Recently in Absinthe Category

Part 1: Absinthe Spoon

The first things you learn about absinthe is that the preparation ritual is a time honored art and tradition. The absinthe ritual must be followed precisely to produce the best tasting drink. And using the proper absinthe accessories is just as important as the absinthe ritual itself.

Your first absinthe accessory purchase will likely be an absinthe spoon. Absinthe spoons are specially made for the ritual with holes or slots in them. They are used to melt sugar into the absinthe glass as water is added. The absinthe spoon is placed on top of the absinthe glass with a sugar cube placed atop the spoon. Water is then poured over the cube and drips into the glass forming the louche.

Absinthe spoons come in various sizes, designs and finishes. Longer absinthe spoons are considered the most versatile as they work with long and short absinthe glasses while short spoons won't accommodate a tall glass. The complexity of the design will often dictate the price of the spoon with the most unique and intricate designs fetching higher prices. Popular finishes include Gold, silver, stainless steel and chrome with the premium finishes demanding the highest price. Chrome or stainless steel are the most durable finishes and require little to no maintenance. Gold or silver absinthe spoons will last a lifetime when properly cared for.

The best advice for an absinthe newbie is to by a quality spoon first off. You will have this spoon forever and it will most likely gain collector value. You may also want to purchase an inexpensive absinthe spoon as a portable. I mention this as I have lost many gold plated spoons to a long night of absinthe drinking. Lastly, no matter the finish you choose, always gently hand-clean your spoon with a quality polish (Tarn-X Silver Polish works best) and store it dry when not in use. This will pay off in the long run as you won't be replacing spoons due to rust or corrosion.

Illegal in America for over 100 years, the mythical "Green Fairy" has again taken the United States storm. The century of abstinence has not dampened the mystery behind absinthe and her effects. On the contrary, it has certainly enticed our interest.

Absinthe is an alcohol distilled with a list of herbs and botanicals. The "Holy Trinity" of absinthe herbs, as it is called by aficionados of the drink, are anise, fennel and Artemisia absinthium (from which absinthe gets its name). Most absinthe contain other taste enhancing herbs such as Hyssop, Angelica, Coriander and others. The Artemisia absinthium a.k.a. wormwood contains thujone the component believed to cause the "Absinthe Effect". Due to its high alcohol content, absinthe is prepared by mixing with water to create a "louche"

Our absinthe reviews will focus on the most important aspects of buying an absinthe -- taste, aroma and value. Our goal is to teach you how to purchase a quality absinthe at a reasonable price. The absinthe brands we review vary in price from $60 to $110 with everything in between. You will soon that it is not necessary to pay an arm and a leg to get a quality absinthe.

No matter if you are an experienced absintheur or just beginning your exploration of this grandest of liquors, our unbiased review of the best absinthe brands available in the US will surely help pick the best one for you.

Our Number 1 Pick
Jade $110 - Jade absinthe consists of 4 varieties (3 vertes and 1 blanche). The vertes are PF 1901, Edouard, Nouvelle Orleans and Suisse Verte and the blance (clear absinthe) is Combier Blanchette. These are hands down the finest absinthe you can buy if you can find them.

Our Number 2 Pick
Mansinthe $60 Verte
This absinthe is produced under the supervision of shock rocker Marilyn Manson. Many absintheurs with their head in the sand avoid this one due to the reputation of its producer but it is truly a fine absinthe. And at $60 a bottle, you really can't go wrong.

Our Number 3 Pick
Duplais Verte $70
Made at the same distillery as Mansinthe, it is one of the finest Swiss absinthes available. Ultra smooth with a slight bite of wormwood, Duplais is a top pick.

Our Number 4 Pick
Kubler $50 Blanche
This one is a blanche or clear absinthe. The final coloring step is skipped on the blanche (and La Bleue) absinthe. I normally don't drink blanche as they have a totally different taste than veret but this one is truly refresshing and worth the $50 price tag.

Our Number 5 Pick
Vieux Carre $65 Verte
Produced in the US, this absinthe has a unique, almost caramel flavor I found very enjoyable. In the mid-price range, Vieux Carre has carved a niche among the other home growns.

There are certainly other absinthe brands available in the US worthy of mention but these are the top picks. While shopping, you may also want to keep an eye out for:

Delaware Phoenix, La Charlotte, La Clandestine, Obsello, Pacifique,Vieux Pontarlier

We all know the traditional method of absinthe preparation. But wouldn't it be fun if there were more than one recipe for absinthe? After surveying my fellow absintheurs for their favorite recipe, I have a list of the best of the best. Compiling my recipe list was extremely taxing as I had to sample each and every one. But I persevered and pushed through for you guys (I actually have tears! I luv you guys!!). I must emphasize, absinthe is an extremely powerful liquor and should always be enjoyed in moderation. So, put away your absinthe fountain, glasses and spoons and check out my recipe list.

