Absinthe

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yoru

Part of the Furniture Now
Jan 5, 2011
585
1
For any of our members under 21 (are there any?) -- drinking is bad. . .even after 21 drinking in excess (and with Absinthe that isn't a helluva lot) is bad. That said. . . I hope alcohol isn't too far off topic because things considered it was an interesting experience for me (I'm very boring. . .)
They legalized absinthe so for the first time since I was an idiotic 17 year old I drank more than a single glass of cheap wine. Only one glass of the stuff, given that its expensive and comes in tiny bottles and my particular bottle was 50% alc. by content (jeez). Tried it neat first because I forgot you don't do that. . .You don't do that, EVER.
Served "Bohemian" by melting a sugar cube into it, stirring it in, lighting the whole thing on fire, and then slowly adding ice-cold water (3oz to 1oz of absinthe). I gotta say, the taste is still dissapointing. . .very much so. I like black licorice, but I don't like spirits except Everclear so I guess this was a waste of money (pretty bottle though).
To be honest the alc. content is just enough then to do nothing to me after one drink (I weigh 280 lbs though) while my experience with Everclear tells me if I had another one it would hit me like a ton of bricks. That tendency of my brain is actually kinda why I quit drinking at 17 . . . bad stuff there man. but live and learn.
anyways its very bitter, but the sugar is enough to make it a bit sweet, which to me results in something mediciney but others may actually like it.
Anyone else in the states tried it just because it became legal? (gotta admit it was the only reason I bothered).

 

yoru

Part of the Furniture Now
Jan 5, 2011
585
1
Beer tastes worse than this stuff in my humble opinion, but like I alluded, I'm strictly wine now and when I was a drinker it was tequila and everclear. I hated the former, but I was a stupid kid *shrugs* Like I said, live and learn.

 

bobdobbs

Might Stick Around
Feb 8, 2011
51
0
Under 21 as well, but I'll have a drink now and then on the weekends at home. Gotta keep it responsible ya know. When I tried Absinthe i found it ok. A little too close to NyQuil though (at least, that's what comes to my mind) so I havnt gone back. Prefer a stiff Rum n Coke myself. As far as beer goes I generally prefer Corona, but I recently had the good fortune of trying some Trappistes Rochefort (6, 8, and 10) and I dont think I'll ever look at beer the same.

 

sparroa

Lifer
Dec 8, 2010
1,466
4
Tequila and Everclear, now there's a cocktail I hope to never taste in my lifetime!
I love alcohol. I make my living from it and love to read about it. Most of all I like to drink it, but I have learned moderation over time. I'm enjoying a nice local coffee porter at this very moment, after I've just finished my shift at the liquor store. Wine and beer are my joys, but I like some good gin or whiskey every now and again. I'm always open to trying something new, though.
I remember being interested in Absinthe back in high school before I really ever drank anything at all. There is a little romanticism and mythology surrounding it; artists, madness, Paris, government bans - associations very appealing to a young mind. Since then, I have only tried a faux Absinthe called Absente which used to lack the forbidden psychoactive ingredient, Thujone, derived from wormwood. The intense anise bitterness and high proof combine for an almost numbing effect in your mouth; I found it rather unpleasant and did not enjoy the experience. I didn't continue to drink the Absente as I don't waste my time with alcohol I don't enjoy just for the sake of a buzz. (It was leftover from a party, I never set out to purchase this spirit - I know from experience with sambuca, pastis, etc. that I am not a fan of similar licorice-like drinks)

 

yoru

Part of the Furniture Now
Jan 5, 2011
585
1
I knew my mouth was a little numb! But I thought it might be my imagination since it'd been so long since I'd had a spirit.
Just a bit of info though -- after the first couple of batches (and possibly the occasional bathtub blend) enough wormwood was not used to be hallucinogenic. The stuff now available here has some (the information suggests they're limited to about 20g/kg in the U.S., but some said it might be as much 35g/kg. . .I need to just find the bill that made it legal and find out)
Anyway what it amounts to even at 35g/kg is that you wouldn't be able to drink enough, and would be sick (or worse if you persisted) long before you got a true hallucinogenic effect from the Thujone. Particularly because the higher Thujone the more likely a higher alc. content (think it goes as high as 80%).
This is presumably why it was finally made legal. Guess what it all amounts to is the FDA took how many years to actually do their job and -research- the drink before deciding if it should (Stay) banned. But ermm. . .I should probably steer of politics, even though the allegory here was actually aimed at tobacco studies heh heh.
Of course this is all based on roughly an hour of study. I encourage anyone at all interested to do their own rather than listen to me. . .which makes me wonder why I bothered with this post heh heh.

 

sparroa

Lifer
Dec 8, 2010
1,466
4
bobdobbs,

The Belgians - particularly the Trappist Fathers - are widely known for making some of the best beer on the planet. I've not had the luxury of trying any of the Rocheforts, consider yourself lucky. Beer is probably the most versatile drink on the planet; believe it or not, there is something out there for everyone. Like pipe tobacco, try a wide variety of styles and you will come to realize how amazing it can be. In a few years Corona will just be a guilty pleasure and not your mainstay! ;) I'm going on a big beer adventure in Montreal this June, can't wait! All my future travel will be to major beer destinations like Portland, Belgium, Germany, the Czech Republic and the UK.
Yoru, sorry for hijacking your thread, but I hope you will not give up on beer just yet! As an American you live in the best country in the world for availability of amazing beer - don't let bad brewers deter you! Sample widely...
Back to absinthe...

