tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33566812048333629252012-01-27T08:05:25.262ZReal absinthe: an inside view of the absinthe world in the 21st centuryAlanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17093173140659282142noreply@blogger.comBlogger1181100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3356681204833362925.post-54533144825590499772012-01-25T05:56:00.007Z2012-01-25T08:59:40.025Z

Today is the birthday of the great Scottish poet, Robert Burns, and is the time when Scots around the world, including many living outside Scotland, celebrate "Burns Night." Tonight abundant quantities of haggis, tatties and neeps will be eaten, "washed down" (as Wikipedia puts it) with a few drams of Scotch.As an Englishman who has sold a few bottles of finest Scotch in his career (including

Alanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17093173140659282142noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3356681204833362925.post-17343850087770961782011-12-09T12:37:00.008Z2011-12-09T15:10:28.044Z

Hidden away in a prospectus for a report on the Global Absinthe Market, I came across the following quote:Pernod Absinthe international director Jean-François Collobert says: “Although we did have an absinthe-like product on the market [before the lifting of the French ban], we weren't comfortable marketing a product that was not exactly authentic absinthe. Since the restrictions were lifted in

Alanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17093173140659282142noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3356681204833362925.post-81315510264817329462011-10-31T08:56:00.006Z2011-10-31T10:00:18.562Z

I introduced this series in the first article I published (Number 10). Knowing that some readers in the future will start the series with this post, I will repeat that introduction now.As someone involved in trying to create more interest in high quality absinthes, I am well aware that there has been - and continues to be - a lot of misinformation about absinthe. So the three most important

Alanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17093173140659282142noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3356681204833362925.post-53749972956380938582011-10-29T11:09:00.008Z2011-10-30T14:06:11.054Z

Drinks originate for different reasons. The first sparkling wine was probably a mistake, arising from secondary fermentation of wine. Brandy was created as a way of concentrating wine to make it cheaper to ship (just like concentrated fruit juice). And Scotch? Well, maybe it was just cold in Scotland and they wanted something to warm them up!Wormwood has a long history as a medicinal product,

Alanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17093173140659282142noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3356681204833362925.post-616824459706879582011-10-28T11:45:00.006Z2011-10-28T17:03:20.617Z

I have written before about ladies and absinthe, even though that article was slightly tongue in cheek.Women have in fact played a significant part in the development of absinthe, just as they have in the world of champagne. Champagne boasts Lily Bollinger, also famous for this quote:"I drink it when I’m happy and when I’m sad. Sometimes I drink it when I’m alone. When I have company I consider

Alanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17093173140659282142noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3356681204833362925.post-78865003632557872452011-10-27T13:44:00.004Z2011-10-27T14:48:08.248Z

What came first? The chicken or the egg? A perennial puzzle which sometimes gets the answer it probably deserves.So here's another question? What was created first, and what became a popular drink first? Wine or champagne? Easy: Champagne is a sparkling wine produced by inducing the in-bottle secondary fermentation of the wine to effect carbonation (Wikipedia), so evidently wine existed first.The

Alanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17093173140659282142noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3356681204833362925.post-7255409065806270062011-10-26T10:26:00.004Z2011-10-26T14:14:03.253Z

Some people are sad to read that Van Gogh did not cut off his ear because of his so-called "absinthe habit." In fact, it seems much more likely that Van Gogh's mental state was affected because he was constantly ingesting the noxious fumes from his paint palette.Fortunately paints are not as noxious as they were in the 19th century. Unfortunately there are some absinthes moving in the other

Alanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17093173140659282142noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3356681204833362925.post-86696498299573018332011-10-25T09:17:00.004Z2011-10-25T09:50:32.608Z

The history of absinthe is amazing, from its birth, through its development in the 19th century, its demise in the early 20th century, and then its recent renaissance. And throughout all this, the growth, decline and re-birth were in large part caused ... by accidents:NUMBER SIX: ABSINTHE BOOMED, DIED AND WAS RE-BORN HELPED BY A SERIES OF ACCIDENTS. FIRSLY IT WAS CHOSEN AS A MEDICINAL SUPPLEMENT

Alanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17093173140659282142noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3356681204833362925.post-62317935438056905192011-10-24T11:06:00.004Z2011-10-24T13:22:18.950Z

Firstly, a declaration of writer's interest: I am involved with the promotion of Swiss absinthe. You may therefore want to take some of what I say here with a pinch of salt, although never with fire, and possibly not even with sugar!Absinthe was born in Switzerland in the second half of the 18th century. From the start of the next century, some companies also started to produce absinthe in France

Alanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17093173140659282142noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3356681204833362925.post-20238656786006313532011-10-23T10:25:00.006Z2011-10-24T13:16:31.615Z

Absinthe was banned in Switzerland in 1910 and in France in 1915. And what happened then? Well, there were three interesting developments.1. Some of the French absinthe production shifted to Spain. Notably Pernod who first made absinthe in Couvet, Switzerland around 1797, then moved to France in 1805, and who then set up an absinthe distillery at Tarragona, Spain where they continued to produce

Alanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17093173140659282142noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3356681204833362925.post-17884856441961277502011-10-22T11:46:00.001Z2011-10-24T08:09:01.120Z

Absinthe has boomed, been banned, and then been re-born through a series of accidents. Circumstances completely beyond the control of those making or promoting absinthe.The first accidents which led to absinthe's growth in the 19th century were the prescription of absinthe to French soldiers in Algeria from the 1830's onwards and the outbreak of phylloxera which decimated the French vineyards

Alanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17093173140659282142noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3356681204833362925.post-77496196645439331552011-10-21T11:00:00.000Z2011-10-21T11:00:52.148Z

As someone involved in trying to create more interest in high quality absinthes, I am well aware that there has been - and continues to be - a lot of misinformation about absinthe. So the three most important things I can do to rectify that are .... "Education .... education .... and more education." I am also aware that education isn't always fun, so I try to lighten up my efforts to educate

Alanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17093173140659282142noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3356681204833362925.post-90832386480890673352011-07-27T08:30:00.009+01:002011-10-27T13:48:19.649Z

It's the end of July and so it is harvest time in the Val-de-Travers where wormwood and other plants have been used to make absinthe since the late 18th century. The methods used to harvest and dry the plants and then to distill the absinthe have changed very little since then (maybe some of the alambics are a bit bigger).This new video features Yves Currit (grower) and Claude-Alain Bugnon (

Alanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17093173140659282142noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3356681204833362925.post-76277501910770615572011-06-27T10:15:00.007+01:002011-06-27T13:45:08.238+01:00

I love discussing absinthe with fellow absinthe fans, with so-called "absinthe virgins," and with customers, and I have the opportunity to do so nearly every day. I have done so in North America, Europe (including Russia), Asia and Australia.And one question that is commonly asked wherever I go is "What makes the Green Fairy Green?"That's an interesting question to ask, having just gone past

Alanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17093173140659282142noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3356681204833362925.post-87393560887014364982011-04-01T08:39:00.005Z2011-04-01T09:47:47.071Z

I'm pleased to announce my new absinthe brand commissioned from world-famous distiller, Claude-Alain Bugnon. Research shows that there are two main types of absinthe consumers. Many are happy with absinthe in cocktails, or served the traditional way. Some just want to shoot it or set it on fire. My new brand will address those who love the traditional taste of absinthe but who are still looking

Alanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17093173140659282142noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3356681204833362925.post-3540017165230496792011-03-15T12:24:00.008Z2011-03-15T13:16:16.274Z

THIS REVIEW HAS VARIOUS MOVIE QUOTES AND REFERENCES. SEE IF YOU CAN SPOT THEM ALL!“Absinthe,” a new documentary about our favourite drink, was launched too late for an Oscar in 2011 (of course the competition was quite tough with “The King’s Speech” winning much of the glory and “Inside Job” winning the best documentary prize).However, for absinthe fans and for those wanting to find out more

Alanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17093173140659282142noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3356681204833362925.post-82305852487388515512010-12-30T09:40:00.010Z2011-10-19T07:19:38.479Z

At the end of 2007 and 2008, I published posts reviewing what had happened in the world of absinthe in those years and then adding my forecasts for the year ahead. At the end of 2009, I published no less than 8 reports of absinthe around the world, and decided an additional year-end review was perhaps not necessary.2010 has, however, proved to be another landmark year for absinthe, so I think a

Alanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17093173140659282142noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3356681204833362925.post-46497771726220825182010-12-09T17:32:00.008Z2010-12-10T13:52:45.009Z

In 2010, I have travelled to Russia, USA, Canada, Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Switzerland, France, the Czech Republic and the Netherlands. And I have been up and down to London many times too. 11 countries visited, not all on absinthe business, although by early 2011, 9 of them will be selling La Clandestine, Butterfly and other absinthes that I represent.It's been a very interesting year,

Alanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17093173140659282142noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3356681204833362925.post-10884219489472326942010-11-15T12:24:00.009Z2010-11-15T16:11:57.497Z

2010 may well be seen as the year that absinthe moved from niche towards (and maybe into) the mainstream. In the USA, competition has stepped up with more companies and brands seeming to get serious about the category, while outside the US more high quality brands have been moving into some new markets.The growing popularity of good absinthes has been mirrored in the publication of three new

Alanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17093173140659282142noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3356681204833362925.post-3840107006612127402010-10-31T08:49:00.007Z2010-10-31T13:02:49.348Z

A few days ago, I was reading about the Earthquake cocktail(s): at least 3 different cocktails with an absinthe base. On this, it seems that the Savoy Hotel may have ignored the Toulouse-Lautrec version (3 parts of absinthe, 3 parts of cognac) and re-written the cocktail completely for their 1930 Cocktail Book.Today being Halloween, it seems appropriate to look at another pair of cocktails: the

Alanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17093173140659282142noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3356681204833362925.post-61136948500207745042010-10-16T04:19:00.009Z2010-10-16T06:14:59.946Z

100 years ago this month, absinthe was banned in Switzerland. Over the next few years, bans followed in many other countries, but not in the UK. So 20 years later, the Savoy Hotel was still offering over 100 cocktails that contained absinthe, according to the 1930 Savoy Hotel Cocktail book (did they import large stocks when it was banned or were they importing from Spain?). In fact, the Savoy

Alanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17093173140659282142noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3356681204833362925.post-6473777688526174002010-09-24T04:49:00.011Z2010-10-04T08:16:10.067Z

I wrote about absinthe cocktail books just over six months ago, and at that time there were only a few such books around.As we approach the holiday season, things are hotting up with at least two new absinthe cocktail books being launched. The first one, A Taste for Absinthe, written by R. Winston Guthrie with James F. Thompson, has just been launched in North America, and it's a clear step up

Alanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17093173140659282142noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3356681204833362925.post-13791235424349756862010-09-17T08:50:00.018Z2011-10-14T14:58:38.453Z

There's a well-known saying in London about buses: you wait hours for a bus and then three (or more) come along at the same time.It now appears that this could be true of real, higher quality absinthe with several good - or very good - absinthes all hitting the UK market at the same time.Industry experts have previously quoted the UK (and Canadian) absinthe market as being effectively still-born

Alanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17093173140659282142noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3356681204833362925.post-33050292989016447952010-07-11T22:08:00.003+01:002010-09-07T14:01:13.966Z

For the last month, hundreds of millions of people all over the world have been watching one of the biggest sporting events in the world: the FIFA World Cup in South Africa.There may seem to be little or no connection between this and absinthe, but as the tournament has progressed I have noted links between one world and another.Early on in the tournament I tweeted about the best absinthe

Alanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17093173140659282142noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3356681204833362925.post-69570570432238837802010-05-21T05:18:00.016+01:002011-01-03T09:23:00.305Z

Many potential buyers and many potential consumers have a fixed idea about what absinthe is. They think it may be dangerous, that it may attract the wrong sort of customers, that people abuse it. Well, think again. Last night I celebrated a Malaysian Decadent Affair with seven different absinthe drinks before, during and after dinner at the Vanity Restaurant in Kuala Lumpur. This was exciting for

Alanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17093173140659282142noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3356681204833362925.post-49563578139441288172010-05-05T15:21:00.006+01:002010-05-05T16:01:00.261+01:00

May 5th was not always connected with Tequila. It was originally a voluntary holiday that commemorated the Mexican army's unlikely victory over French forces at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862.148 years later, it has become a big Tequila day, especially in the USA. I'm fortunate enough to have done some work on Tequilas earlier in my career, and have worked a little on Don Julio (UK and South

Alanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17093173140659282142noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3356681204833362925.post-36303281775828808742010-04-30T09:44:00.009Z2011-09-16T13:48:39.773Z

Originally created for the London Bar Show in 2007 by Darroch of Black Tie Bartending, the Clandestino (formerly known as the Clandestine Caipirinha) has long been one of my favourite absinthe cocktails. So I was delighted when Marcelo, a Brazilian friend from the absinthe forums, decided to make his own version. Here is his recipe:"For one cocktail glass:- 3 key limes (key limes are "the right

Alanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17093173140659282142noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3356681204833362925.post-58237723821945934632010-04-26T06:48:00.012Z2010-04-26T08:26:25.687Z

"Immodestly-clad ladies are reportedly responsible for earthquakes." According to Iranian cleric, Ayatollah Kazem Sedighi.This story has been rumbling around Facebook and Twitter over the last few days, and now Jen McCreight, a student and feminist from Indiana, has responded by setting up the scientific experiment, Boobquake. Today, April 26 2010, women around the world are being urged to dress

Alanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17093173140659282142noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3356681204833362925.post-40490199571303671182010-04-07T08:25:00.009Z2010-05-03T09:10:19.864+01:00

UPDATE: Survey now closed.In 2009, at least two online surveys were conducted into absinthe drinking in the USA: these included brand preferences, methods and location of drinking, etc. The results were very interesting (but I won't say too much here, so as not to influence prospective voters!).Absinthe Devil, America's Absintheur Shop with probably the largest range of absinthe accessories in

Alanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17093173140659282142noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3356681204833362925.post-56633989035098995662010-04-01T09:07:00.011Z2010-04-02T08:58:40.284Z

Amazing news from France, discovered on Twitter this morning, announced on a French absinthe forum, and revealed in full on a new French absinthe website. The long-awaited re-launch of Pernod Fils absinthe!For those who don't know all about absinthe: a short history. Many real absinthe lovers have expressed their disappointment with Pernod's 21st century absinthe. They were sad that Pernod-Ricard

Alanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17093173140659282142noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3356681204833362925.post-64640156675283570052010-03-23T17:33:00.008Z2010-03-23T18:02:33.354Z

One of the most frequently viewed pages on my blog (and the one that is the most frequently updated) is the list of absinthes approved for US launch.The list keeps growing and now lists 68 approved, and 77 either approved or in process! Shown above, the latest approved brand (number 68 on the linked list) is another from Crillon Importers (following Absente, Grande Absente and Ordinaire) and the

Alanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17093173140659282142noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3356681204833362925.post-4355254762376491212010-03-05T14:16:00.000Z2010-03-05T14:17:22.917Z

.As the USA celebrates its National Absinthe Day today (the third anniversary of Lucid gaining its final government approval), I'm going to look at two absinthe cocktail books. Are you wondering whether this is really what the world needs right now? Two more books with two hundred plus absinthe cocktails?Well, actually, yes. Anything that helps to validate the less extreme (i.e. non-burning)

Alanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17093173140659282142noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3356681204833362925.post-36006214222668866852010-03-01T11:24:00.003Z2010-03-01T15:04:15.892Z

Sorry that my headline may not scan as well as the famous Beatles song, but it's no less notable for that.In fact, while 2010 marks the 100th anniversary of the Swiss ban,today, March 1 2010, is the 5th anniversary of the Swiss re-legalisation of absinthe. The Swiss were the creators of absinthe in the late 18th century, and their decision to re-legalise absinthe in 2005 (some time after the EU

Alanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17093173140659282142noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3356681204833362925.post-90905715494004812182010-02-22T09:01:00.013Z2010-02-26T14:05:19.859Z

For the casual reader of this article, I should start by declaring a commercial interest: I work on La Clandestine Absinthe, as well as on a few other drinks. So you might want to take what I write with a pinch of salt, but not necessarily with sugar. And definitely NOT with burnt sugar!Mixology Monday was started in April 2006 by Paul Clarke of The Cocktail Chronicles. I first ran into Paul at

Alanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17093173140659282142noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3356681204833362925.post-34370368710197821792010-02-19T14:24:00.004Z2010-02-19T15:09:30.606Z

I was delighted to receive this email this morning:Hi,I'm a business Student from the University of Nigera (Africa).If this possible, to receive 4/5 tons of plant Artemisia absinthium to developp distilation for my businesse in Nigeria.For me it is fine any kind of material, fresh or dry (even better).I am intersting for recipes too.For the payment, please specify me the number of your bank

Alanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17093173140659282142noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3356681204833362925.post-40565543163734637792009-12-22T17:25:00.007Z2009-12-23T11:54:35.280Z

The photo above is on the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau’s (TTB) website as "Photo of the week." Looking at it, I'm not sure whether a bottle of real absinthe was harmed in the making of the photo, but that's a whole different debate.The TTB website gives clear guidelines regarding the use of the term "absinthe" on labels of distilled spirits products and in related advertising material

Alanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17093173140659282142noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3356681204833362925.post-91966129376186607992009-12-17T17:58:00.022Z2010-02-25T20:35:42.173Z

For my last article looking at absinthe events around the world in late 2009, I've opted to get away from snow-covered Europe and North-East USA. While the beautiful panoramas are good for getting us in the holiday mood, I, for one, long for the warmth of the tropics.I'm also going to focus on cocktails, including several new creations. Some absinthe lovers are not totally convinced that absinthe

Alanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17093173140659282142noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3356681204833362925.post-25103020049527265862009-12-09T08:34:00.012Z2010-02-25T20:36:06.189Z

I am delighted to welcome a guest writer for this article. I first encountered "Habu" online on the Fée Verte forum, and then met Štefan Habulinec in person at the 2009 Absinthe Festival in Boveresse. Štefan has compiled the ultimate Czech resource on real absinthe, www.absinthe-cz.com/, is an administrator on the Czech Absinthe Forum, www.absinthemafia.com, and a moderator on the new Absinthe

Alanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17093173140659282142noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3356681204833362925.post-83549896966610099662009-11-23T12:02:00.015Z2010-02-25T20:36:25.760Z

Can you identify the absinthes in this photo? Answers at the bottom of the article ...Having worked in the liquor business for more than 20 years, I think I know a few of the more important things needed to create successful brands and categories. Availability, PR, visibility, etc.As the absinthe market develops, however, both in Europe and elsewhere, one of the major tools that should be used is

Alanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17093173140659282142noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3356681204833362925.post-12262819365357902122009-11-18T11:33:00.012Z2010-02-25T20:36:44.290Z

In a recent post, I quoted a California-based buyer who had commented on the slow down in sales of absinthe in the USA. Although both he and I found positives behind the apparent issues, the fact remains that in several key countries around the world, demand for absinthe seems to fall off after the initial surge.I have seen many countries follow these trends. And the main reasons, in my opinion,

Alanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17093173140659282142noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3356681204833362925.post-64873283763094224492009-11-05T15:21:00.003Z2010-02-25T20:37:06.426Z

IMPORTANT UPDATE November 15, 2009: Since no-one has come forth to claim a bigger range, I can now confirm that the Green Fairy Bar in Colorado has the biggest range of absinthes of any bar in the USA! If you know of a bar with more, please post details here by adding a comment at the bottom.Many people don't get Twitter. I'm not sure that I understand it although I know how I use it. To find out

Alanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17093173140659282142noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3356681204833362925.post-76228627940669631082009-11-03T12:32:00.013Z2010-02-25T20:37:31.879Z

For the third article in my series of Absinthe around the World Late 2009, I look back five years to New York (well, to the New York Times), to an event in Seattle that same month, to the Czech Republic then and now, then much further East to Japan today, and finally back to the Val-de-Travers where it all started. Half-way through writing this, I saw a thread on the Wormwood Society about the

Alanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17093173140659282142noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3356681204833362925.post-80827707780855650862009-11-02T09:27:00.012Z2010-02-25T20:37:49.781Z

I'll be the first to admit that the UK is not the world's best country for those who love good absinthe. Which is strange given that absinthe was never banned in the UK and that the 1930 Savoy Cocktail Bookhas 104 absinthe cocktails (and only one vodka cocktail). Where were they getting all their absinthe from, given the bans in France and Switzerland 15 and 20 years previously?The UK was, of

Alanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17093173140659282142noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3356681204833362925.post-39130308835591642542009-10-29T09:53:00.022Z2010-02-25T20:38:11.092Z

October 28 in Los Angeles. It must be time for a White Christmas. Which was just one of the treats enjoyed by 35 lucky members of The Liquid Muse's Cocktail Club. Run by Natalie Bovis-Nelsen, this should be a go-to site for anyone remotely interested in cocktails, and it operates in "real life," as a real cocktail club, too. So I was delighted when Natalie contacted me in September about a

Alanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17093173140659282142noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3356681204833362925.post-84866239322074635622009-10-15T15:20:00.002Z2009-10-16T07:17:32.317Z

"9/28/07: As of 4:36 PM EST The Absinthe Review Network website is officially live! I'd like to thank my fellow absintheurs for the feedback, encouragement, and willingness to spread the word over the last several months. Many thanks also to the guest reviewer submissions, it has helped provide a consistent flow of content in the weeks leading to today." Two years ago, the words above first

Alanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17093173140659282142noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3356681204833362925.post-70905701348198801912009-10-05T07:29:00.016Z2010-11-19T09:24:38.203Z

Autumn has arrived, the first weekend in October has passed, and this was again the opportunity for many of the who's who of the absinthe world to gather in Pontarlier, France's historic absinthe capital. 2009 saw the ninth Absinthiades, the annual absinthe festival. And this culminated in the awards for the best absinthes as judged blind by a big tasting panel. This is actually made of up of

Alanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17093173140659282142noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3356681204833362925.post-32553019890953457582009-09-17T10:24:00.012Z2009-09-18T08:51:08.214Z

I have fond memories of Oxford. Tutorials in Lawrence of Arabia's old bedroom, climbing late night into college over the same gate Harold Wilson had climbed over, etc. So imagine my surprise a few weeks ago when I was showing a friend the sights of Oxford, and found wormwood growing freely at the bottom of the staircase where I lived in my first year a decade or so ago ...And not just any

Alanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17093173140659282142noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3356681204833362925.post-86594036658989261962009-09-02T14:04:00.010Z2009-09-07T12:49:49.376Z

A great list of cocktails and a great idea to promote a bar. 100 great cocktails served by the Anvil Bar and Refuge, Houston. Mostly classic, with a few modern ones.This has just been covered in an excellent article in the Houston Press. Not much to add to the article except to comment that as many as ten of the cocktails feature absinthe, and I found just one with vodka! That's my kind of

Alanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17093173140659282142noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3356681204833362925.post-62983988907641536752009-08-12T15:32:00.019+01:002009-09-30T16:10:21.373Z

What is this piece of paper? And why is it so highly prized among bar tenders in Japan? Read on ....I wrote recently about the launch of La Clandestine in Malaysia; since then my Malaysian partners have visited the birthplace of absinthe (Couvet, Switzerland), and their visit has been documented on Facebook and ... again on Facebook!Having lived and worked in Malaysia, I have some understanding

Alanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17093173140659282142noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3356681204833362925.post-77185785958800712822009-07-31T16:08:00.010+01:002009-07-31T19:10:25.582+01:00

I considered a punning title for this article (something like "Czech this out ..."), but abandoned that idea. This is significant news and I don't want jokes to obscure the significance.First, however, let's briefly review the story of Czech "absinthe," or "absinth," or "wormwood bitters." There seems to be little or no historical evidence of Czech absinthe (whatever the spelling) before the 1990

Alanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17093173140659282142noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3356681204833362925.post-3036688961496880442009-06-18T08:34:00.007+01:002009-06-18T12:55:59.985+01:00

When I first read about William Gurstelle's new book, Absinthe & Flamethrowers, my heart sank. The sub-title - Projects and Ruminations on the Art of Living Dangerously - seemed to express everything that responsible absinthe companies want to avoid. Absinthe is NOT dangerous, it doesn't make you mad or give you hallucinations. Absinthe should be consumed just for the pleasure you would get from

Alanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17093173140659282142noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3356681204833362925.post-33517007409128331482009-06-02T11:12:00.014+01:002009-06-11T11:52:28.322+01:00

Last month, I got an email from New York: samples needed, please, for an event in London. LeNell Smothers is talking about absinthe, so I should help ...Of course I had heard about LeNell; her New York shop, currently closed down, is well-known, and I first saw her talk at a Wine and Spirit exhibition in London, billed as "the legendary LeNell Smothers," so it seemed appropriate to do some more

Alanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17093173140659282142noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3356681204833362925.post-65038171403595458892009-05-29T13:35:00.010Z2009-06-06T18:31:53.422+01:00

I am not as cynical about statistics as the above cartoon might suggest. But until a few months ago, googling "Absinthe Survey" produced nothing more substantial than a survey conducted in 2006 among 100 young adults in Michigan and Paris; since that predates the US commercialization of absinthe, it was of limited relevance. So I was delighted when The Absinthe Review Network (TARN) conducted a

Alanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17093173140659282142noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3356681204833362925.post-75283510778018474052009-05-28T10:08:00.008Z2009-09-04T09:40:50.423Z

Google Absinthe Quiz and you will find a few interesting quizzes about absinthe (Edit: Google works quickly. This article was the top result within an hour of being posted). Several of the quizzes I tried had inaccurate answers, especially on thujone and "how to drink" questions, and in any case I didn't want to create just another quiz about absinthe. I wanted to create a quiz about you, my

Alanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17093173140659282142noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3356681204833362925.post-44833134937505244602009-05-14T08:06:00.008Z2009-05-26T14:19:04.319Z

Some of our younger readers may not be aware of the long-term Heinz slogan: "Heinz 57," used to describe the broad product range offered by Heinz. It was referred to in a recent New York Times article, and, according to Wikipedia, "Heinz 57" is sometimes also used as a slang term for mixed-breed dogs; which are more often called "Mutts" or a "Mutt".What does this have to do with absinthe? Well I

Alanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17093173140659282142noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3356681204833362925.post-23817781310298994672009-05-13T19:36:00.008Z2009-09-23T07:42:00.700Z

I have the dream job: to sell high quality Swiss absinthe to the world. In this capacity, (and as I manage to sell to more countries), I am doing more and more travelling. I don’t claim to be the best salesman in the world and have never had any sales training. However I have probably sold absinthe in about 20 countries.So, having launched La Clandestine in the USA in fall 2008, I was pleased to

Alanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17093173140659282142noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3356681204833362925.post-40948917739628339322009-05-06T15:56:00.007Z2009-05-11T14:15:25.078Z

This is a translation of an article that originally appeared in English in June 2008. Est-ce que cette image est vraie? Véritables absinthes? Disponibles au Canada? Oui, mais c’est déjà une longue histoire et c’est sur, ce n’est pas encore fini. En savoir plus, lisez la suite…D’abord, au Printemps 2006, je suis allé tester le marché de l’absinthe au Canada, en visitant la Nouvelle Ecosse et l’

Alanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17093173140659282142noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3356681204833362925.post-55281529033434317552009-05-02T16:38:00.019Z2009-05-03T23:32:00.389Z

For many years, proponents of the Czech absinth ideology (affectionately known as 'thujone hypers') have argued that Dr. Arnold's estimations of 260 mg/l of thujone in pre-ban absinthe is correct. They've used the argument that the chemical analysis of existing samples of pre-ban era absinthes would be meaningless, since the data doesn't take into account what the 'original' thujone levels were,

Brian Robinsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05765022588638867910noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3356681204833362925.post-55971191395215145492009-04-30T15:05:00.006Z2009-05-18T18:34:42.699Z

Like many others in the absinthe trade, I get absinthe news and blog alerts every day from Google. And over the last few weeks, the number of alerts that pretend to answer:-1. What percentage alcohol is absinthe?or2. What are the effects of absinthe?or3. Sites for purchasing absinthehas grown from a trickle to a flood. Either business is good, or very bad for these spammers who trick readers to

Alanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17093173140659282142noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3356681204833362925.post-57010129010379394932009-04-22T14:30:00.016Z2009-04-24T10:11:48.800Z