Absinthe Curacao Frappe
1 oz. Absinthe
1/2 oz. curacao
1 teaspoon lemon juice
2 teaspoons orange juice
1 thin slice orange

Stir ingredients and pour over crushed ice in a deep-saucer champagne glass. Add orange slice if desired.

The Absinthe Flip
1/2 oz. Absinthe Original
1/2 oz. Cointreau Orange Liqueur
2 tsp. Lemon Juice
1 Egg
1 tsp. Sugar
Nutmeg

Shake all the ingredients with ice and strain into a chilled whiskey glass. Sprinkle a little nutmeg on top and enjoy.

The Absinthe Minded
3 oz. Bombay Sapphire Gin
1/2 oz. Absinthe Original
1/2 oz. Grand Marnier Orange Liqueur
Dry Vermouth
1 Orange Peel

Mix gin and absinthe with ice into in a shaker. In a chilled cocktail glass, roll 1/2 once dry vermouth and discard excess. Strain the other ingredients into the cocktail glass and float 1/2 oz. of Grand Mmarnier. Garnish with an orange peel.

Green Tear *Favorite Recipe
1 part of Absinthe
2 parts of cranberry juice
1 part of Indian tonic water
1 slice of lemon

Shake well and pour into a cocktail glass.

Herbal
1.5 ounce Absinthe
Place desired amount of favorite herb in glass with absinthe
Let sit 5-10 minutes
Louche as normal

Knock Out
1 teaspoonful white Creme de Menthe
1/3 Absinthe
1/3 dry gin
1/3 French vermouth

Shake well and pour into cocktail glass

Sazerac *Favorite Recipe
1/2 teaspoon absinthe,
1 teaspoon of simple syrup
4 dashes Peychaud's bitters
1 small dash, a scant drop, of Angostura bitters
2 ounces rye whiskey
Strip of lemon peel

Pack a 3-1/2 ounce Rocks glass with ice to chill glass. In another Rocks glass, moisten a sugar cube with water until saturated then crush. Blend with whiskey and bitters in shaker. Add a few ice cubes and stir to chill. Discard the ice from the first glass and pour in absinthe. Coat the entire inside of glass with the absinthe and discard the remainder. Strain the whiskey into the absinthe coated glass. Twist lemon peel over the glass to allow lemon oil to spritz over drink then rub the peel over the rim of the glass and discard peel.

I hope you enjoy my absinthe recipe list as much as I did making it. Please send me your own recipes so I can keep expanding the list.

Currently, there are over 200 absinthe brands approved for sale in the USA. To meet approval standards, each absinthe is tested by the TTB (Alcohol & Tobacco Tax & Trade Bureau) and must to be "thujone free" as per the FDA's (Food and Drug Administration) regulation 21 CFR 172.510. Thujone free is defined as containing less than 10 parts per million of the ingredient thujone.

So what is thujone and how does it cause absinthe effects? After over 100 years of testing and debate, this question still remains unanswered. Here are a few facts about the chemical moiety thujone: Thujone acts on a receptor in the human brain responsible for alertness, lucidity and clarity. The best description of the absinthe effect is that it is like experiencing life in HD. All of your senses are heightened and slightly altered. I have also noticed that creative people are more prone to the effects of absinthe.

I have personally consumed most, if not all, of the imported and US legal absinthe brands. I found that the degree of absinthe effects varies greatly from very noticeable to nothing at all. Given that some absinthe brands exhibit effects while others do not leads me to believe there is something in absinthe causing psychotropic effects. This goes against some studies that conclude there is no effect form absinthe other than that of alcohol.

The interesting thing is that most of the studies debunking absinthe effects focused on thujone. We know that there are several herbs used in absinthe production that have exhibited effects on the CNS (central nervous system). It is possible that in differing concentrations and ratios these mind altering substances effect the human brain in a multitude of ways. Let me make this clear, when I say mind altering, I definitely do not mean hallucinogenic. It should also be considered that like any medication, the effects produced can vary greatly when considering the physiological differences from one person to the next.

In conclusions we can extrapolate that:

1.) There is a substance in absinthe that may have stimulating effects on the brain of some people.

2.) Absinthe sold in the US may or may not have an effect. Whether it does or not may be attributed to the absinthe or the individual drinkers physiology.

So what is the take away? Should you avoid the legal absinthe brands and buy the imports for the absinthe effect? Absolutely not. If your local liquor store has an absinthe that pleases your palette and has what you are looking for, save the exorbitant shipping fees and enjoy a home grown. Conversely, if you cannot find your preference locally, try an import.

