Background:
Right of the bat... I am not a heavy drinker. Honestly, up until a month or two ago I would say "I don't drink" when asked. But I have been gently coaxed and interested enough to delve slightly. First it was a bottle of Jack Daniels that caught my eye... but that was less of an obsession, and more of a curiosity with a less-than-negative reaction.
Come New Years Eve, my wife and I decided to try a few new cocktail recipes, but needed some obscure alcoholic titles. (Eg. Castries Peanut Rum Creme) This was also an excuse to go into BevMo for the first time. To prove my level of alcoholic obsession at this point... as soon as we went in, I headed for the soda section.
Opportunity:
Right of the bat... I am not a heavy drinker. Honestly, up until a month or two ago I would say "I don't drink" when asked. But I have been gently coaxed and interested enough to delve slightly. First it was a bottle of Jack Daniels that caught my eye... but that was less of an obsession, and more of a curiosity with a less-than-negative reaction.
Come New Years Eve, my wife and I decided to try a few new cocktail recipes, but needed some obscure alcoholic titles. (Eg. Castries Peanut Rum Creme) This was also an excuse to go into BevMo for the first time. To prove my level of alcoholic obsession at this point... as soon as we went in, I headed for the soda section.
Opportunity:
On our way out, literally, as we were making our way to the cashiers... my wife pointed and said "Check it out, Absinthe." I think my face may have gone slightly expressionless and a bit white when I saw the display. "I need to try this" was all I was thinking.
Motive:
Let me explain the intrigue behind Absinthe... to me, at least.
First, it's sordid history::: It was a drink popularized in the late 1800's by many artists and poets, then demonized in the early 1900's for it's "Hallucinogenic properties" and multiple cases of "Madness" tied to it. Think Van Gogh cutting off his ear after a large dose. In 1915, Absinthe was banned in the U.S.
Second, the ceremony::: The mixing of a cocktail or the stirring of a martini has never held me in awe, but something about the procedure to prepare Absinthe just seemed overly intricate to me. Traditionally, one ounce is poured into an Absinthe glass, which contains a small chamber at the bottom for easy measuring... then a wonderfully extravagant slotted spoon is placed atop the glass... and lastly a sugar cube positioned in the middle of the Absinthe spoon. Ice cold water is dripped over the sugar cube, either by an especially made fountain, or just slowly poured from a second glass. This process dilutes the generally higher proof spirit, adds a little sweetness to the taste, but also creates the "Louche"... which is the spectacle that unravels in the glass by which the cold water mixes with the Absinthe thus separating the herb oils from the alcohol in the form of a cloudy underwater ballet. The Louche process also releases the fragrances from the herbs involved (Green Anise, Grande Wormwood, and Fennel) and thickens up the mouth feel of the drink. Think water to milk.
This just seemed so overly involved that I had to try it.
Where it all falls down:
Initially I past on buying a bottle, not only because of the staggering price, but I wanted a bit more information... research. I soon satisfied my questions, and returned to BevMo for a bottle. Actually, on the first go I just bought a tester bottle of the brand Absente for $8.99. But on this trip were many stops... and I ended up near another BevMo... so I went in, and ended up buying the Absinthe glass ($16), slotted spoon ($12), sugar cubes, and a bottle of Le Tourment Vert for $39.99. Prepared, I returned home eager to try.
The color, in traditional "verte" or green Absinthe, is a very clear emerald green. Some liken it to a peridot. Tho, there can also be clear, or whites, or "blanche", or "bleue". The first bottle I tried was the tester of Absente. This was very green, I was happy. I set up my spoon and sugar and poured my water. The Louche was over quickly, but the drink turned from emerald green to a foggy and creamy light moss color. Upon tasting, I was expecting something very strong and unrefined... something that would send my uneducated alcoholic pallet reeling, and my head spinning... but instead it was very herbal, and sort of anticlimactic. I wouldn't say "licorice-y"... but the taste of the anise was strong. I moved on to the second bottle, the Le Tourment Vert, which basically looked exactly like mouthwash in the glass. Pretty unexcited, I tried the drink. It was very similar to the Absente... no real Louche to speak of... and nothing really complex happening in my mouth. To be honest, I was a little let down. Nothing a little research cant cure!
Compounding the issue:
After a couple days of reading up on Absinthe, and the old methods VS new methods... I found more interesting info. Grande Wormwood, one of three main ingredients in Absinthe, when distilled releases a drug called Thujone. This was said to be the mind-altering component in Absinthe, which is also the basis of it's banning. In 2005, the U.S. lifted the ban on manufacturing Absinthe, as long as there was no wormwood included in the process. However, tests have proven that the amount of Thujone in Absinthe was so minute that one would have to drink such an exorbitant amount that one would be dead of alcohol poisoning long before feeling strongly the effects of Thujone... so in 2007, the ban on wormwood was lifted, with a 10 parts per million limit in each bottle.
I read that the Absente brand bottle originally had no wormwood, since it was pre-ban... but now HAS wormwood... but Southern wormwood instead of Grande wormwood... which is an all together different species which produces an altogether different 'drug'. Le Tourment Verte also apparently hardly adds in any of the "holy trinity" of ingredients... and instead has an overwhelming amount of eucalyptus instead. So the two bottles I bought are not even REAL Absinthe.
Lets get the facts straight now:
I found a few Absinthe review pages on the interweb and made a decision on my next purchase. I just had to try the real deal before I cut my losses. I gave myself two options, a domestically available bottle of Suisse Absinthe called Kubler for $45, or order online the big daddy... the French made Jade Edouard 72 for $100 plus shipping. Since I wasn't sure if I'd really even like it... I bought the Kubler. It's a clear Absinthe, but appears to meet all the important requirements: the trinity... proper Louche... and traditional taste.
Final judgment:
Ok. I've got a proper Absinthe now... it is quite amazingly different from the others. The singular taste that showed up in the others is here in the Kubler (Anise)... but the Kubler appears to have much more going on. Much more "complex"... I can see the difference. My tongue went slightly numb when tasting it... a good sign I'm told. It is strong, but in a different way from traditional alcohol... there is no real "heat" from the alcohol... but it can be hard to swallow. I'm sure the die hard Absinthe drinkers may think this sacrilege, but it's actually a bit "medicine-y". It's very herby. I've since began to chase it with Squirt, which sounds so unsophisticated, but I needed something to help it down.
UPDATE: Since posting this blog, I have taken a straight, undiluted shot of the Kubler Absinthe... what a rush of flavors and heat! Different from say the acidic melting burn of Bacardi 151. It was very flavorful... very herby, but in a good way. I wasn't exactly ready to take another shot, but it was pleasant.
The after effects are interesting. It's not quite a "drunk", it's more of a "buzz". My body felt loose and pain free. (Maybe the reason it started life as medicine) My head was clear too... not muddied up and disjointed like a rough drunk. I felt pretty good. I can see the appeal. Sadly, I had no hallucinations or weird visions... however I really enjoyed the entire novelty of the drink. But I think the jury is still out on taste. I haven't given up... but my obsession towards knowing everything about it and collecting all the parts has definitely waned a bit.
Total cost:
Three bottles, one spoon, one glass, and a box of sugar cubes ::: $136
Recommendation:
I definitely recommend it. It's a new experience, and what is more fun than that! Lots of bars serve one brand or another, posh or dive, the like. But I would say stay away from Le Tourment Vert, which appears to be the most popular brand. Go forth, chase the green fairy!
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