Absinthe, dahhhling

I was an absinthe virgin until the food bloggers picnic. All I knew about the famed elixir was that it reputedly made Van Gogh cut off his ear, drove others nearly as mad, and had been banned for quite some time. And I think I knew that it was green.

But then I met up with Ms. Blast Milk at the picnic, and everything changed. She’s a long time devotee of the stuff, going so far as to establish a web site dedicated to all things absinthe. She brought a bottle of Jade’s Nouvelle Orleans with her to the picnic (hint: you can order it here) and graciously shared it with the group, all the while dispensing its lore and debunking a few myths. To whit:

1.  Absinthe is not poisonous. Probably not, anyway. Tests have never been undertaken on humans, only rats (poor rats!) so the only evidence to the contrary is anecdotal. It’s widely accepted that the presence of adulterants, much like the toxic substances used to cut illicit drugs, are to blame for any ill effects. That, and just plain drinking too much.

2.     Absinthe cannot be bought in the U.S. Technically speaking, it is still illegal to sell it, but it can be imported from Europe in teeny-tiny quantities (say a bottle here and there for personal consumption) without penalty.

3.     Absinthe should be diluted. At about 1 part absinthe to 5 parts water. Don’t try drinking it straight – it’s really strong, and isn’t meant to be enjoyed that way. Instead, splurge on some funky antique absinthe spoons and poor the absinthe-and-water mixture over a sugar cube. One that has not been lit by a match, mind you…

Comments

[Beth - The Zen Foodist]

Very interesting.... I've always been curious about absinthe. It is very mysterious.

Thanks for the info and link to the informative Blast Milk site.

[bill]

But, did you like it?
How did it make you feel?

[catherine]

Beth -- Indeed it is. You should try some!

Bill -- I had but a sip, so no hallucinatory rantings or ravings. It's got a very herbacious, mineraly taste, lots of anise flavors, which I don't care for, so I don't suppose I'll become an addict anytime soon. But if you're a licorice fan, you'd love it.

[clare eats]

You can buy Absinthe in Australia again, I have been meaning to try it for ages

[Alberto]

I bought one bottle of Absinthe in Prague. It's very strong...prepare your stomach!