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It’s been legal for individuals to bring absinthe into the U.S. for some time now, but only this year are authentic varieties of the spirit made with 19th-century distilling methods legal to produce in America and sell in stores. The complete end of prohibition – which, as the Times reports, has already taken place in the E.U. – is thanks in part to studies concluding that the chemical thujone, found in wormwood and often blamed for absinthe’s rumored hallucinatory effects, was barely present in historical absinthe. It’s now believed that the delirious effects reported by some absinthe drinkers may have been due to the toxic artificial coloring like copper sulfate used in cheaper brands. (Presumably imported from China.)
The Wormwood Society defines absinthe as an "anise spirit distilled from anise, fennel and wormwood." Fully authentic absinthes available on the U.S. market still contain trace amounts of thujone and the alcohol content is usually in the 110 to 144 proof range! At least five domestic distillers are readying products for the U.S.; Marilyn Manson will presumably be bringing his version of the spirit, “Mansinthe” to U.S. liquor stores and concert merch tables – it’s currently made in Switzerland with an alcohol content of 66.6%. Oh Marilyn, you devil, you!
Brooklyn’s Borisal Liquor and Wine [468 4th Ave] stocks both brands of Absinthe currently available in the U.S. (You can also order from their online catalog.) A bottle of Lucid, which is promoted as “the first true, Grande Wormwood-based Absinthe of its type available since before prohibition”, uses 19th-century distilling and will set you back $62.99.
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Nice shout out for Borisal Liquor in Brooklyn, that place is hilarious.
I've had absinthe a few times and it's absolutely putrid. I know it's probably blasphemous, but are there any good mixers for it?
This stuff is a shitty high and it tastes absolutely awful.
Just eat some dots or squares and have a real go at it.
I would rather spend the same amount of money on a good bottle of Calvados.
If you have not tried ot yet go to The Brandy Library in NYC and give it a go . They have a great selection
I cant imagine any mixer that would taste good with absynthe. Maybe motor oil? Bacon grease?
@barryap: Apparently drinking it neat is NOT the way to go. Lots of cocktail recipes here: www.wormwoodsociety.org/
Borisal Liquor is the strangest liquor store I've ever been in my life. I'm not sure you even go into it.
Absinthe requires a ritual of preparation.
There are various directions out there on the internet. But you have to be good at it. Like opium, you just dont't stick it in a pipe and light it. It has to be "chefed".
When I lived in Prague for a couple of years it was available there in some clubs. I didn't think it was all that great. But there is a mild delirious aspect to it. Though a similar effect is reached through the Czech tradition of very good lager beer interrupted by shots of brown rum.
Whenever I've had absithe it does require preparation, and it was pretty good afterwards. So make sure you're doing something to it: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Absinthe#The_.22ritual.22_.28preparation.29
Ah, well that explains why I saw what was clearly labeled "absinthe" in an Astoria liquor store just about 3 days ago. That confused the hell out of me at the time.
Absinthe makes the heart grow fonder.
You have to try it once and do the ritual thing. Then its important to pretend you're especially high off of it, even though you're just drunk. Make sure to pretend tho, even if nothing happens. (nothing will happen, except you getting drunk, its just strong flavored alcohol that reacts strangely when you do the ritual thing).
WILL YOU FORGET IT?
Far from being a European disaster,
Absinthe merely makes the heart beat faster.
Drink up! Though long considered decadent,
Absinthe turns out to be heaven-sent.
The Park Avenue Liquor Shop has it for $59.99.
They have Kubler too!
Czech "absinthe" is nothing of the sort, and is unspeakably vile.
I've been drinking Absinthe fairly regularly for the last 15 years, and it's fantastic. The whole 'tripping' aspect, I'm not so sure about. I think it mainly stems from the fact that you're drinking 180 Proof alcohol with tons of sugar. If you do the whole ritual the right way, with caramelized sugar, some ice cubes and a bit of water, the Absinthe will change color from green to a milky white, and tastes wonderful. It's a bit of an acquired taste, but no more so than Scotch. I've been buying great stuff off the web from Switzerland for a few years now, and it's much less expensive than the $60 a bottle these jokers want. Also, like everything else quality matters. There is Absinthe on par with Glenlivet, and Absinthe on par with Night Train. It makes all the difference. Hill's, one of the Czech Absinthe's is hideous, Vidiot.
If it tastes like anise...yuck. I hate ouzo, black licorice and anise.
People who celebrate absinthe also wear clown shoes.
That's an insult to clown shoes.
If those studies are right and thujone doesn't actually cause hallucinations and the like, then what's the point?
(I mean, it'll get you drunk, sure, but besides that.)
Night Train?!?! Well why didn't you say so!
Lucid..., Absinthe is now purported to be legal in the US as long as it is THUJONE FREE! How strange
as Absinthe is made from Artemisia Absinthium, the herb that gives Absinthe it’s name, and produces Thujone so what is the truth, are they selling Absinthe?
This and many other articles coming out now give the impression that the laws have changed. NO Laws have changed and traditional absinthe is still illegal. These companies have just filtered out the chemical Thujone , found in wormwood so that they can pass the FDA regulations.
More Info
http://www.greendevil.com/absinthe_us.html
The companies offering absinthe in the US are now on a public relations / marketing campaign to give the impression that “Absinthe is now legal” In reality no laws have changed. No matter what impression they give you the finished product is “Thujone Free” according to the FDA. Of course they are downplaying the role of Thujone with some slick “organizations” promoting absinthe in the US.
There's a good vid called Forbidden Fruit: The Absinthe Drinker (at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AZa5ezt2ojI) that shows a neurosurgeon talking about why he enjoys drinking it, the effects on the brain, and going through the ritual. I wonder if the legalization will actually hurt its popularity in the long run?
Lucid is not Thujone free but it does pass the U.S. standard of 10ppm. When absinthe is distilled almost all of the Thujone is left behind while retaining the bitterness of the wormwood. Tests done on old bottles of authentic french absinthe showed little to no thujone. So to answer the question, yes Lucid is real absinthe
If you are looking for good info on absinthe and its effects, try Absinthe Effects It is a Great article that is well written