absinthe,

Igneouss · Post by **Igneouss** » Tue Feb 03, 2009 1:04 pm

Un Emile 68 is an excellent traditional absinthe. If you are looking for the type of drink consumed in Paris 110 years ago or so. Original recipe if you will

Cheers

ygmir · Post by **ygmir** » Tue Feb 03, 2009 4:29 pm

I just ordered a bottle of Lucid.......found it on sale for 55 bucks...

thanks for all the info.......

Post by **Elderberry** » Tue Feb 03, 2009 4:38 pm

ygmir wrote:I just ordered a bottle of Lucid.......found it on sale for 55 bucks...

thanks for all the info.......

Sounds like a good one.

Introducing lucid, Absinthe SupÃ©rieure. lucid represents a breakthrough product for the U.S. market, as it is the first true, Grande Wormwood-based Absinthe of its type since before prohibition. Unlike imitators in the U.S. and many of the so-called "Absinthe" products that litter the international markets, lucid is crafted directly from select whole herbs, including Grande Wormwood, and never from cheaper assemblages, macerations, extracts or oils.

JK

ygmir · Post by **ygmir** » Tue Feb 03, 2009 4:40 pm

jkisha wrote:
ygmir wrote:I just ordered a bottle of Lucid.......found it on sale for 55 bucks...

thanks for all the info.......
Sounds like a good one.

Introducing lucid, Absinthe SupÃ©rieure. lucid represents a breakthrough product for the U.S. market, as it is the first true, Grande Wormwood-based Absinthe of its type since before prohibition. Unlike imitators in the U.S. and many of the so-called "Absinthe" products that litter the international markets, lucid is crafted directly from select whole herbs, including Grande Wormwood, and never from cheaper assemblages, macerations, extracts or oils.

JK

I'll report in with details.........

*checking to make sure both ears are there to begin with*

Post by **Elderberry** » Tue Feb 03, 2009 4:43 pm

ygmir wrote:
jkisha wrote:
ygmir wrote:I just ordered a bottle of Lucid.......found it on sale for 55 bucks...

thanks for all the info.......
Sounds like a good one.

Introducing lucid, Absinthe SupÃ©rieure. lucid represents a breakthrough product for the U.S. market, as it is the first true, Grande Wormwood-based Absinthe of its type since before prohibition. Unlike imitators in the U.S. and many of the so-called "Absinthe" products that litter the international markets, lucid is crafted directly from select whole herbs, including Grande Wormwood, and never from cheaper assemblages, macerations, extracts or oils.

JK
I'll report in with details.........

*checking to make sure both ears are there to begin with*

I see it's also available at BevMo here in CA too. I'm going to check that other one mentioned in an earlier post here also.

I thought you might have gotten it for BM, but it sounds like you'll be enjoying it a bit sooner than that. Are you getting all the paraphernalia?

That can set you back way more the the Absinthe itself!

JK

JK

Boijoy · Post by **Boijoy** » Tue Feb 03, 2009 4:43 pm

Lucid tastes like the ass end of a Good and Plenty.. ack !! come find me this year in Hushville and I will gife you a bottle short of only one shot.
nasty,, nasty...

ygmir · Post by **ygmir** » Tue Feb 03, 2009 4:46 pm

Boijoy:
I will, then, do just that....and, be in your debt......
Not a licorice officianado?.......

yeah, JK, I have the other stuff.....a friend brought me a spoon from Paris, and, raw sugar cubes..........I know I can find icewater.....and a glass..........

yeehaw,

I also posses the twisted mind that would allow for maximum benefit......IMHO........

Post by **Elderberry** » Tue Feb 03, 2009 4:53 pm

Have you seen the fountains? They start at about 100 bucks and way up! Don't think they'd be suitable for the playa, but would be great for serving to friends at a small party.

JK

Boijoy · Post by **Boijoy** » Tue Feb 03, 2009 4:54 pm

yeah..JK they would be good in an e-vap pond..

yg.. you are MORE than welcome to my absinth.

Post by **Elderberry** » Tue Feb 03, 2009 4:55 pm

Boijoy wrote:Lucid tastes like the ass end of a Good and Plenty.. ack !! come find me this year in Hushville and I will gife you a bottle short of only one shot.
nasty,, nasty...

I'd venture to guess that you wouldn't much care for Ouzo either.

JK

ygmir · Post by **ygmir** » Tue Feb 03, 2009 4:59 pm

Boijoy wrote:yeah..JK they would be good in an e-vap pond..

yg.. you are MORE than welcome to my absinth.

thank you, I'm in your debt.......

