th century(or thats what comes to mind for me) and I love rituals of the 1800's. From courting(I really love the courting aspect!) to writing letters!I like a bit of order in my life.

Samantha

 

[Absinthe_1900]

Never tried it myself. I love aniseed, though the closest I've been to absinthe to date was Pernod...

You haven't missed much, modern Pernod, both the Liqueur d' Anis, & modern Pernod Absinthe are pretty lame.

Try a bottle of Arak if you like aniseed.

If memory serves, when they first started to import it legally into the UK again the best part of a decade or so ago, what made the difference was that the stuff they were bringing in here doesn't contain any wormwood (usually attributed as the hallucinogenic(?) element, as far as I am aware).

The UK never banned absinthe, and absinthe was always available in Spain and a few other places that had a regional taste for it, while it may have been hard to find as an obscure product, it wasn't banned in the UK.
Generally the older imported absinthe brands did indeed contain wormwood.

Wormwood is not hallucinogenic, you are more likely to see things from massive doses of alcohol. No matter how many times the unscrupulous Czech "absinth" producers lie about this to hook unsuspecting consumers.

 

[FedoraGent]

Has anyone tried...

Has anyone tried the rare "St. George Absinthe" yet? I've tried it and it's fabulous.

FG.

 

[Miss 1929]

New Year's Day

I alternated champagne and Kubler for about 8 hours, felt fine the next day! In fact, a remarkably hangover-free January 2.
I am almost always working NYE so January 1 is the day as we have an annual Hair of the Dog Vintage Lingerie Lounge party (mostly robes and jammies, not truly lingerie - it's too cold!).

 

[Tomasso]

Just thought I'd drop a few absinthe vids on this thread.

 

[Absinthe_1900]

Unfortunately the St. George absinthe is spoiled by a very strange selection of herbs used in it's distillation.
Lance needs to take the basil out of the recipe, and use green anise instead of so much star anise.
(Some of these guys need to learn how to distill a decent basic absinthe, before trying to re-invent the wheel)

There are a handful of of artisanal absinthe distillers, soon to market some really decent American made product in the near future.