3.) An absinthe that has effects on you may not have an effect on another person (imported or local absinthe).

It would be difficult to find a liquor with a more sordid past than absinthe. Everybody you know has heard something about this mysterious spirit but if you if you ask direct questions, most of the answers you get will be wrong. So let's start with the basics--How to properly prepare a glass of absinthe.

Absinthe has made an unprecedented return to the American culture. In 2007, after over a century of being illegal in the US, absinthe again cast her spell on those with an interest in this most unusual and unique of spirits. Much of this interest is sparked by the myth of the "Green Fairy's" hallucinogenic properties but we'll get to that in a moment.   

The theatrics involved in the ritual of absinthe preparation are not only interesting but also a requirement for producing a drink of superior taste. You see, the herbs used in absinthe are dissolved in solution by the high alcohol content absinthe possesses. To release the taste and aroma of this fine spirit, a ritual known as "La Louche" is required. This involves adding the coldest, purest water to your absinthe in a slow, methodical way--preferably a slow stream or drip of water. The slow addition of water reduces the alcohol content allowing the release of the herbal properties in the form of an oil. The drink becomes a milky, opalescent, white as the cold water is added. The final product, a cloudy, beautifully aromatic cocktail, is called a "louched" absinthe.

It is of the utmost importance that the absinthe ritual be followed correctly. You cannot simply mix absinthe and water and expect a fine drink. You can actually tell the difference between a properly louched absinthe and one that simply had water added. So, here are the steps used to make a perfectly louched absinthe:

1.) Pour your dose of absinthe into your absinthe glass. Absinthe is usually mixed 1/3 to 1/5 (1 part absinthe to 3 to 5 parts water).

2) Place your absinthe spoon on top of your glass with the Sugar Cube on the spoon. Absinthe spoons are specially designed with holes or slits that allow water through. Please Note: Sugar is optional. The wormwood in absinthe may have a slightly bitter taste. There are also some absintheurs that insist sugar brings out more taste. You should definitely try your absinthe with and without sugar.

3) Slowly pour water over the sugar. As the water dissolves the sugar cube, the louche will form. A slow stream or drip of water is preferred.

Here I will mention the "Czech" or "Flaming" method of Absinthe preparation. This is for comparison purposes only and should not be attempted. This method will produce a poor tasting absinthe. Also, mixing fire with high proof alcohol is really a stupid thing to do.

1.) Follow step 1 above but before placing the sugar on the spoon, soak it in absinthe for 10-15 seconds.

2.) Light the absinthe soaked Sugar Cube on fire and let it caramelize and drip through the spoon before you begin adding the water. After, mix what is left of the cube into your drink.

The Flaming method is looked down upon by those considering themselves true absintheurs.

Just two years ago, if you wanted a bottle of authentic Absinthe you had to pay an arm and a leg to import it. Now there are currently over 200 brands fighting for shelf space. Lucid, by Viridian Spirits, was the first entry into the US market. "It's mind boggling to see so many old favorites and new formulations enjoying the current renaissance of Absinthe. Yet many of the old myths about its dangers and hallucinogenic properties hang on. Simply put, Absinthe does not cause hallucinations and is no more dangerous than any other distilled spirit. Period" Said Tony Rodriguez Founder of AbsintheOnTheNet.com

Unique to Absinthe is how it's served. The method of presentation and preparation make this one of the most unique liquors ever. 'The rituals of drinking a proper glass of Absinthe are steeped in as much mystery and lore as the beloved 'Green Fairy' Herself. Absinthe is an incredibly potent spirit with an average Alcohol content of 165 percent - twice that of Vodka. This is why Absinthe can't and shouldn't be taken neat. It has to be diluted with water at an average 1:4 ratio. This is the other half of the Absinthe equation - the accessories. The basics include a quality absinthe fountain, not for the Absinthe but rather the ice water that drips slowly into the Absinthe resulting in a release of intense flavors and an incredible bouquet - known as the 'Louche". Absinthe spoons are essential too. A sugar cube is placed on top and the dripping water dissolves it into the "dose" of Absinthe in your glass." Stated Mr. Rodriguez

The essential oils in Absinthe are soluble in alcohol but not water. It's water that will transform the oils into micro-solids causing a dense cloud to build inside the glass."This is the Louche and its critical in ensuring an excellent glass of Absinthe. The process is akin to watching turbulent storm clouds roll inside your glass. Without quality accessories this critical element is lost. Realizing that the finer accessories Absinthe demands were impossible to find in the States, my wife Ellie and I, spent much time in Europe. Our goal was to procure quality accessories for the US . We accomplished this in addition to having exact replicas of Fountains, spoons and a myriad of other accessories commissioned from the same companies that were hand forging these works of art centuries ago" Added Mr. Rodriguez.