The Miracle of Absinthe

[John in Covina]

Would it contain enough alcohol to ignite? I think it requires around 150 proof,... 75 percent ethanol at least if I'm not mistaken, for ignition. Anyway,....I have never seen absinthe in any liquor store here. I wonder if any bars might serve it? [huh]

****
No you can flame lower alcoholic beverages, even 80 proof. Even lower if you warm it first.

 

[herringbonekid]

so how did the absinthe tasting aboard the QM go ?
any newcomers to the drink want to share their first impressions ?

 

[Kt Templar]

Over here Sambuca is served with coffee beans on tip and flaming. It's 40% ABV, 80 proof US.

 

[Miss Neecerie]

so how did the absinthe tasting aboard the QM go ?
any newcomers to the drink want to share their first impressions ?

oh now thats a loaded question...

It tastes of liquid 'good and plenty'.....


Admittedly Marc's lovely apparatus and the whole ceremony was fun...*

Not exactly a convert to it yet...maybe it just needed -way- more sugar for my sweet tooth.



*note that it was also 3 am and everything was fun, and or funny.

 

[scotrace]

I am SO SO SO unhappy with myself for missing that! Stupid stupid jet lag!

 

[herringbonekid]

I am SO SO SO unhappy with myself for missing that! Stupid stupid jet lag!

you're kidding !
and you sounded like the most eager to try it !

 

[Marc Chevalier]

I was wondering about a scene in Coppola's Dracula, I belive they showed a serving where the Absinthe was poured over a sugar cube and then flamed.

Actually, the Coppola Dracula film showed water being poured over the sugar cube, into the glass (with absinthe) below. This is the classic way to prepare absinthe.


Moulin Rouge, the Baz Luhrmann film, showed the so-called "flaming spoon" ritual. This was, in fact, invented in the early 1990s in the Czech Republic in order to promote its highly alcoholic (but terrible tasting) absinthes.


.

 

[Daisy Buchanan]

so how did the absinthe tasting aboard the QM go ?
any newcomers to the drink want to share their first impressions ?

Yes, Miss Neecerie has it right, liquid good and plenty comes to mind. More sugar please, lots more for me!
A fun time was had by all, even if it was 2 in the morning.
Marc gave an incredible dissertation on Absinthe, and he brought with him quite the apparatus to supply it.
What a grand time. Great people, a history of absinthe, security knocking on the door, all and all it was a blast!

 

[Absinthe_1900]

I was wondering about a scene in Copala's Dracula, I belive they showed a serving where the Absinthe was poured over a sugar cube and then flamed.

Was that a custom in some places?

As Marc said, burning sugar cubes is a recent Czech invention, once you've tasted the awful Czech made "Absinth" you'll find that dumping burnt sugar in it won't help, and it will ruin a glass of decent absinthe.

Sampling some of the better brands that are available can get you past that Liquid Good & Plenty experience. (There are some interesting things on the horizon)

 

[Marc Chevalier]

Sampling some of the better brands that are available can get you past that Liquid Good & Plenty experience.

But my friend, but I brought a bottle of Clandestine with me. As far as commercial absinthes go, we both know that it's one of the better examples.


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[Absinthe_1900]

Of course The Clandestine is one of the better brands.:eusa_clap

What I should have made a bit more clear, is that sampling several different brands can teach the new drinker some of the differences in flavor profiles, with some of the better brands...................For the ones that want to pursue further investigation.

If all the stars line up properly, perhaps next year there may be *Two Mysterious Strangers* with some nice beverages.

 

[Marc Chevalier]

 

[Phil]

[bad]

DEAR GOD NO!!!!
90% of my school would be dead within a day or two of its re-legalization. There already have been 7 deaths from underage over-drinking this year. It's sad really, they can't have a good time sober, so they have to drink themselves stupid to enjoy themselves. Back to the subject though, the kids here have ways of getting alcohol.
"Hey Frank, I bet you I can pound down a whole bottle of this Absynthe stuff in one gulp."

 

[griffer]

I am a big fan of good absinthe. Some observations-

- The thujon from wormwood is an oily chemical that needs high alcohol concentration to stay in solution. When you add cold water, the thujon comes out of solution and forms a colloid; this is referred to as the 'louche'. (Another well known colloidal suspension- mayonnaise...)
- Thujon is what makes the absinthe experience unique. It is a stimulant, but not a visual hallucinogen. Those that went mad or had hallucinations in Monte Marte were probably impacted more by the alcoholic lifestyle and impure booze. Today, different countries restrict the concentration of thujon in absinthe. Rule of thumb, the further east you go, the more thujon you get.
- I have been drinking all types of absinthe for years. They ranged from schnapps, to Formula 409, to good, to sublime. The trick is to strike the balance, per personal taste, between the thujon, anise and alcohol.

In Berlin, after drinking absinthe the 'Russian' way (which involved 'huffing' and flames, and no water or sugar, not advisable) I was referred to an absinthe shop where the guy did nothing but sell all shapes and sizes of absinthe. After going through several rounds of tastes and requesting bottles I had had in the past, I finally asked which one he liked. One taste and all the other bottles were put back. Abisinthe Amer 72 absinthe. Exquisite. No sugar required. Beautiful subtle and well balanced.

