Chances are that if your reading this, you may be looking to get some real Absinthe or at least thinking about it. I will tell you how to tell real Absinthe from phoney Absinthe, as well as what to expect and what not to expect from Absinthe.
First off, let me clear something up. There seems to be this huge misconception about Absinthe in popular culture. People seem to think it is not just a liquor but a drug all its own, causing madness and even hallucinations. Take it from me, if your looking to get some good Absinthe to “get high” or “trip” you may as well just forget it and save yourself some money. Real Absinthe contains thujone in vaying quantities depending on the label wich is mildly psychoactive, but even the brands that have the highest thujone content will not get you “high” or anything remotely close to that, much less make you “trip” or cause hallucinations. It will however, like any other liquor, get you drunk. The combinations of herbs in Absinthe can cause a mild “feeling” that compliments the alchaholic effects nicely. But if you are after anything more than that, trust me you will be sorely dissappointed.
Secondly, just because something is green and says its Absinthe does not mean it is. You may be surprised to know that Absinthe is not naturally green,real Absinthe that is green is artificially colored. Some of the best Absinthe in my opinion is in fact clear, as are most swiss Absinthes. The only naturally green liquor is something called Chartreuse, a liquor whos herbal contents yield much stronger secondary effects than any Absinthe I have tried. And it is readily available in the United States.
Another common misconception is that Absinthe is illegal in the United States, it is not. It is prohibited to sell Absinthe in the United States. If you buy some Absinthe from a foreign vendor and they send it to you, the worst that could happen is that your bottle be confiscated at customs and you not receiving it. However I will point out a friend has ordered Absinthe on countless occassions and has yet to not receive it. Besides, some of the better vendors guarantee to send you another bottle if you do not receive your first. The only reason Absinthe cannot be sold in the United States is because of its reputation, wich seems to have survived even prohibition. Anything containing thujone or wormwood cant be sold here because age old research stated it can cause madness even in small amounts. This is not true, however wormwood in large amounts can be poisonous. Modern Absinthe contains such small amounts it is harmless. Due to its reputation from the old days, when prohibition was lifted nobody bothered to make it legal for sale again.
When shopping for absinthe, you should stay away from “make your own” kits and anywhere that sells “Absinth” and not “Absinthe”. Staying away from sources in the United States and Canada in general is a good idea. And needless to say anything with names like “green devil” etc. should be avoided. It wont take much searching at all to find proper vendors in Europe. I personally recommend “Le Clandestine”, a clear swiss absinthe. Expect to spend between $70-$120+ a bottle.
Once you get some Absinthe I have some tips on how to drink it. First of all “louching” or turning milky white when mixed with water is something good Absinthe will do. Pour a couple of shotglasses worth of your Absinthe in a shotglass,and have a seperate glass filled with double that amount of ice cold water. Have a spoon, a lighter and some sugar cubes ready as well. Take a sugar cube and place it on the spoon, now dip it into the Absinthe and give it a moment to soak in some of the alchahol. Remove the sugarcube with the spoon and light the sugarcube on fire with yourlight, now once again dip the flaming sugarcube into your Absinthe until it ignites the liquid inside the glass as well and once again remove the sugarcube still flaming. Now place the spoon across the rim of the glass and allow the alchahol in the Absinthe to burn while the sugarcube burns as well and caramelizes. Once the sugarcube has caramelized completely,take the glass of ice cold water and pour it over the flaming sugar cube slowly allowing it to trickle into the flaming abisnthe below. Making sure this pours at a slow trickle is important for the taste. Once you have poured the entire glass of water in, the flames should be extinguished and your absinthe will look like a swirling milky cloud. Put the spoon in along with what remains of the sugar cube and stir it slowly until its completely white. Now enjoy.
Absinthe isnt at all what most people expect it is, it is however a wonderful tasting liquor with a flavor all its own. Definately worth trying if your looking for something new. Just beware of the scams out there that can unfortunately make it look bad altogether. Good luck and bottoms up.
