Absinthe

[Michael in FtW]

Absinthe was something that I have read about - but has been outlawed in several (most) countries for about 100 years ... now it seems the US is going to allow it's production again.

Some of my childhood was spent in New Orleans ... now maybe I'll have a chance to understand the drink that gave the Old Absinthe House it's name?

If only they would recend the rules and let A&W make real rootbeer again ...

 

[jpmcgrew]

Absinthe was something that I have read about - but has been outlawed in several (most) countries for about 100 years ... now it seems the US is going to allow it's production again.

Some of my childhood was spent in New Orleans ... now maybe I'll have a chance to understand the drink that gave the Old Absinthe House it's name?

If only they would recend the rules and let A&W make real rootbeer again ...

I belive Absinthe had hallucinating properties which in turn made it illegal.It was supposed to be quite powerful.Yet I would like to try the real thing at least once also Jaegar Meister a German liqour was suppossed to also contain opiates.I dont know but Absinthe was supposed to be the it drug in drink form many years ago.

 

[wysiwyg]

I've tried in Brazil, it was a yellowish herb type liquor.
Nothing extraordinaire or very special, I guess you have to drink a significant quantity to feel any special effect. I was told that you can have it straight (as I did, and it was the bottle recommendation), or with a sugar cube and iced water using a special slotted spoon. This way of preparing apparently, "magnifies" the herb properties. It was originally produced in Switzerland, but mostly consumed in France and outlawed after first WW1.

 

[flukx]

Its a greenish, herby drink. The "hallucinating" properties come from wormwood. I once made an effort to get intoxicated enough to see if this was true and, while I did manage to get intoxicated much quicker than usual, I didnt experience any sort of hallucinogenic response.

The sugar cube thing basically involves setting a sugar cube on a slotted spoon, dousing it with the alcohol, and burning it so the sugar melts and falls into a cup below the spoon, then you drink it. Supposed to increase the effect.

Also, another more interesting way of "consuming" the drink is to put it in a bowl, light it on fire, place a plate or something over the bowl to suffocate the flame, then inhale the absinthe fumes. Have never tried this, but supposedly provides a pretty interesting buzz.

 

[ronjohn55]

I have a bottle . I like it.

Never noticed anything from drinking it, other than the version I have is very, VERY strong. (110 Proof, if I recall)

John

 

[BBQ Mikey]

True absinthe contains wormwood which is believed to be a psychedelic. It normally just makes you feel drunker according to some friends of mine.

 

[Zereh]

ahhh crap. I had a huge and informative post and I lost it! /cry

Here's a quickie recap:

It was produced in Switzerland and France ~ I'm sure that most brands that you see hitting the U.S shelves will be produced in either of the same areas.

The alcohol content is not any greater than most rums, vodkas and even bourbon / whiskeys (80-110%).

If you drank as much as the lushes who purportedly "saw" things after drinking it you'd know that the type of alcohol you drank was less important than the amount at that point. (i.e. rot gut rum can produce the same symptoms!)

There is a compelling ceremony that goes along with drinking Absinthe (much like drinking tea in Japan ... ). There are glasses, spoons and even dispensers which are considered de rigueur when consuming it ~ to find the perfect "louch"ing point.

USFDA didn't ever ban it per se, but it was able to halt the import of it by controlling the amount of "thujone" which it contained. Funny thing is, every day herbs such as sage, thyme, rosemary, caraway, sassafras, and yarrow contain more than the drink ever did. Thujone is also used in several modern products including Absorbine Jr.®, Vicks Vaporub, Absinthe, Gammel Dansk, and many more. Absinthe today contains very safe levels of thujone which is why it was able to be legally distributed here in the good ole USofA again.

I do know that two manufacturers were given permission to distribute here in WA state just this past week or so. The only one I can remember off the top of my head is Lucid. As soon as I remember the other, I'll let y'all know.


Z

 

[Zereh]

ahh yeah, the green-ish color (before louching) was what gave it the name la Fée Verte or "Green Fairy" ...


Z

 

[BBQ Mikey]

thanks Zereh, that was quite informative.

 

[Rom]

We've always had it in Australia to my knowledge.

 

[sattie]

Michael, when you find it, let me know!!!! I would love to try the stuff too!!!! The stories I have heard had all been backstage rock star type antics and how trashed they use to get on it. NOT that I want to get trashed, but you do get curious of those things which you can not obtain!

 

[Hawkeye16]

Finally something I have knowledge about!!!

Absinthe is not completely illegal in the US. It is just illegal to sell the varieties that contain Worm Wood. That is what (over a matter of many many bottles and many years) will actually pickle your brain, thus causing you to hallucinate.

They sell Absinthe here in Iowa at Hy-Vee (Grocery store), just not a true one that contains worm wood.

I had some in Europe when I was there and I think it is just a glorified Jagermeister. Tastes like black liqorice!

 

[GB]

I have a friend who tried it a while ago. He did not hallucinate, but said it got him much drunker than he usually gets.

 

[Dave Hutchins]

I drank it in Japan before I got drunk I got sick. Took me twenty years to like liquorice
again. very powerfull stuff

 

[jpmcgrew]

The Authentic French Absinthe Fountain Set. at Hammacher Schlemmer#
Just found this in a catolog.

 

[qmax]

I read that the psychotropic properties are not noticeably different than alcohol, and it's bad reputation was a result of marketing and lobbying by the French wine associations in the late 1800's. The wine shortage caused be phylloxera drove the public to hard liquors, particularly absinthe. As wine production recovered, people weren't returning to the wine consumption. Hence, the wine producers pushed to have it outlawed.

 

[Billdolfski]

Thujone, which is the psychoactive from the wormword is not supposedly not existent in the quantities that got it banned oh-so-long ago.

I have a buddy who is really into it, and I don't think you can get your hands on anything that will make you hallucinate anymore. The stuff he usually gets has one of the higher amounts of thujone in it, and I don't think it's even enough. Better off just trying to get ahold of the wormwood if you're than bent on hallucinating from it.