The Miracle of Absinthe

[celtic]

i herd it makes you trip balz

 

[Absinthe_1900]

Only in that other Lounge.

 

[celtic]

every time this thread pops up i have to check back in to make sure you're still fighting the good fight, my good man...

:eusa_clap

cheers, mate!

 

[pretty faythe]

I was thinking of getting some absinthe for a friend of mine who is an alchohol connoisseur. Was having trouble finding some that didnt cost an arm and a leg when I remembered the absinthe thread here. Found great sites.
Yay lounge!!

 

[MrBern]

beyond mystique

http://thepour.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/05/12/absinthe-beyond-the-mystique/

No longer the stuff of romantic poets and impressionists, absinthe is now apparently as uncool and contrived as the account executives and would-be hipsters who favor it.

We decided to assess absinthe the only way we know how, which is how four of us ended up with 20 glasses of absinthe apiece in front of us.

 

[Absinthe_1900]

The top three selections on the list they posted in the dining section is laughable.

About the only thing I'd agree with is, Le Tourment Vert is undrinkable swill.

As are Grande Absente & Pernod's absinthe which made the top of the list

 

[Zarniwoop]

Anybody know of a place in Sydney where I may be able to get a decent taste of the Green Fairy?

 

[Absinthe_1900]

Counting the days until Tales of the Cocktail, when I get to sample the pre-release of this:

 

[Incorporeal13]

I adore absinthe.
I think it just has to be the most beautiful drink to make.
Plus, I enjoy licorice, and it's very reminiscent in flavor of it.
I love watching it turn from dazzling green to a milky green.
For some reason it always reminds me of the Emerald City on Wizard of Oz.
...Which is probably very strange.

 

[Arcot]

Zarniwoop, being an Adelaide fellow I'm not sure of any places in particular that I know serve a decent absinthe. But there is a very respectable online place in NSW -Absinthesalon

My personal preference of late has been Jade Edouard when I have a bottle available. But since my preference isnt exactly cheap to drink with most friends, a bottle of la fee is a reasonable one thats available without too much trouble.

 

[Lone_Ranger]

OK. I'm afraid I may be asking a stupid question, since I know little to nothing on the subject, but I've seen bottles of Absinthe on the shelf, in the US. (It may have been covered already, but I haven't read all 13 pages of this thread yet)

Is what they are selling not real Absinthe? Since it is not legal in the US?

Here's one of the brands.....

http://www.drinklucid.com

 

[Incorporeal13]

OK. I'm afraid I may be asking a stupid question, since I know little to nothing on the subject, but I've seen bottles of Absinthe on the shelf, in the US. (It may have been covered already, but I haven't read all 13 pages of this thread yet)

Is what they are selling not real Absinthe? Since it is not legal in the US?

Here's one of the brands.....

http://www.drinklucid.com

The FDA won't allow... "traditional" absinthe, if you will, to be sold in the US, considering it contained thujone, which comes from wormwood. The types you see in the US these days for sale are thujone free, or use a cousin of wormwood instead.
If you want to read about it,http://www.greendevil.com/absinthe_us.html is a useful site, as well as Wikipedia.

 

[Absinthe_1900]

I'm sorry but that is incorrect.

Traditional absinthe is not only being sold, it's also being distilled in the USA.

The govt. standard for thujone content (which is largely irrelevant as pre-Ban absinthe has tested remarkably low in thujone) is 10pp or less. As most distilled absinthe generally comes in lower than that figure, the govt. considers that thujone free. (During distillation thujone stays in the still)

Don't let anyone B.S. you that absinthe has to have a high thujone level, it does not, the only people pushing thujone are a bunch of Eastern European sellers, marketing an assemblage of extracted essences, mixed in poorly rectified vodka.
In actual tests some of these high thujone "absinth" are in fact well below the limit.



http://www.thujone.info/

FWIW

Green Devil is usless, What I have to say about them can't be printed here.

real absinthe information here:

http://www.oxygenee.com/

http://www.feeverte.net

 

[Incorporeal13]

I'm sorry but that is incorrect.

Traditional absinthe is not only only being sold, it's also being distilled in the USA.

The govt. standard for thujone content (which is largely irrelevant as pre-Ban absinthe has tested remarkably low in thujone) is 10pp or less. As most distilled absinthe generally comes in lower than that figure, the govt. considers that thujone free. (During distillation thujone stays in the still)

Don't let anyone B.S. you that absinthe has to have a high thujone level, it does not, the only people pushing thujone are a bunch of Eastern European sellers, marketing an assemblage of extracted essences, mixed in poorly rectified vodka.
In actual tests some of these high thujone "absinth" are in fact well below the limit.



http://www.thujone.info/

FWIW

Green Devil is usless, What I have to say about them can't be printed here.

real absinthe information here:

http://www.oxygenee.com/

http://www.feeverte.net

Oi, you're right. I dashed that in a hurry before dinner, food does crazy things to me. The link was correct though. [huh]

 

[Medvssa]

I have had absinthe twice, both straight and mixed with water, once in Barcelona (my hometown) where I was dragged into a tourist trap by some foreign people, and once in Brussels (close to where I live now), to a bar that seems specialized and has a big menu of them, and which may very well be another tourist trap. In any case it was full of quite young people very keen on getting drunk, fast.
I can't remember which particular absinthes those were.

