In my experience it's no more mind altering than regular old alcohol. You gotta keep in mind that is was described that way by poets and artists and we all know what they'll do with description. It is a tasty beverage though.
Absinthe
- Thread starter yoru
- Start date
SmokingPipes.com Updates
Watch for Updates Twice a Week
PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor
Site Sponsors
PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor
PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor
PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor
PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor
- Status
I agree with ted's take on what is legally being sold as absinthe now.
I tried it a couple years ago, not knowing what to expect. Just once. I dislike the taste of licorice and that is what it tasted like to me.
Vick's Nyquil? When I had my first taste of Southern Comfort, Nyquil instantly came to mind. No more of that either, thank you. :P
I tried it a couple years ago, not knowing what to expect. Just once. I dislike the taste of licorice and that is what it tasted like to me.
Vick's Nyquil? When I had my first taste of Southern Comfort, Nyquil instantly came to mind. No more of that either, thank you. :P
If you can find absinthe that has a high thujone count then, yes, it can be rather 'mind altering'. Certainly not as potent as some hallucinogenics.
Most absinthe has a fairly high proof. Generally, I think people stop drinking the stuff when they're drunk. However, you must consume a lot of thujone before you can appreciate some of the nuances of the green fairy. This is not to say its psychedelic properties haven't been dramatized by artists and poets, etc. It has. But so have the effects of marijuana and LSD been exaggerated.
People want what they can't have. For a long time that was absinthe. Now it's Stonehaven!
Most absinthe has a fairly high proof. Generally, I think people stop drinking the stuff when they're drunk. However, you must consume a lot of thujone before you can appreciate some of the nuances of the green fairy. This is not to say its psychedelic properties haven't been dramatized by artists and poets, etc. It has. But so have the effects of marijuana and LSD been exaggerated.
People want what they can't have. For a long time that was absinthe. Now it's Stonehaven!
I enjoyed absinthe while stationed in Germany. I never understood the flaming way to drink it. I liked it as an absinthe 'frappe' -- bitter, sweet, sour -- if you'd rubbed salt on the rim it'd have had all four major flavors. Made a beautiful neon color also 
1 oz Absinthe
1/2 oz Curacao
1 tsp Lemon juice
2 tsp Orange juice
1 slice Orange
The Czech stuff definitely has a more complex flavor. The French stuff is just plain bitter licorice flavor. I haven't tried any of the US legal brands.
1 oz Absinthe
1/2 oz Curacao
1 tsp Lemon juice
2 tsp Orange juice
1 slice Orange
The Czech stuff definitely has a more complex flavor. The French stuff is just plain bitter licorice flavor. I haven't tried any of the US legal brands.
From what I understand, the flaming method is actually used to cut down the alchohol content of the Absinthe; and is something of a play on the traditional French method of consumption, dripping cold water over the sugar-cube. The idea is that the sugar/liquid mix will cause the non-water soluble components of the liquor to bloom, revealing subtleties that are not present were you to simply raise the bottle to your lips.
That said, many of the absinthes I've seen available look to be pre-prepaired with sugar and water; be they verte or the clear variety that is popping up everywhere.
Oh, and if you are looking for Absinthe high in thujone content, British Columbia doesn't have regulatory laws regarding it (although most of the rest of Canada does); Okanagan Spirits (makers of Taboo Absinthe) might be able to help you out.
I've been drinking Absinthe for quite awhile. The "flame" ritual is totally made-up and has nothing to do with true Absinthe drinking. Also Thujone quantity has nothing to do with the quality of Absinthe. Anything Czech is going to taste like bug spray and should be avoided. My advice is find a Swiss LeBleue like La Clandestine or a Verte like Duplais. You can get both of these from DrinkupNY.
The proper way to prepare it is 1.5-2oz in an absinthe glass. Place absinthe spoon w/ sugar cube on top and very slowly drip ice-cold water over the cube so that it slowly melts into the glass and louches the absinthe. Once the mix is about 4 to 1 Water/Absinthe, stir in the remains of the sugar cube and sip like you would wine. Not as theatrical as lighting it on fire, but it will result in a better drink. You also won't look loke a complete n00b around experienced Absintheurs.
Your best Absinthe Recource is The Wormwood Society those dudes know their stuff.
The proper way to prepare it is 1.5-2oz in an absinthe glass. Place absinthe spoon w/ sugar cube on top and very slowly drip ice-cold water over the cube so that it slowly melts into the glass and louches the absinthe. Once the mix is about 4 to 1 Water/Absinthe, stir in the remains of the sugar cube and sip like you would wine. Not as theatrical as lighting it on fire, but it will result in a better drink. You also won't look loke a complete n00b around experienced Absintheurs.
Your best Absinthe Recource is The Wormwood Society those dudes know their stuff.
I saw this the other day and it reminded me of when I got tradshed on illegal absinthe in New Orleans back in the outlaw days.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=929sn1qMCcM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=929sn1qMCcM
The Baron's Favorite Absinthes
Kübler
an inexpensive but true to form Swiss Blanche (white absinthe) and the first to breach the Absinthe "ban" in the states
Lucid
not very complex, but a good starter Verte (Green) for the inexperienced. It is a reverse-engineered French Verte and one of the first to be available in the States
St. George
(The first legal American produced absinthe)
La Clandestine
a very nice white absinthe, also called a Swiss LaBleue, one of the best IMO. They never stopped even while the "ban" was in effect.
DuPlais Either the Verte or the Blanche. This is some of the best you can get these days. They have a nice randge and all of it is badass.
MArteau Good luck trying to get this, but it was developed by the founder of the Wormwood Society, in conjunction with the most reputable Absinthe distillers and true recipes from La Belle Epoch. Absinthe Badassery.
