Absinthe
Absinthe is an alcoholic drink made with the extract from wormwood (Artemisia Absinthium). It is emerald green in color and is often times bitter due to the absinthin content. Absinthe has several nicknames related to it, notably Absinthe Green Fairy or The Green Goddess. There is a certain ritual involved in the preparation of absinthe to be consumed which involves a special perforated Absinthe Spoon, a sugar cube, and cold water.
History of Absinthe
Absinthe Liquor was invented in 1797 by a French doctor named Pierre Ordinaire. He used wormwood together with anise, fennel, hyssop and various other herbs distilled in an alcoholic base as a herbal remedy for his patients. Around the early 1800’s Henri Louis Pernod obtained the recipe and made the first Absinthe distillery in Switzerland, later on after obtaining great success, it was moved into a larger facility in Pontarlier France. By the 1850’s absinthe had become the drink of choice of the upper class. Absinthe was on it’s way to becoming a national phenomenon with over 2 million liters being consumed annually by the end of the 19th century.
What Does Absinthe Alcohol Taste Like?
Absinthe is similar to the Greek traditional drink ouzo or the Turkish raki or even Lebanese arak. In the Us Galliano would have a similar taste to Absinthe. Key ingredients in Absinthe is anise and fennel which both have a flavor similar to licorice. Depending on the variety of Absinthe Alcohol you might also detect a mint like bitterness to it. It has a very peculiar flavor and usually takes some time to develop a taste for it.
Preparation of Absinthe
Absinthe is drunk as a cocktail and has a ritualist preparation before drinking. Proper preparation consists of placing a sugar cube on a special slotted Absinthe Spoon, and slowly dripping cold water over the sugar into the Absinthe Glass. The oils of the anise and fennel do not mix with the water, but come out in the high alcohol content in the absinthe to form a colloidal solution with the cold water, and creating a beautiful cloudy effect called “louche”. “Louche” comes from the French word meaning turbulent, troubled and cloudy. The fragrances in the oils are also released in the “louche” and add to the enjoyment of the Absinthe Drink.
Absinthe’s Controversy
Due to the wormwood content, users have attributed an increase of creativity, reflectivity and aphrodisiac quality. Some claim a heightening effect, others a lowering affect while still others laud the psychedelic effect. Some describe the effects as a mild combination of espresso coffee, euphoric-state causing drugs, and alcohol. Most experiences were described as “great” and “enjoyable”. Drinkers have claimed to be more alert and focused rather than “drunk” as from a weekend binge
Absinthe Banned
Absinthe was publicized in connection with some violent crimes, supposedly committed under the influence of the drink. In the late 1800’s a wine shortage in France was turning people to drinking hard liquor, and subsequently led to Absinthe and other hard liquors being labeled as a menace to society. The critics of Absinthe liquor created rumors that it made you lazy, (sound familiar?) makes you crazy, provokes criminal activity, causes tuberculosis and epilepsy, and has killed thousands of French people. The straw that broke the camel’s back was a high profile crime called the Lanfray murders. In 1905 Jean Lanfray murdered his family and then attempted to kill himself after drinking Absinthe. But what was not reported was that Lanfray was a serious alcoholic who had drank considerable amounts of other alcohol in addition to the 2 glasses of Absinthe, but the crime was only blamed on the Absinthe.
A petition was passed around Switzerland and signed by over 82,000 people to ban absinthe, and shortly after Belgium and Brazil followed suit. The Netherlands banned absinthe in 1909 followed by the US in 1912, and France and Australia in 1915.
Absinthe’s Resurgence
In the 1990’s an importer, BBH Spirits realized that there was no law in the UK prohibiting the sale of Absinthe, other than the standard regulations governing alcohol. A distillery in the Czech Republic began manufacturing Hills’s Absinthe which sparked a modern resurgence in Absinthe’s popularity. Many countries since have repealed the laws and won pertaining to the sale and production of Absinthe, and now it is legal in almost every country except the United States. The U.S. laws state that it is illegal to sell Absinthe in the United States but Not Illegal to drink or possess it. Despite the ban in the U.S., it is obtainable in a small number of establishment’s around the U.S., though typically locating the establishments is by word of mouth. Also on the market are abinsthe kits, which don’t make true absinthe, since absinthe needs to be distilled.
Current status of Absinthe in the U.S.
The rules specifically state that it is illegal to sell or manufacture Absinthe Alcohol in the United States. Although it is not illegal to drink or posses Absinthe in the U.S. So from those statements here is the deduction:
1. It is illegal to sell thujone containing Absinthe Liquor in the US for human consumption.
2. It is illegal for someone outside the US to sell thujone containing Absinthe to someone inside the US.
3. It is not illegal to purchase thujone containing Absinthe for personal use in the US.
4. It is not illegal to purchase thujone containing Absinthe for personal use outside the United States.
5. Thujone containing Absinthe Alcohol can be seized by US customs (if it is for human consumption).
“After the first glass, you see things as you wish they were. After the second, you see things as they are not. Finally you see things as they really are, and that is the most horrible thing in the world.” Oscar Wilde
The Green Goddess, “Art is the soul of life,” and the Old Absinthe House is the heart and soul of the old quarter of New Orleans.” Aleister Crowley
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