Absinthe

[d_nelly78]

I have seen you can buy absinthe at lower strengths legally these days. Are these products fake with no worm wood in them? I want to find some legit stuff to make some funky drinks with.:cool: Help ME!!!!!!!

[cowdery]

As I understand it, the new absinthes do contain worm wood at levels consistent with the way absinthe was made historically.

What, again, I understand from miscellaneous reading, but not a real in-depth study, is that the belief at the time absinthe was widely banned, that the worm wood gave it dangerous hallucinogenic properties, was disproved by later research. Most of the problems related to absinthe consumption were actually caused by excessive consumption of a very high-alcohol spirit. In other words, the problem was alcohol, not worm wood.

[mier]

Chuck is right,the ingredient thujone is only dangerous when taken in big quantities,the quality of the spirit did do the harm as well the colouring with coppersulphate by distilleries that wanted to make some money quickly.

Eric.

[NeoTexan]

As I understand it, the new absinthes do contain worm wood at levels consistent with the way absinthe was made historically.

What, again, I understand from miscellaneous reading, but not a real in-depth study, is that the belief at the time absinthe was widely banned, that the worm wood gave it dangerous hallucinogenic properties, was disproved by later research. Most of the problems related to absinthe consumption were actually caused by excessive consumption of a very high-alcohol spirit. In other words, the problem was alcohol, not worm wood.

I also remember hearing somewhere that the whole mess was a product of a smear campaign by the wine industry. If I recall correctly, there was a shortage of wine, everyone was switching to absinthe and when the wife recovered they needed to get rid of the competition.

[mgilbertva]

Modern Marvels on the History Channel did a few shows on spirits, including a segment on absinthe. That segment is available on

. Interesting stuff, including the wormwood/hallucinogenic issue.

[Jono]

In "The Bank Dick" - W.C. Fields orders several drinks from "Shemp" the "Black Pussy Cafe" bartender...and "a bit of the wood" is ordered up along with some rye highballs. You see the hazy absinthe drinks....he gobbles up 6 of them!

I found this nice link:

http://boozemovies.blogspot.com/2007/01/bank-dick-1940.html

[New2Whiskey]

So has anyone tried it? I'd like to add absinthe to my home bar. I'm finding a lot of information online but can't seem to really make a decision on which to buy. Or proper way to prepare.

It appears that unlike bourbon and whiskey, absinthe is always mixed with sugar and water. From what I read, it it never meant to be served neat.

[sku]

So has anyone tried it? I'd like to add absinthe to my home bar. I'm finding a lot of information online but can't seem to really make a decision on which to buy. Or proper way to prepare.

It appears that unlike bourbon and whiskey, absinthe is always mixed with sugar and water. From what I read, it it never meant to be served neat.

You don't have to use sugar, but it's true that you never drink it straight (I tried it and would not do it again).

Absinthe has a very strong and almost numbing anise (licorice) taste. In my experience, people either love it or they hate it. I think it makes a great after-dinner drink, especially in the hot summer as it's very refreshing.

There are only about five or six Absinthes available on the US market, although that number is growing all the time. I tried a couple and reported about them here: http://recenteats.blogspot.com/search/label/Absinthe

Lucid is widely available and very nice. St. George is harder to find and really excellent.

[spun_cookie]

I have tried them and they still are not very good... I will take bourbon every day of teh week and twice on Sunday

[ratcheer]

I had an absinthe cocktail called "Absinthe Suisse" yesterday in New Orleans. It was eminently drinkable, but not something I would want every day. I am not even sure it actually had absinthe in it, it could have just been Herbsaint or Pernod.

Tim

[fricky]

Tim,

Next time that you are New Orleans you should try a Sazerac Cocktail. It may be one of the first cocktails. There are a number of different recipes. All contain Absinthe. Currently, I believe most contain Rye Whiskey, sugar or simple syrup, and bitters.

Doug

[ratcheer]

Tim,

Next time that you are New Orleans you should try a Sazerac Cocktail. It may be one of the first cocktails. There are a number of different recipes. All contain Absinthe. Currently, I believe most contain Rye Whiskey, sugar or simple syrup, and bitters.

Doug

I had at least three Sazerac cocktails while I was there. It is my favorite cocktail, especially when it is made, correctly. The best one I had this weekend was at NOLA. The best one I ever had was at K-Paul's.

Tim

[Gillman]

Tim, were yours slightly or noticeably sweet? I read different things about the Sazerac in this regard. One account I read stated it is a dry, "austere" drink. I think it benefits from a small amount of sweetening, depending too on the rye used.

Gary

[BourbonJoe]

I had a Sazerac Cocktail at the "Desire" at 300 Bourbon Street (tin ceilings and all). It was delicious. It was not sweet. It was somewhat austere, as Gary described.

Joe :usflag:

[sku]

Sazerac is also one of my favorites. I've been doing lots of Sazerac experiments lately, which I'm going to post on my blog next week. It's a great, refreshing drink for summer.

[ratcheer]

Tim, were yours slightly or noticeably sweet? I read different things about the Sazerac in this regard. One account I read stated it is a dry, "austere" drink. I think it benefits from a small amount of sweetening, depending too on the rye used.

Gary

One I had at Restaurant August was just a little sweet, but not as sweet as the one I had at NOLA. I preferred the sweeter one, which was still not what you would call syrupy. While I do remember a preference for the one I had at K-Paul's, that was about three months ago, so I cannot remember well enough to place it in the sweetness rankings.

Tim

[New2Whiskey]

Anyone have any recent experiences with absinthe? I'm looking to add a bottle to my home bar. I'm wondering if I should purchase outside US or in US. Also, in Chicago, there is a distillery that makes absinthe and can be purchased at Binny's. I want complexity however. Not sure how complex it will be.

[scratchline]

There are many resources on-line to provide information on this topic. In general, the absinthes currently available in the US are considered to be inferior. Most do not use green anise. Many add oil rather than obtaining flavor through the distilling process. However, just because it is foreign doesn't mean it's good either. Czech absinthes are considered inferior. Ted Breaux's products are highly valued. There are domestic products that are liked, such as St. George, which some hard core aficionados think lack the classic absinthe character. Of the current widely available US products, I think Lucid is considered the best. Do some research. I'd love to have a bottle of Breaux's 1901.

-Mike

[Vange]

Ted Breaux's has a hand in Lucid. I would recommend it as a good US sold absinthe. I have had many absinthes and come to the conclusion its just not my thing, but I can appreciate it for its complexities and rich history. For a European bottling Edouard gets rave reviews from the absinthe forums online.