I think the medicinal nature you both describe is what will keep Absinthe as an obscure fringe spirit, it will never be very popular - especially if the allure and perceived rarity is gone.

 

sparroa

Lifer
Dec 8, 2010
1,466
4
You are right about the thujone - I just think it was sensationalism. I have read articles stating that it is not even the compound responsible for the supposed side-effects. I think it's just the nanny state acting up again, trying to save us from ourselves. The government is there to ensure we have no cadmium in our toys and no alum in our flour - they should spend less time on spurious claims.

 

yoru

Part of the Furniture Now
Jan 5, 2011
585
1
I have to disagree, I'm from a German family. . . I've tried a heck of a lot of beer. There are some malt ales I liked well enough, but I prefer coffee and wine. Beer is just so heavy, and every single beer you see the average american with (from busch to budweiser to corona) tastes like umm. . . a moose's liquid waste? Is that polite enough without being overly obscure?

 

papipeguy

Lifer
Jul 31, 2010
15,777
39
Bethlehem, Pa.
To me Absinthe is a curiousity. And at $60 abottle in Pa it'll probably remain so.

As for beer, I've had the luxury of visitng Europe many times in my career and trying many, and I mean many, beers.

To me Belgium is the Disneyland of beers. They offer more variety than any other place on Earth. From ales produced be the monks to gueze to lambics, it is a place of wonder.

In short, Belgium is my favroie place to visit.

Beer is the universal beverage and it's variants are intriging. Whether I was in Europe, Asia or in the USA there was always something local that was worth a try. Some good, some so-so, some bad and many great.

I remember being in Manchester, England and cutting a can of Bodinton's in half so the bartender and I could look at the nitrogen widget that gave the beer a unique body. The Waterloo Bar in Brussels was a favorite haunt of mine until it was sold. That bar opened in 1839 and closed in about 2001. I cried when I sttod outside and saw it had beome a Louis Vuitton shop. But I digress.

To paraphrase Ben Franklin, "Beer is proof that God loves us."

 

unclearthur

Lifer
Mar 9, 2010
6,875
6
There is a brewer out east , Brewery Omagang if I remember correctly that produces the best Belgian raspberry ale I have ever tasted. Wonderful flavor and kicks like a mule!

 

ichbinmuede

Part of the Furniture Now
Feb 17, 2011
643
1
I have had absinthe and enjoyed it quite a bit. I'd say you probably had bad absinthe but that might not be true since you're not much for spirits in the first place. Like wine with the boxed variety there are bad absinthe's. Never trust the stuff you'll typically find from Czechoslovakia. Oh and the whole lighting it on fire thing is a silly sort of thing that started up as a theatrical deal.
Since the topic of beer came up I'll have you all know that we are lovers. Of course I'm a bitter and miserly sort of young fellow and I tend to like my beers bitter as well. I may just be a touch ignorant but a lot of Belgian, German and other beers I've tried from that area have all been sweet so I'm a touch cautious around them.
Hah this reminds me of a beer I had in some place (maybe a microbrewery. I can't recall since I'd had a good many that night) in Toronto called "My Bitter Wife".

See like a good many gals she starts off a little sweet but once you've known her for a while she gets mean and bitter on you. Thus, "My Bitter Wife".

Haha I loved that beer.

 

papipeguy

Lifer
Jul 31, 2010
15,777
39
Bethlehem, Pa.
Arthur, the brewery you speak of is in Cooperstown,NY (about 2 hours west of Albany)which also has the basbeall hall of fame and a living farmer's museum with about 20 outbuildings. 3 great reasons to visit. My wife and I went there a couple of years ago and enjoyed the hall and the brewery. Next time we'll definitely devote a day to the farm museum.

Its a beautiful part of NY State and I recommend a visit there for everyone.

 

puffintuff

Can't Leave
Dec 14, 2010
437
0
Never tried Absinthe before, but I'd give it a shot if it was around.

I'm not going to spend $60 for a bottle though.

 

yoru

Part of the Furniture Now
Jan 5, 2011
585
1
I spent 10 a bottle, but they were 35ml bottles.
By-the-by Müde,

Welcome to the forum our sleepy beer-loving friend.

 

tedswearingen

Can't Leave
Sep 14, 2010
315
46
Longs, South Carolina
Absinthe is really great stuff, but most of what is being imported in the U.S. is not very great, in my opinion. A lot of it is flavored with anise, colored with green dye, and, by Federal law, contains no more than 30mg of thujone. In fact, many of these absinthe offerings aren't even made from real wormwood. If you are willing to pay the price, find something from the Czech Republic. They've a reputation for producing some of the world's finest, cleanest absinthe. King of Spirits Gold boasts 200mg of thujone which makes for a pretty 'trippy' time.

 
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