Speaking of Absinthe...

[Jeff Higgins]

I don't want to totally derail Shaun's thread on bourbon, so here you go. I remember reading this article on Modern Drunkard Magazine's website a few years ago. Very well written rundown on the history and mystery of absinthe:

https://drunkard.com/11_02_absinthe/

[LWJ]

Got some for Christmas. Need to crack it open and find out the big mystery.

[craigster59]

I've had it. Flaming sugar cube on slotted spoon over glass. Meh, I'll take Whiskey any day..

[Superman]

I wish we could still find good acid.

[Jeff Higgins]

Come to find out, we can buy the stuff at any local liquor store. I guess many thought it had been made illegal in the U.S. due to some alleged psychedelic properties of thujone, its signature ingredient, derived from wormwood. Interesting reading:

Frequent Questions

The stuff sounds nasty to me, a confirmed Scotch drinker. I must admit, however, it has piqued my curiosity... The good stuff is certainly far cheaper than a good bottle of Scotch. Hmm...

[Ayles]

If you like anise flavor then you will probably like it. The Polar bar in the Arctic Club hotel (downtown Seattle)had an absinthe fountain for years. Not sure if they still do.

[froggert]

I keep some in a small mister for making Sazeracs.

[id10t]

[herr_oberst]

I don't drink, but I've had this poster in my dining room for years. There's a ton of French art celebrating absinthe from the turn of the 19th century.

(And I don't think you light the sugar cube to prepare the cocktail, it's my understanding that you hold the cube over the glass with a spoon and pour water on it, thus dissolving it into the drink.. ???)


Edit! Turn of the 20th century! Late 1800's early 1900's!

[Vipergrün]

The fun with Absinthe is the ritualistic aspect of it...dripping ice water over the sugar cube on a slotted silver spoon. I get the stuff from Europe for the real kick. Have not had any on hand for a while. Be careful, it WILL sneak up on you and mess ya up. Whether old tales, or true, stories of people hallucinating, and doing other wild stuff. It's been called the green fairy, devil in a bottle, etc. But quite enjoyable in moderation

[red-beard]

Absinthe makes the heart grow fonder...

[Starless]

Drank plenty of the stuff when I lived in Spain. Legal drinking age was 16! We had little money and it was dirt cheap. The was a distillery in our town that used to make the stuff. Was called Absenta La Loca. That was in the early sixties and it kicked ass!

[Jeff Higgins]

Originally Posted by herr_oberst

I don't drink, but I've had this poster in my dining room for years. There's a ton of French art celebrating absinthe from the turn of the 19th century.

(And I don't think you light the sugar cube to prepare the cocktail, it's my understanding that you hold the cube over the glass with a spoon and pour water on it, thus dissolving it into the drink.. ???)

The articles I read and posted as links above all describe that as the preferred way to consume absinthe. You are supposed to dilute it about 30-40% or so with water, since it's about 136 proof right out of the bottle.

The flaming sugar cube is an alternative, more dramatic way to prepare absinthe for drinking.

Reading through all of this stuff, apparently thujone is quite the psychoactive drug. This "Wormwood Society", in their literature, does their level best to dispel that "myth". Reading between the lines, it appears their real interest is in keeping it legal by minimizing any concern over it.

[Tobra]

Originally Posted by Superman

I wish we could still find good acid.

You are looking in the wrong place

That first Irish lass is adorable

[stealthn]

Sounds like schrooms

Does the wormwood version still exist?

[legion]

Last I checked, the absinthe that you can buy in the US has no thujone in it.

[Jeff Higgins]

Originally Posted by legion

Last I checked, the absinthe that you can buy in the US has no thujone in it.

That is incorrect. It has every bit the thujone content it ever had in its original form. It does, however, vary a great deal by brand - some brands have far more than others. What happened was that thujone was eventually identified as having been legal all along, since it supposedly has no hallucinogenic properties. The Wormwood Society link I posted above explains all of this.

[sc_rufctr]

Originally Posted by id10t

Ah the Irish, God love them.... lol

[john70t]

Originally Posted by Superman

I wish we could still find good acid.

I just crack the back when I need a hit.

[sc_rufctr]

Speaking of Absinthe...

Have you guys ever tried Ouzo? ... Meh