Artemis · Post by **Artemis** » Wed Feb 04, 2009 7:28 am

I was thinking of posting this story in the bar when YG mentioned the anthrax castle, but it seems more appropriate here.

Mention of the anthrax castle got me to thinking about a really weird party I got invited to years ago by a guy while I was drinking abinsthe. If other people hadn't been there to see him, I may think it was a hallucination. So there I was watching a World Cup match Italy vs. USA with a bunch of friends in a pub in London.

After ingesting 2-3 strawberry daquiris, I notice a strange guy at the bar wearing a top hat and using a cane, looking a bit like he walked out of clockwork orange. I notice that the bartender is holding up a candle to a teaspoon and decide that investigation is in order. I sally up to the bar and ask whether it's really absinthe that he's preparing. It is indeed. Ooh, ooh, can I try too? So the bartender begins to make me a drink too. Meanwhile clockwork orange starts to try and pick me up, but all I can do is stare into his mouth. His teeth are tiny little blades!! No joke.

I ask him about his teeth and he says yes they are special removable enhancements to his teeth, that he wears for special occasions.

Tonight is one of those such occasions as he is getting ready to go to a vivisection party. Yeah, you got that right, a vivisection party. He says (with glee in his eyes) that they are going to be vivisecting two separate pigs at the party and that there will be plenty of blood to go around (for drinking?) and that there will be cameras set up so that you can see it from various parts of the buiding, including the rooms that are set up in case you and your loved one would like some private time. He tells me that he as one such room reserved and invites me to accompany him. AHHHHH!!!! I politely declined.

I'm now drinking my second absinthe (is cocktail the right word?), looking at his little knife teeth and thinking holy crap....what is this? I excuse myself to go to the ladies room and as I'm walking notice that the woodgrain on the floor is dancing towards me. I've never hallucinated on shrooms or LSD, but dude this floor was doing something crazy. Perhaps it was a placebo effect as some poster suggested earlier. I dunno....That shit was weird!!

I came back from bathroom (after crawling around the floor at some point) and he was gone. Phew.... buddies then surrounded me and wanted to hear all about that crazy man with the weird hat. The rest of the evening is a bit of a blur, although I do remember sitting on a bunch of people's laps and I have a vague memory of cleaning up strawbery colored, licorice smelling barf off the tiled bathroom in my hotel.

ygmir · Post by **ygmir** » Wed Feb 04, 2009 7:37 am

Artemis:
not a dis similar story to my experience in Prague.........

I figured it's either good absinthe, or, not quite a heavy enough dose of "whatever the date-rape drug of the moment is"........

I felt maybe "they" dosed me, to rob me, but, Maybe, I was to big or in good enough condition to withstand the effects and remain conscious.

Igneouss · Post by **Igneouss** » Wed Feb 04, 2009 7:42 am

Great story!

One observation: the flaming absinthe ritual is a modern construct that seems to have originated in tandem with bad Czech absinthe. Traditional (real) absinthe consumption does not involve flaming sugar or fire. Degas and laTrec never used a flame, they used ice water slowly dribbled over the sugar.

The Czech ritual is fun and antone that want's something exotic is more than welcome, just don't confuse it with the actual traditional absinthe preparation.

Cheers
Ig

ygmir · Post by **ygmir** » Wed Feb 04, 2009 7:45 am

yeah, there are several things about Czech absinthe not matching the rest of the world, now, or historically.......

they have a sordid history, of nefarious acts, anyway........

great place, though.....

klondike_bar · Post by **klondike_bar** » Wed Feb 04, 2009 1:08 pm

sounds like good times...

i gotta try to find/make myself some quality absinthe now, if youll excuse me.

yellowdog · Post by **yellowdog** » Thu Feb 05, 2009 2:04 pm

Note that Swiss absinthe is clear, and turns white in water, French style is green and turns white in water (this color change is called 'louche' and watching it swirl is part of the experience). Chezk style and homebrew is considered to be awful, bitter, and horrible. I have had some homebrew absinthe different years at Burning Man, and it was like badly flavored kerosene. I have recently purchased a bottle of Kubler (Swiss) that was recommended on one of the absinthe websites ('wormwood' I think) as a good 'beginner' absinthe (i.e. not so pungent). It's night and day different from the homebrew. I like it 50/50 with cold water (like Dutch licorice, light and barely sweet), or especially as part of a Sazerac cocktail. If you don't like licorice, stay far, far away. My wife won't even be in the same room. Cost of commercial, drinkable stuff runs from about $40 to whatever you want to pay ( pre-prohibition French stuff runs to the thousands). It's one of those things that you will either love, or hate. No middle ground. I think that's where the mystique actually originates. (How can you drink that sh#? "Oh,man, you don't know what you're missing *wink* which becomes, "Absinthe? I hear that's strong stuff, makes you hallucinate or something! No, i haven't actually TRIED it..."