In both occasions I found it to be a very unremarkable beverage, a quite poor cousin to anís, with an unrefined and rough bitter taste (note that I don't dislike bitterness per se). Before you get ready to throw tomatoes, please note that it is very likely I was served the worst crap available the stuff to clean drains etc. The first time by default, the second because I didn't know my way through the menu.

I am now ready to give it another chance. I will be going back to Barcelona in September, and I thought it would be a good time to pick up a bottle from a liquor store that has a good (I hope) selection of absinthes. So I am asking you, dear experts, to please recommend me which to buy. I will probably end up using it mostly for cocktails, but I would still like something good to decent.
I would also like it not to raise much over €30, hopefully that is realistic.
The shop will (I expect) have the same or very similar selection than they have in the online shop: http://www.spiritscorner.com/scriptsing/buscar.asp?k=Directorio&idSeccion=55

I was thinking of the Absinthe Obsello Verde 50%, not because it is Spanish (I really don't care where it is from) but because I read some good reviews, still, there is a lot to choose from and I feel a bit lost. Any input is very appreciated Thanks!

 

[ThesFlishThngs]

This has been a fun read; interesting to follow the progression of ideas and experiences as absinthe enjoys its renaissance. My first bottle was brought (by request of course) by my English friend on her first visit. She'd gotten it at Tesco, of all places (grocery store), and fortunately, encountered no problems with the customs man.

I've since ordered another bottle, directly from LaFee, and also have an enticing Kubler, gotten from DrinkUpNY.
Sadly, I appear to be the only absinthe devotee amongst my coterie. Though that does mean it lasts longer....
And here's a shot of portraitist Sam Echols working on a painting I sat for. He added the bottle from his imagination; I like that he made it green.

 

[Absinthe_1900]

I have had absinthe twice, both straight and mixed with water, once in Barcelona (my hometown) where I was dragged into a tourist trap by some foreign people, and once in Brussels (close to where I live now), to a bar that seems specialized and has a big menu of them, and which may very well be another tourist trap. In any case it was full of quite young people very keen on getting drunk, fast.
I can't remember which particular absinthes those were.

In both occasions I found it to be a very unremarkable beverage, a quite poor cousin to anís, with an unrefined and rough bitter taste (note that I don't dislike bitterness per se). Before you get ready to throw tomatoes, please note that it is very likely I was served the worst crap available the stuff to clean drains etc. The first time by default, the second because I didn't know my way through the menu.

I am now ready to give it another chance. I will be going back to Barcelona in September, and I thought it would be a good time to pick up a bottle from a liquor store that has a good (I hope) selection of absinthes. So I am asking you, dear experts, to please recommend me which to buy. I will probably end up using it mostly for cocktails, but I would still like something good to decent.
I would also like it not to raise much over €30, hopefully that is realistic.
The shop will (I expect) have the same or very similar selection than they have in the online shop: http://www.spiritscorner.com/scriptsing/buscar.asp?k=Directorio&idSeccion=55

I was thinking of the Absinthe Obsello Verde 50%, not because it is Spanish (I really don't care where it is from) but because I read some good reviews, still, there is a lot to choose from and I feel a bit lost. Any input is very appreciated Thanks!

It's been awhile since I've ordered from Spirits Corner, going back to the days when we were amazed at getting a bottle of Deva. Those days have long since passed

Obsello is not too bad, and a bottle of Segarra (Not the Verte) can be interesting. I haven't bought any of the other Spanish brands in years since they have seen better days.

A well made absinthe is much better than a simple Anis, you just haven't had a decent brand yet.

You should be able to get a bottle of Clandestine in your part of the world, as well as some of the better ones here: http://www.absintheonline.com/

Avoid the Czech made stuff, it's by and large undrinkable.

The small distillers, and unnamed artisans in the USA are where the future is, there are some amazing absinthe otu there if you know where to look.

 

[Absinthe_1900]

This has been a fun read; interesting to follow the progression of ideas and experiences as absinthe enjoys its renaissance.

Get a bottle of Pacifique, or Meadow of Love from Drink Up Ny, you'll never want to drink La Fee again.

 

[ThesFlishThngs]

I remember getting an email from DrinkUp, detailing the glory and artistry of Meadow of Love. Just now, in a moment of impulsive madness, I have placed an order.

 

[Medvssa]

You should be able to get a bottle of Clandestine in your part of the world, as well as some of the better ones here: http://www.absintheonline.com/

There it is! Thanks for the recommendations.