Absinthe again legal

[Mike K.]

I recently tried some Absente (half the price of a bottle of Lucid). Not too bad, but a friend got hold of my bottle and drank the whole thing in one evening.

Any word on this one?

 

[K.D. Lightner]

I read that they were bringing it back, but I thought I also read that they were taking the "kick" out it, i.e., whatever was in it that they thought was bad or addictive or hallucinogenic, as they once supposedly took the cocaine out of Coca Cola.

Or is that all urban legend?

karol

 

[Feraud]

The mystery of Absinthe revealed-

KARLSRUHE, Germany, May 2 (UPI) -- German researchers put a cork in the musings over the psychedelic effects of absinthe, an alcoholic drink popular with 19th-century artists.

The green aperitif was popular throughout Europe and the United States until illness and violent episodes gave absinthe the reputation of being a dangerous drug. It was banned in France and parts of Europe from 1915 to 1988.

After more than a century of controversy centering on "thujone" as the mind-altering, even toxic, herbal essence causing absinthism, scientists say the real culprit is alcohol.

The researchers analyzed 13 samples of pre-1915, authentic absinthe -- including concentrations of pinocamphone, fenchone, methanol, higher alcohols, copper and antimony as well as thujone and found amounts of thujone similar to today's absinthe.

All things considered, "nothing besides ethanol was found in the absinthes that was able to explain the syndrome 'absinthism,'" the researchers said.

The study, published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, found the drink had a 140-proof wallop -- although consumed diluted with water, absinthe contained about 70 percent alcohol. Most gin, vodka, and whiskey contains 50 percent or less of alcohol and are 80- to 100-proof.

http://www.upi.com/NewsTrack/Health/2008/05/02/the_secret_of_absinthe_revealed/8729/
Drink away and fear not the green fairy.

 

[K.D. Lightner]

Question: if I don't like Ouzo, would I also not like Absinthe?

karol

 

[Absinthe_1900]

I recently tried some Absente (half the price of a bottle of Lucid). Not too bad, but a friend got hold of my bottle and drank the whole thing in one evening.

Any word on this one?

The Angelique is awful, the distiller used artemisa absinthium, or Grand Wormwood (Absinthe) in the coloring step, which makes it have a nasty bitter taste. (This is called an Ordinaire's Blunder) The same distiller makes a nice absinthe blanche called Clandestine. At this time he just doesn't have a handle on making a good verte.

Absente is an over priced absinthe substitute, If I were going to buy a substitute, I'd pick up a bottle of Herbsaint instead.
I'm not a fan of Absente, or it's new version Grande Absente.

 

[Absinthe_1900]

I read that they were bringing it back, but I thought I also read that they were taking the "kick" out it, i.e., whatever was in it that they thought was bad or addictive or hallucinogenic, as they once supposedly took the cocaine out of Coca Cola.

Or is that all urban legend?

karol

Yes, it's urban legend, the main psychoactive component is the alcohol, there was never anything else that was dangerous.

Question: if I don't like Ouzo, would I also not like Absinthe?

karol

Quite possibly, if you don't like anise, you may not like absinthe.

 

[Tomasso]

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)

Let's get our pitchforks and torches out, and burn St. George down. The nerve of them, not to follow the strict guidelines of absinthe.

 

[Absinthe_1900]

St. George doesn't taste like absinthe. Unless you like a nice glass of Pesto. :eusa_doh:

Unfortunately it's just not a very good absinthe.
They should first learn how to balance anise, wormwood, and fennel, before playing with basil, and stinging nettles.