I refer you to the guy who has been getting me absinthe state side for the last several years; Alandia in Germany will ship in a plain brown wrapper right to your door.

http://www.alandia.de/absinth/produ...d/155/XTCsid/ddebf1e0d3ecc27ff339264915d588fd

 

[Absinthe_1900]

I'd never drink Lemercier, it's sink worthy.

Thujone doesn't louche, I'm sorry but your information is wrong.

http://www.thujone.info/

The Louche, or clouding when water is added, is from the oils in the anise coming out of suspension when water is added.

Tests on vintage absinthe have shown the amount of thujone to be many time lower than what have been previously thought, and recent studies throw doubt on much of the old wives tales.

http://www.thujone.info/

Consuming absinthe the Czech, or Russian, way is a foolish joke, as is Czech & Russian made "Absinth".:eusa_doh:
Never take the advice of a bunch of boozed up club patrons for a session of power drinking, all that will get you is a trip to the porcelain fixture for a session of projectile vomiting.

I would not recommend Alandia as they sell a lot of awful "absinth" and help perpetuate the high thujone myths.:rage:

For a dose of sanity:

http://www.oxygenee.com/absinthe-faq.html

 

[griffer]

I'd never drink Lemercier, it's sink worthy.

Thujone doesn't louche, I'm sorry but your information is wrong.

http://www.thujone.info/

The Louche, or clouding when water is added, is from the oils in the anise coming out of suspension when water is added....

Consuming absinthe the Czech, or Russian, way is a foolish joke, as is Czech & Russian made "Absinth"....

I would not recommend Alandia as they sell a lot of awful ...

This is why I love forums.

You are correct, Absinthe_1900, I was imprecise and incorrect- the herbal oils, of which the wormwood is a small proportion and overshadowed by the anise, are what louche. All the oils, not just the wormwood. I was trying to point out that the high alcohol is not for getting blitzed or for setting fires, but rather to keep the herbals in solution. Thanks for the clarification.

But the rush to minimize the wormwood by purists who do not want a frat/drug mentality around the drink, obscures its history and the reason Absinthe exists. From what I've read, the only reason the anise is even there in the original recipes was to balance the strong medicinal flavor of the wormwood. Just my two cents.

And if i wasn't clear, then let me reiterate, the Russian style of drinking is pure BS bravado, NOT recommended. Again, Absinthe_1900 is correct. But in Berlin, it was one of those experiences i wanted to see/have before I dismissed for what it is- crazy.

"I'll try anything once, twice if I like it, three times to make sure."- Mae West

As for Alandia as a vendor, I agree they push the thujon side, but as a supplier, they have a great range -including crap-, decent prices and their shipping has been top notch, reliable and speedy. I mentioned them as there were many in the thread wondering how you acquire such stuff. Other than face to face, I have only tried one other on-line retailer who's name escapes me, but they were horrible. I can understand the trepidation in ordering something borderline from overseas, and I thought I would vouch for one from my own experience.

Lastly, if you aren't a Lemercier guy, then fine. I avoided it because of comments like yours and various on-line articles, but I was won over by this particular bottle. If it isn't your thing, fine, but dismissing out of hand seems a bit over the top. It is a really nice drink. A sipper, not a flaming Russian slammer.

Given that I am not looking for an artificial, emerald Czech/Hill's kind of thing, I would be interested in your recommendations; I would like to continue to branch out in classic absinthes, Absinthe_1900.

1900, I just noticed you are in Houston, my old hometown!

 

[Miss Neecerie]

It still tastes like icky liquid good and plenty.......

 

[griffer]

It still tastes like icky liquid good and plenty.......

And my pops says scotch tastes like turpentine.

Variety is the spice!

or, again my pops, "There's no accounting for taste!"

 

[Absinthe_1900]

Unfortunately Lemercier's Amer has been adulterated post distillation to boost the bitterness and raise the level of thujone. (Which I find to be a silly and needless practice.) It's not a very well made product.

I'd recommend the Jade PF 1901 as a much better representation of a classic absinthe, or any of the other Jade absinthes.
http://www.absintheonline.com/acatalog/Jade.html

The very limited L'Artisinale (Now sold out) was an incredible absinthe, and the Eichelberger and Duplais are a good product as well.
The Swiss blanches are generally decent, and an all around good buy as well.

Liqueurs de France is by far the most reliable outfit to deal with.
http://www.absintheonline.com/

The Virtual Absinthe Museum: http://oxygenee.com/ and Fee Verte: http://www.feeverte.net/ are the best online resources for information.

It still tastes like icky liquid good and plenty.......

lol ...If one doesn't like anise, then absinthe won't be too much to your liking, that's okay it saves more for me.

 

[griffer]

Unfortunately Lemercier's Amer has been adulterated post distillation to boost the bitterness and raise the level of thujone. (Which I find to be a silly and needless practice.) It's not a very well made product.

I'd recommend the Jade PF 1901 as a much better representation of a classic absinthe, or any of the other Jade absinthes.
http://www.absintheonline.com/acatalog/Jade.html...

Thanks for the info and rec's.

I have a new bottle for my next order!