Absinthe has been banned in the United States for the better part of the last century. The ban was due in part to the psycho-active ingredient thujone, the active ingredient in wormwood (Artemisia absinthium) from which absinthe was made as discussed on Absinthe Original’s homepage (origninalsbsinthe.com).
According to another web site Absinth.com as well as Wikipedia, under the keyword absinthe, famous absinthe drinkers include Vincent van Gogh, Ernest Hemingway, Oscar Wilde, Aleister Crowley and Arthur Rimbaud gave the beverage a reputation as a bohemian elixir. Wikipedia indicates that absinthe was banned from parts of Europe and the United States in 1915. The fact was that there was so little thujone in commercially produced absinthes that you could not feel anything but the high alcohol content, which is usually between 90 to 150 proof. Absinthe Original’s homepage indicates that thujone alone is not responsible for the affect of absinthe. Rather it is a mixture of all of its ingredients, both herbal and its high alcohol content. Absinthe became the scapegoat for the drunken antics of some drinkers in the late 1800’s. The Vincent van Gogh ear incident was long blamed on the evils and insanities which accompanied absinthe usage.
The law banning the import and sale of absinthe in the United States actually banned any liquor made with over 10 parts per million (ppm) of thujone. When researcher Ted Breaux and others discovered that almost all absinthe used in the 1800s contained less than 10 ppm thujone, the door was thrown wide open for the resumed importation of absinthe. He produced LUCID which is reviewed here (see Barely Legal: American Absinthe Passes The Taste Test at wired.com).
I have sampled many varieties of absinthe, which is legal in Canada (see Absinthe Classics Canada (absintheclassics.ca) and was happy to finally find it in my local Maryland liquor stores.
First, before I review LUCID absinthe let me say that for a couple of years now, absinthe minus the gran wormwood ingredient has been available. I have tried these and don’t like them. It is like drinking beer or wine made without alcohol. Don’t get them confused with the original recipe.
LUCID absinthe was the first genuine, old world recipe to hit the stores near me. It is the real deal and an excellent tasting liquor even when compared with other brands I have tried made in Eastern Europe and France. It is 70% alcohol or 140 proof.
A good absinthe has not been presweetened and therefore the connoisseur must take cold water and drip it onto a cube of sugar which then is added slowly to the absinthe. There are special spoons with holes or slots made to stand on top of the absinthe glass to do this. However, I just mix ice cold water with sugar and add it to the absinthe until the mixture turns from dark green to a light pearlescent green often referred to as the green fairy. Straight absinthe is rather bitter without this sweetening process. Also it generally has an anisette taste so if you hate the taste of that herb you will surely not enjoy the taste of absinthe.
I never drink more than two shots of absinthe due to the high alcohol content. The feeling is a buzz but one which seems to be slightly different than drinking the same amount of alcohol in vodka or any other liquor. LUCID in a good name for this absinthe since you feel more lucid than drunk. It is a very pleasant and crisp feeling.
LUCID is made very strictly to meet the old world recipes and give the drinker an experience not formerly available in the United States since 1915. Even the bottle is beautiful and mysterious with two green cat eyes looking out at you.
I would compare LUCID favorably to any other absinthe I have tried. You could do much worse than try LUCID as an introduction to this historical liquor. I think with time other brands will come onto the market. Right now I will stick to LUCID even at its high price of around $60 a bottle.
Reference:
- Absinthe Is Now Legal In The United States