I can't speak to the hallucinogenic aspect. Previous trials with the homebrew were somewhat tainted with prior activities.And I'm too cheap to guzzle enough of the Kubler to tell (it must be savored). I think it's a myth.

MarkM3 · Post by **MarkM3** » Tue Apr 21, 2009 12:11 pm

Hi all, Just thought I'd chime in with some additional feedback on the Absinthe you can now buy and why it is not "real" absinthe. FIY, I have a degree in chemistry, and work for a wine importing company, so I do know quite a bit about this stuff. I'm hoping to share and get some of you motivated to make some of the good stuff :)

The absinthe that was recently legalized in the USA has some strict regulatory standards as to the amount of thujones it contains (thujones= the oils from the herbs that make it reportedly hallucinogenic.) I dont recall the exact figure, but it is something like it must contain less than 0.05% thujone. That being said, the absinthe from Bevmo is just a strong herbal liquor, not the trippy 'green fairy' inducing drug of centuries past because it is missing that herbal component.

Making your own absinthe, on the other hand, could contain as much of the stuff as possible. Keep in mind that the volatile organic components of the herbs (i.e. the good stuff in the herbs) are very fragile, and are subject to degradation from heat and oxygen. Similarly, only fresh product picked in the fall have appreciable amounts of the oils. Dry herb, or fresh spring growth just won't be very potent.

As far as making your own using high-proof grain neutral spirits (i.e. everclear), infusing the liquor will be ok, but not as good as re-distilling. When re-distilling, don't add the herb to the pot, but rather have the herbs in the column to steam distill the organic components over. Caution: distilling high-proof liquor is very dangerous due to the 'explosive' vapors. Do this only if you know what you are doing, have the proper equipment, and do it only outside away from flame.

For the comments about those of you who have never tried absinthe. . . be warned. The flavor is very strong and not easy for the 'American' palate to enjoy. Strong bitter liquors are more common in Europe, but in the good 'ol USA, bitter liquors are not very popular due to their strong taste. Jagermister would be considered mild compared to absinthe. I'm not trying to discourage anyone, just hoping to set some realistic expectations for the newbies.

I saw another comment about using other 'illicit' herbs in liquor. Search on the internet for 'green dragon' and you'll get some info.

happy drinking:)

ygmir · Post by **ygmir** » Sat May 23, 2009 7:15 am

So:
has anyone gotten anywhere making some of said elixir?

I'm getting ready to find herbs.... and start.
Just wondering if anyone has done any, maybe I can avoid a few mistakes..........

I'm still torn between making it as a "tincture", or, trying "re-distilling".......
sounds like there are advantages to both...........

Whatever "Zabsinthe" made and shared last year........dang, I wish I had contact info for him, that was good...........

Lucid report:

I still have both ears, so, I guess that's a good thing.
Lucid is a very tasty elixir, quite strong, but, good.
I tend to drink absinthe straight, sipping, as such............
no noticeable "hallucinatory" effects, but, i've not gotten "smashed" on it...........

Post by **Elderberry** » Sat May 23, 2009 7:39 am

ygmir wrote:So:
has anyone gotten anywhere making some of said elixir?

I'm getting ready to find herbs.... and start.
Just wondering if anyone has done any, maybe I can avoid a few mistakes..........

I'm still torn between making it as a "tincture", or, trying "re-distilling".......
sounds like there are advantages to both...........

Whatever "Zabsinthe" made and shared last year........dang, I wish I had contact info for him, that was good...........

Lucid report:

I still have both ears, so, I guess that's a good thing.
Lucid is a very tasty elixir, quite strong, but, good.
I tend to drink absinthe straight, sipping, as such............
no noticeable "hallucinatory" effects, but, i've not gotten "smashed" on it...........

I guess you'll just have to try both methods. I'm sure you won't have trouble finding people to sample it for you.

JK

ygmir · Post by **ygmir** » Sat May 23, 2009 8:36 am

jkisha wrote:
ygmir wrote:So:
has anyone gotten anywhere making some of said elixir?

I'm getting ready to find herbs.... and start.
Just wondering if anyone has done any, maybe I can avoid a few mistakes..........