Obsello A Spanish offering that is not as strong (only 100 proof) but worthy of mention as is is well suited for absinthe coctails
I have actually heard good things about "Mansinthe", which is rock musician MArilyn Manson's contract brew with a French Distiller. I haven't managed to get past the schlock factor enough to buy a bottle, though.
Future Ansintheurs, I reccommend perusing The Wormwood Society's site and forums. to gain proper history, lore and knowledge of the brew.As in the world of pipes, everyone's taste is different. I can tell, you, however, a Meer full of Black House goes so deliciously well with a louche of Kübler that it should be illegal.
Forget about Thujone and the wormwood buzz. That's like picking baccy based on nothing more than nicotene content and forgetting about the wonderful tastes and blends of your favorite baccys. Czech absinth= smoking half of your grandma's used cigarette with the lipstick stain on it.
Czechs make some of the world's best beer, but their "Absinth" (note: no e) you might as well huff a can of Raid.
Kübler
an inexpensive but true to form Swiss Blanche (white absinthe) and the first to breach the Absinthe "ban" in the states
Lucid
not very complex, but a good starter Verte (Green) for the inexperienced. It is a reverse-engineered French Verte and one of the first to be available in the States
St. George
(The first legal American produced absinthe)
La Clandestine
a very nice white absinthe, also called a Swiss LaBleue, one of the best IMO. They never stopped even while the "ban" was in effect.
DuPlais Either the Verte or the Blanche. This is some of the best you can get these days. They have a nice randge and all of it is badass.
MArteau Good luck trying to get this, but it was developed by the founder of the Wormwood Society, in conjunction with the most reputable Absinthe distillers and true recipes from La Belle Epoch. Absinthe Badassery.
Obsello A Spanish offering that is not as strong (only 100 proof) but worthy of mention as is is well suited for absinthe coctails
I have actually heard good things about "Mansinthe", which is rock musician MArilyn Manson's contract brew with a French Distiller. I haven't managed to get past the schlock factor enough to buy a bottle, though.
Future Ansintheurs, I reccommend perusing The Wormwood Society's site and forums. to gain proper history, lore and knowledge of the brew.As in the world of pipes, everyone's taste is different. I can tell, you, however, a Meer full of Black House goes so deliciously well with a louche of Kübler that it should be illegal.
Forget about Thujone and the wormwood buzz. That's like picking baccy based on nothing more than nicotene content and forgetting about the wonderful tastes and blends of your favorite baccys. Czech absinth= smoking half of your grandma's used cigarette with the lipstick stain on it.
Czechs make some of the world's best beer, but their "Absinth" (note: no e) you might as well huff a can of Raid.
If you get the opportunity to try Le Tourment...DONT! That stuff is garbage and full of food coloring. I equate it to eating a lavender scented air freshener. If someone gives you this, put a rag in it and use it as a molotov coctail to burn their store down. The same goes for anything called "Absinth" (unless its >100 years old)or made in the Czech Republic. Or spelled "Absente". Spelling matters. Whetehr the parent liquor is distilled from grape or grain, roll with it, but stick to the Swiss, the Americans, or maybe the French.
If it even hints at an artificial food coloring give it the boot!
If it even hints at an artificial food coloring give it the boot!
I would try it if it was offered to me but since I am not a fan of licorice flavors I will not go out of my way for it. I'm more of a scotch guy when it comes to liquor. I do like unfiltered sake it runs about $6 a 750 ml. I am in love with Korean food and Soju is a Korean rice liquor. Its just a distilled sake, kind of like vodka light. It is around $9 for a bottle in California.
If you less than love alcohol google Kava. It is a traditional drink of the Pacific Islands. I believe it is designated as a euphoric/hipnotic and numbs the mouth. It tastes like mud with herbs mixed in it. Warnings if you are on liver medication or anti-depressants do not use Kava. I think its effects are a lot like marijuana but with out the ,"dude what did I come into this room for" feeling. LOL I buy it online and use it a few times a year. Mostly for when I can not sleep or my back injury starts muscle spasms.
If you less than love alcohol google Kava. It is a traditional drink of the Pacific Islands. I believe it is designated as a euphoric/hipnotic and numbs the mouth. It tastes like mud with herbs mixed in it. Warnings if you are on liver medication or anti-depressants do not use Kava. I think its effects are a lot like marijuana but with out the ,"dude what did I come into this room for" feeling. LOL I buy it online and use it a few times a year. Mostly for when I can not sleep or my back injury starts muscle spasms.
I just found out that Texas State officials told drinkupny.com not to ship to Texas anymore. Jerks. It's either get the so-so Absinthes available at the liquor stores here or back to the flying monkeys again. Oh-WEEEEOH-WEOOOOOH-OOH!
It's all a matter of your reasons for drinking Absinthe. I was certainly chasing the green fairy when I tried it and I found her. Friend of mine picked up a few bottles while in Spain that where Czech in origin. The key is to drink it slowly and over time. You have to consume a lot of Absinthe to get the amount of thujone necessary for mind altering effects. We drank a bottle over the course of a day and felt drunk. The next day we drank another bottle over the course of the day and by the evening I started to feel a bit beside myself. The next day we slowly drank more till about noon and I was FUCKED ! ! ! way out there. It was a very interesting experience.
I'm pretty sensitive to the so-called "Thujone effect". Even though there is actually more thujone in a teaspoon of Sage than in most bottles of even pre-ban absinthe, people still chase it. I like absinthes that are good blends, that taste good and do not contain unnatural ingredients, like food color or in some cases, weird-ass chemicals. The Czech Republic has a long reputation of making horrid "absinths" which were nothing more than 170° alcohol steeped with a shitload of wormwood, coloring, and god knows what else that don't louche and taste similar to bug spray or licorice Windex.
- Status