Absinthe: Is that Absent with a Lisp?


Absinthe bottleThere is a lot of mystique and intrigue around Absinthe. The spirit was banned in the United States at some point in the early 1900s due to its apparent effects on the mind. The chemical thujone was thought to be to blame for the hallucinogenic effects on heavy Absinthe drinkers but recent studies found only large amounts of the chemical caused a physical reaction and even then, no hallucinations. I don’t think it was the Absinthe that was the problem. The clue there is heavy drinkers. Jack Daniels has the same effect.

My guess is that Absinthe was branded as a hallucinogen because it was favored among creative types. They claimed to create and think differently while intoxicated. These folks are naturally prone to thinking outside the box when sober. Absinthe just happened to be their drink of choice.

I’m sure there are die-hard fans of Absinthe out there that would disagree with my opinion. The reason for disagreement would probably come from the desire to protect Absinthe’s mystique. I don’t blame them for wanting to protect its history and reputation. Drinking Absinthe is an experience. After all, Absinthe has its own specially designed glass, artistically designed slotted spoons and step by step processes and recipes that are all part of the intrigue that is the Absinthe experience. Because of the steps involved with preparing the drink, it has a ritualistic feel that only adds to its mystique and magnetic effect on those who are susceptible to enjoying ritualistic encounters.

For those of us who are just plain curious about Absinthe, its flavor and mixing possibilities, Viridian LLC released a brand of Absinthe with a dose of thujone that is low enough to pass US requirements bringing authentic Absinthe back to the US for the first in almost 95 years. Currently, it is in limited supply in New York with plans for more significant quantities throughout the summer as well as online sales.



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May 29th, 2007
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Comment Number:
1
Written by:
Arturo
Posted on:
May 30, 2007 at 6:48 am

I tried Absente, a brand of absinthe last night. It tasted like diluted Ouzo. I did not see any green fairies either.

Comment Number:
2
Written by:
Ron Pulicari
Posted on:
May 30, 2007 at 1:13 pm

Arturo, I wouldn’t expect you to see any fairies unless you polished off the bottle, which I don’t advise. I believe Absente is a brand that is marketed as “Absinthe refined” and is not made from grand wormwood but rather southern wormwood. “Absinthe” made from southern wormwood is very low in thujone, has a different taste and is considered imitation Absinthe. It was the only substitute for absinthe in the US for a very long time.

Comment Number:
3
Written by:
Robert Hess
Posted on:
June 1, 2007 at 10:58 pm

The hallucinogenic myth surrounding Absinthe wasn’t so much as tieing it to the artist/creative market, but just part of the overall propoganda leveled at it by the temerance union and the wine industry of the day. Some of this I outline to a little more detail in my earlier article on Absinthe, which you can find here:

http://thespiritworld.net/2007/01/15/absinthe/

Arturo,
Absinthe, Absente, Pernod, Ricard, Herbsaint, Ouzo, Arak, etc. all have the general “tastes like anise/licorice” sort of flavor profile going on. Some of them are very “single note” in flavor, while others have a bit of hidden complexity which makes them a little more interesting. If you can’t get ahold of a “real” Absinthe, then a good Arak, is probably the next best thing to understand what a real Absinthe tastes like.

It is important to note that some of what you might encounter that is trying to pass itself off as Absinthe, isn’t. Any product that promotes it’s high thujone level should be dismissed out of hand. Not only are they usually the equivilant of “bathtub gin”, they also usually taste pretty bad.

“Lucid”, the product being sold by Viridian LLC, was created by Ted Breaux, who also markets the “Jade” line of Absinthe, which is one of the best on the market. I haven’t had a chance to try it yet, but I have high hopes that if Ted has given it his blessing, it’s most likely pretty good.

-Robert

Comment Number:
4
Written by:
Romie Newcomb
Posted on:
August 30, 2007 at 2:19 pm

My husband and I have both tried “Lucid” and it is very good. Tastes like licorice. We saw no little green fairies. However, if you drink a whole bottle of it, you will probably have quite a buzz. I know this product is going to go very far and hopefully more and more states will buy it. Viridian, LLC is on to something very big and I comend all the partners in the company for bringing this into the US. Bravo!!!!!!

Comment Number:
5
Written by:
Ron Pulicari
Posted on:
April 30, 2008 at 3:51 pm

Here is more info on Absinthe and a study on the mind-altering mystery: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24371992/?GT1=43001