I'm still torn between making it as a "tincture", or, trying "re-distilling".......
sounds like there are advantages to both...........

Whatever "Zabsinthe" made and shared last year........dang, I wish I had contact info for him, that was good...........

Lucid report:

I still have both ears, so, I guess that's a good thing.
Lucid is a very tasty elixir, quite strong, but, good.
I tend to drink absinthe straight, sipping, as such............
no noticeable "hallucinatory" effects, but, i've not gotten "smashed" on it...........
I guess you'll just have to try both methods. I'm sure you won't have trouble finding people to sample it for you.

JK

good thought.............

you have so many of them, must be the "brain stimulation" of your avatar........

Igneouss · Post by **Igneouss** » Mon Jun 01, 2009 1:10 pm

MarkM3 wrote:Hi all, Just thought I'd chime in with some additional feedback on the Absinthe you can now buy and why it is not "real" absinthe. FIY, I have a degree in chemistry, and work for a wine importing company, so I do know quite a bit about this stuff. I'm hoping to share and get some of you motivated to make some of the good stuff

Making your own absinthe, on the other hand, could contain as much of the stuff as possible.
happy drinking:)

Thujone is a documented deadly poison. As a chemist you would know that. Yet you seem to be advocating "adding as much as possible". Can I assume that you buy the extract and drink it straight? Thus relieving us of any worries that you might attend BM?

For everyone else. Many absinthes including previously unopened historical bottles have been tested for thujone levels. Yes it's present but typically in very small amounts. "real" absinthe did not have particularly more or less of the stuff than modern versions. Bad are the 'kits' sold on eBay that basically involve adding organic extracts directly to an alcohol base. Traditional absinthe involves steeping and or distilling the actual plant matter in the mix. Simply pouing in wormwood extract is seriously yucky compared to the distilled product.

Lastly, the historical argument about the halucinatory effects of absithe is fascinating - look it up. BUT, when you look for actual medical and/or scientific evidence of halucinatory affects, there's not much evidence. Most scholars on the subject agree that fooling with 170 proof liquor is likely the cause of the halucinations. It's hard to prove any halucinatory effects when, if present, they would be masked by the massive effects of the alcohol.

Igneouss · Post by **Igneouss** » Mon Jun 01, 2009 1:14 pm

Ygmir,

Get in touch with these good people:
wormwoodsociety.org
They (and I to a lesser degree) have invented that wheel. You could save a lot of wasted time and bad absinthe by spending a few hours chatting/reading there...

Cheers!

Post by **AntiM** » Mon Jun 01, 2009 1:23 pm

Lucid sucks. I have a bottle that is mostly full if anyone wants it.

What doe snot suck is Le Tourment Vert. Yummy French stuff in a pretty bottle. You can even get it in Utah, although they stick you on the price.

ygmir · Post by **ygmir** » Mon Jun 01, 2009 4:11 pm

Igneouss wrote:Ygmir,

Get in touch with these good people:
wormwoodsociety.org
They (and I to a lesser degree) have invented that wheel. You could save a lot of wasted time and bad absinthe by spending a few hours chatting/reading there...

Cheers!

thanks igneous, I'll check that out.

Badger · Post by **Badger** » Mon Jun 01, 2009 10:32 pm

I'd go for the St. George Absinthe Verte again. Available on occasion at BevMo but no other place I know of.

A tad pricey but good.

Better if served the following way:

1) 5ml of laudanum drizzled over the sugar cube.

2) light the tincture infused cube and allow the flaming, caramelized, opium-tained sugar to drip into the half full glass St. George.

3) skip the watering ceremony altogether - even if said water is gray from a DPW shower collection barrel.

4) sip slowly until such a time as you see the full moon rise over the Selenite mountain range overlooking Black Rock City.

Isotopia · Post by **Isotopia** » Mon Jun 01, 2009 10:34 pm

But, there isn't going to be a full moon during the event this year.

Badger · Post by **Badger** » Mon Jun 01, 2009 10:36 pm

Exactly.

ygmir · Post by **ygmir** » Tue Jun 02, 2009 6:20 am

Isotopia wrote:But, there isn't going to be a full moon during the event this year.

does that preclude:

wedeliver · Post by **wedeliver** » Tue Jun 02, 2009 6:40 am

Isotopia wrote:But, there isn't going to be a full moon during the event this year.

Larry Harvey has contracted, through special arrangement, a full moon that will occure at Black Rock City on Friday night of this years event. That is September 4th, 2009.

absinthe,

Absinthe is not the same as it used to be. . .

Re: Absinthe is not the same as it used to be. . .