So you’ve heard about this liquor called absinthe, also nicknamed “The Green Fairy”, or you’ve tasted it while vacationing overseas, and now you want to know where to buy absinthe. You’ve checked your local liquor stores, and nobody has it for sale.
The reason: It has been illegal to sell absinthe in America for quite a long time, mainly due to a chemical ingredient known as thujone, which is derived from wormwood oil, another ingredient of absinthe. Rumor and speculation has attributed thujone as being the main cause of hallucinations and other symptoms similar to a THC high. One of the most famous stories to rise from the absinthe era is that of Vincent Van Gogh and his ear-lopping incident. It was said that his consumption of mass quantities of absinthe caused him to go insane. This of course is strict conjecture, and research and testing throughout the years has disproved much of the radical claims made about absinthe. Most countries that had previously banned the sale of absinthe have since reneged the ban. The amount of thujone in modern absinthe sold today has also significantly decreased and is regulated by the government.
Absinthe certainly has quite a colorful and interesting history, which can be further explored in great detail at the website absinthe.se
Recently, laws in America have changed in regards to when and how you can sell and buy absinthe. There are a small amount of absinthe brands on the marketplace in the United States that closely follow the original recipe, but are absent of any significant amount of thujone, or contain none at all. Absente is one such version, Pernod and Green Chartreuse are similar in taste and/or recipe, and a French liquor maker is also producing their own version of absinthe to sell in the United States. It is also legal to produce absinthe for your own personal use, if you have a recipe and the proper ingredients.
Technically, it is also legal to import absinthe containing regulated amounts of thujone into the United States from other countries. FDA law is actually a bit sketchy about this, but as someone only interested in seeking to buy absinthe, you have nothing to worry about. The law states that the FDA can only prosecute sellers of absinthe, not buyers. However, absinthe can sometimes be confiscated by customs agents who may be unfamiliar with international laws.
On a recent trip to Italy, I myself brought back two large bottles of absinthe into the United States without any problem, and I have bought absinthe from a UK website several times and had it shipped to me. If you are looking to buy absinthe, this is probably your best option.
Where Can I Buy Absinthe
For those of you looking to buy absinthe for an overseas supplier, you should be prepared to pay quite a bit, as the exchange rate can make a bottle of quality absinthe quite expensive.
I found the website http://www.originalabsinthe.com to be one of the best places to buy absinthe. Of the many brands of absinthe I have tried, I have found their selection to be quite good. They primarily sell Czech brands of absinthe, adhering to strict standards of taste and quality, and manufactured according to an original recipe. The website also contains a wealth of information regarding absinthe, plus absinthe accessories to buy as well. The Czech brands of absinthe are usually lacking anise, normally a major component of flavor in French brands. I tend to dislike a strong anise flavor, so I favor the Czech brands over any other.
If you want to buy absinthe that is French or Swiss made, then you can do so at http://www.buy-absinthe-alcohol.com/. The brands of absinthe sold here are also high quality, premium absinthe, and follow an 1855 recipe. The brands of absinthe featured here offer subtle variations of flavor, ranging from sweet to very bitter.
At http://www.eabsinthe.com/ you’ll be able to buy absinthe from the Czech Republic, France, Sweden and Spain, as well as a few brands from the rest of the world. A large selection of absinthe accessories and collectible is also available. You’ll also be able to read customer reviews of some of the many brands of absinthe in order to help you make your decision of which brand to buy.
There are many other places on the internet to buy absinthe, but these are the top three in my opinion. Together, you’ll have a large range of absinthe brands to choose from.