Malaysia, truly Asia. I have to admit to a soft spot for Malaysia, having lived there, as an "orang putih*" from 1999 to 2002. It's tropical, but not impossibly so. The people I worked with then were straightforward, very hard-working, and fun to be with. The food was amazing (if sometimes a little too hot for me) and the shopping was excellent value. Finally my second daughter was born there and

Alanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17093173140659282142noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3356681204833362925.post-40899423398736150602009-03-28T17:33:00.014Z2009-04-03T18:02:01.179Z

Absinthe lovers love nothing more than getting together to share their enthusiasm and passion for absinthe. The Louche Fests held by members of the Louched Lounge are legendary, sometimes going on for several days at a time.So, while visiting Los Angeles in March 2009, I was delighted to be offered a Mossfest. At first the name Mossfest upset me: I was concerned that I would be the main

Alanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17093173140659282142noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3356681204833362925.post-27980998109864056942009-03-27T21:15:00.009Z2009-03-28T16:48:51.233Z

Recently, Admiral Imports put out the following press release regarding its new brands of 'absinth' that will soon be available in the U.S.In the interest of full and fair disclosure, I've prepared some counterpoints that further explain certain assertions contained within the release. The original release is in regular type, my counterpoints are in bold._______________CEDAR GROVE, N.J., March 4

Brian Robinsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05765022588638867910noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3356681204833362925.post-1330741138589261102009-03-12T14:38:00.009Z2009-03-12T23:31:34.263Z

Throughout the past several years, Alan and I (along with many others) have scoured the internet looking for opportunities to educate people on the realities of absinthe. Apparently, another sorry soul (or souls) has been following us around, trying to refute all of the information we post.Most people who read this blog, the now defunct Rend Fou, or any of the other dozen forums where they've

Brian Robinsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05765022588638867910noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3356681204833362925.post-74118094107029910772009-03-10T18:03:00.005Z2009-03-12T12:52:07.597Z

To celebrate the arrival of Brian (aka Shabba53) here, I have just updated the list of absinthes that are either approved for USA launch or are in process.Appropriately the new total is .... 53.BevLaw has managed to find the Pernod Absinthe COLA and it is interesting to compare the Pernod and La Fée approvals.Meanwhile in the UK, two TV shows have featured absinthe in the last week.An Absinthe

Alanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17093173140659282142noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3356681204833362925.post-45603020499965297022009-03-09T21:13:00.005Z2009-03-10T05:36:45.059Z

I am delighted to announce that Brian Robinson, aka Shabba (53?), joins me as co-author on this blog.Brian and I have several things in common:-1. We both love absinthe.2. We have both spent a lot of time over the last two years debating the finer points of real absinthe with some .... "non-believers."3. We both love rugby, a game that I, as a Brit, have grown up with and that Brian, unusually

Alanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17093173140659282142noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3356681204833362925.post-2615658885954444032009-02-17T14:31:00.007Z2009-02-20T12:01:40.050Z

I see that the Absinthe Review Network has announced an important online survey of the absinthes drunk in the USA. The announcement has now also been made on MySpace, here, the Wormwood Society, and on Facebook.The survey itself seems quite simple to do, and I suspect that the results could be very interesting. Click here to go to the survey.Some may think me a bit biased so I won't be doing the

Alanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17093173140659282142noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3356681204833362925.post-12637442729527731942008-12-29T17:17:00.003Z2008-12-29T17:34:28.718Z

The webpages above are my photos of 2008: a year which saw the number of absinthes available from US retailers such as DrinkUp New York and Bevmo rise to double figures, and saw the list of US-approved absinthes rise to at least 37.If my readers thought that 2007 was an interesting year for real absinthe, then heaven knows what they thought of 2008! By December 2008, about 25 of the approved

Alanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17093173140659282142noreply@blogger.com42tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3356681204833362925.post-21574638798714245532008-10-06T14:55:00.004Z2008-10-06T15:34:36.992Z

Three weeks ago, I returned to New York for the first time since 1996. I was there on non-absinthe business, but with a weekend between meetings I went to see relatives in Brooklyn (including the branch of the family that had been separated from mine since 1900, but that's a whole story in its own right!). I also couldn't resist the opportunity to make a few spontaneous bar and shop calls and so

Alanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17093173140659282142noreply@blogger.com29tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3356681204833362925.post-57458101315781843092008-10-06T08:42:00.009Z2009-10-05T09:02:59.787Z

The drinks business has helped to create a number of different bodies that award prizes each year for a growing number of categories.The International Wine and Spirit Competition is one of the most famous and highly regarded organisations in this sector. They judge many hundreds of different categories with a who's who of the UK wine and spirits trade included among the judges.In the USA, the San

Alanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17093173140659282142noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3356681204833362925.post-87860649428610791972008-09-18T16:24:00.004Z2009-09-30T15:53:07.850Z

Some of the New York press recently met Claude-Alain Bugnon and La Clandestine at a launch party held at Gemma, also covered here.This event saw the unveiling both of La Clandestine and some sensational new absinthe cocktails, created especially for the evening by George Delgado. The first two below are my favourites but they all work very well, showing clearly that the renaissance of absinthe is

Alanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17093173140659282142noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3356681204833362925.post-56102276996285842952008-08-01T15:19:00.005+01:002008-08-07T07:00:27.436+01:00

Over the last decade, the growing American interest in absinthe has led to the formation and development of several internet businesses who ship from Europe to the USA (as well as elsewhere) by courier. Or, as they are known with affection within the absinthe community, by the flying monkeys.With new absinthe brands coming into the USA legally every week or so, more Americans are likely to buy

Alanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17093173140659282142noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3356681204833362925.post-66763789643791730252008-07-21T18:16:00.011+01:002008-08-07T07:00:44.750+01:00

Any absinthe questions you want answered? Just add them as a comment to this post, and I'll reply, again in the comments, usually within 24 hours.In the meantime, this article looks at some of the questions people have asked Google (or the other search engines) to find this site.Using Google Analytics, I can see what search terms are used to find this blog. Hopefully most of the questions have

Alanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17093173140659282142noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3356681204833362925.post-72588584567811372932008-07-14T10:58:00.009+01:002008-07-19T16:02:19.227+01:00

The above analysis from compete.com shows the approximate number of visits made from the USA to some of the top absinthe sites found by searching Google.It shows absinthebuyersguide.com and eabsinthe.com having 52% and 36% fewer visits in June 2008 compared with June 2007; with absinth.com and originalabsinthe.com up 66% and 17% respectively.The biggest changes are the big drop in visits to

Alanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17093173140659282142noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3356681204833362925.post-14987441609987079172008-07-12T13:59:00.038+01:002008-07-20T11:43:57.543+01:00

I offer this selection of advertising used by absinthe.bz/ without commentary.There are many more ads from this company to look at elsewhere on my blog.If any of my readers have any comments, please feel free to make them!

Alanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17093173140659282142noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3356681204833362925.post-54153357994501901192008-07-10T10:15:00.005+01:002008-07-10T11:37:31.413+01:00

Absinthe sales are hitting the international news, with Bloomberg reporting that almost 90% of Swiss absinthe production is now exported and of this more than two-thirds goes to the USA. Maybe a lot more than "more than two-thirds" too.With more than 144,000 litre bottles exported in total in the first half of 2008, a conservative estimate would put Swiss absinthe exports to the USA in this

Alanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17093173140659282142noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3356681204833362925.post-38775063212056042942008-07-07T15:52:00.097+01:002011-09-21T07:49:58.989Z

This image was used to illustrate Swiss absinthe moving "from the shade to the light" when they were legalized in 2005.UPDATED SEPTEMBER 21, 201177 now approved, 86 either approved or in process!PLEASE NOTE THAT MANY EXPERTS WOULD SAY THAT NOT ALL THESE PRODUCTS ARE IN FACT REAL ABSINTHE. BUT THAT'S ANOTHER ARTICLE!..................................................................................

Alanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17093173140659282142noreply@blogger.com26tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3356681204833362925.post-23382944549405798472008-06-23T22:34:00.007+01:002008-07-24T06:25:22.260+01:00

In December 2007, I predicted that there would be at least 8 - 10 absinthes freely available in the USA by December 2008. While the word "freely" was a bit careless and open to misinterpretation, the words "at least" were chosen very deliberately. I also predicted, "One or two unlikely alliances between some of the main players will start to be seen." More of the second prediction later, but,

Alanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17093173140659282142noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3356681204833362925.post-62446541217181829372008-06-18T07:03:00.013+01:002011-01-23T07:21:56.017Z

Can this picture be true? Real absinthe? Available in Canada? Yes, but it's a long story and there is hopefully much more to come. To find out more, read on ...I first went to check out the absinthe market in Canada in Spring 2006, visiting Nova Scotia and Ontario. I was very grateful to spend time with two absinthe lovers and artists/art lovers in Toronto, Scott and Lannie, who both took me

Alanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17093173140659282142noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3356681204833362925.post-20798283170759038502008-02-16T10:03:00.005Z2008-02-23T15:53:26.760Z

Imbibe is a great consumer magazine focused on beverages. It's on its 11th issue in the USA.The January/February edition of the USA magazine has a great article on absinthe, written by Paul Clarke of Cocktail Chronicles. I ordered my copy from Amazon US which got to me in the UK in two weeks in a big well-packed box which provided great protection for my precious magazine (what will it be worth

Alanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17093173140659282142noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3356681204833362925.post-53064064623501179042007-12-23T12:49:00.000Z2007-12-28T11:35:17.870Z

To say that 2007 has been an interesting year for real absinthe would be something of an understatement.2007 was the year that real absinthe returned to USA bars and shops for the first time in nearly a century. First Lucid from France, and then Kübler from Switzerland.And more followed. The month before Christmas saw American-made absinthe arrive in San Francisco and locally-distilled absinthe

Alanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17093173140659282142noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3356681204833362925.post-33302073910450974782007-12-02T07:09:00.000Z2007-12-02T18:59:09.585Z

I don't like to give them a link, but I have to refer today to the Czech "absinth" blog.Having written eight negative articles about Lucid absinthe in the last few months, the blog authors finally persuaded Ted Breaux, the distiller of Jade Absinthes and of Lucid, to join a debate on the blog.Now frequent visitors to the Czech blog are well aware that posts disappear, which the blog admin blames

Alanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17093173140659282142noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3356681204833362925.post-70794457241563441692007-09-10T13:04:00.000Z2008-01-29T13:25:51.029Z

In what is believed to be a world first, an absinthe distillery has gone fully public by installing a webcam at the entrance to the distillery. The picture, which is refreshed automatically every 15 seconds, allows the fast-growing numbers of absinthe consumers to see for themselves how absinthe is made.The pictures come from the Artemisia Distillerie Artisanale in Couvet, Switzerland: the

Alanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17093173140659282142noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3356681204833362925.post-79437358625709231112007-07-29T04:52:00.000Z2007-08-02T21:06:14.294Z

Tales of the Cocktail hit New Orleans from July 18th to 22nd and seems to have hit some of the participants as powerfully as any hurricane!Five days of sipping cocktails in seminars, catching up with old friends and making new ones, great food all followed by one or two bar visits: it sounds tough and very exciting. Try as I did, however, I couldn't justify flying there from London this year. But

Alanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17093173140659282142noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3356681204833362925.post-60477168040279300912007-07-24T10:21:00.002Z2008-08-07T07:02:25.767+01:00

Are you going to Paris this year? For many travellers, Paris is their favourite city, with all its restaurants, bars, and shops. It's easy to imagine oneself back in the Belle Epoque days when absinthe flowed freely, and the Moulin Rouge dispensed absinthe WITHOUT burning it as they do in the film! I had a girlfriend in Paris a few years ago, so it has special memories for me too. If you are

Alanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17093173140659282142noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3356681204833362925.post-85477646511044871062007-07-21T19:05:00.001Z2008-08-07T07:01:59.088+01:00

Absinthe is not a cheap drink to make or to buy. A good absinthe could be made with around a dozen different plants. The artisanale methods used to make many of today's absinthes are themselves very labour intensive.However this absinthe is more expensive than any ever sold before. Even more expensive than the pre-ban absinthe samples sold once in a while by Oxygénée.This absinthe will cost you

Alanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17093173140659282142noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3356681204833362925.post-49691241705027812572007-07-15T04:40:00.001Z2007-07-18T18:11:40.172Z

MAKING THE ABSINTHE WORLD STUPIDER. POST BY POST.The things a blogger has to do nowadays. Having conducted an interview with the founder of one absinthe forum, I thought it important to look at a different side of absinthe on the Internet. And so it was with some trepidation that I approached one of the members of the famous Louched Lounge. The Louched Lounge is different and greets you with the

Alanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17093173140659282142noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3356681204833362925.post-33088937076972768432007-07-03T17:23:00.001Z2009-07-28T16:24:37.305+01:00

Later this month the Wormwood Society, the world's liveliest and most user-friendly absinthe forum, is re-launched. For those of my readers who don't know it, you must check it out (even if it means you spend more time there than here in future!). The crowd who meet up there are highly informed, very receptive to newcomers (they even welcomed me!) and have the liveliest discussions on absinthe (

Alanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17093173140659282142noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3356681204833362925.post-42469320213047758562007-06-24T13:37:00.002Z2010-10-21T14:18:46.480Z

Officially launched at the Boveresse Absinthe Festival, Angélique is now also available from absinthe-suisse.com. It is the first Verte created by Claude-Alain Bugnon of La Clandestine fame and is in response to many customer requests for a "véritable Verte Suisse."Distilled using 12 plants, it is named Angélique partly after Claude-Alain's daughter and partly because it contains angelica.

Alanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17093173140659282142noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3356681204833362925.post-19985639895907244322007-06-22T13:01:00.000Z2007-07-03T15:33:27.259Z

In the last week, I have seen two very different sides of the absinthe world. - The world of real absinthe lovers assembled together in Couvet, Switzerland, for the 10th annual absinthe festival at Boveresse. - The world of absinthe sellers (mainly French companies) assembled together at Vinexpo, Bordeaux, for the world's biggest wine and spirits exhibition.The contrast between the two was

Alanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17093173140659282142noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3356681204833362925.post-35184321091538027752007-06-03T11:47:00.001Z2007-07-14T15:43:47.168Z

Well, it seems that the genie is now out of the bottle. Following the announcement of the launch of Lucid Absinthe at the end of April, there has been some fevered speculation on the main absinthe forums as to the significance of this move. Posts have been made and quickly edited/removed, an online poll was launched to guess the thujone content of Lucid, and now Oxygénée (aka David Nathan-Maister

Alanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17093173140659282142noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3356681204833362925.post-74002073969450780972007-05-30T14:41:00.001Z2009-01-19T18:32:04.810Z

Absinthe cocktails? Here is one of the longest lists of cocktails containing absinthe that I have ever seen, and it comes from The Savoy Cocktail Book* (first published 1930). It is recommended that you do not try all of these in one session, or even in one month! Links for all cocktails are now provided; I will add key ingredients to each cocktail to allow "at-a-glance" searching.1. Absinthe

Alanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17093173140659282142noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3356681204833362925.post-39330286783585392422007-05-28T09:03:00.000Z2007-12-09T09:52:33.234Z

It is interesting to see how some companies like to claim that their absinthe is Swiss or that it is based on an old Swiss recipe. Here are two examples:According to their website "Logan Fils - La Blanche is made according to the old traditional recipe that was acquired in Switzerland from the region of Val-de-Travers where Absinthe was invented. Swiss La Bleue is distilled from carefully

Alanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17093173140659282142noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3356681204833362925.post-17318618882562122522007-05-28T07:07:00.000Z2007-09-14T20:57:36.747Z

I have received a number of anonymous comments on my blog. I have replied in the comments section, but think it is important to discuss these issues more openly.So to my anonymous correspondents: If you believe in what you say, why do you need to be anonymous? Tell me and my readers who you are, or email me directly at alan.mossATgmail.com if you prefer to have a confidential discussion.There is

Alanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17093173140659282142noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3356681204833362925.post-57918469787817490462007-05-21T09:32:00.000Z2007-09-14T20:55:53.359Z

There are some interesting developments on Czech "absinth," a style of product that many purists would say should not be called "absinthe."Let's look at those developments one-by-one:Blog published May 18th, 2007An excellent post from Oxygénées' blog.Which closes: "In short, I’ve no problem with Czech absinthe. I’ve a problem with the dishonest way much of it is marketed."I'd like to look in more

Alanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17093173140659282142noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3356681204833362925.post-73339177156934668002007-05-09T05:04:00.000Z2007-05-09T05:14:32.511Z

I'm in discussion with a couple of other absinthe lovers about some changes to the Real Absinthe Blog.This follows an ongoing discussion at the Wormwood Society about creating an Absinthe Magazine which combines news, the continued drive for higher standards in the market place (no more thujone-hyping or ultimate panty dropper advertising, please), reviews of a wider range of absinthes, and

Alanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17093173140659282142noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3356681204833362925.post-14711491788164657042007-05-07T05:17:00.006Z2011-10-04T16:53:30.870Z

La Clandestine is one of the most popular absinthes sold in the world.See "Where to buy La Clandestine."La Clandestine is one of the most popular absinthes sold on the internet.It is the only absinthe sold by all 9 top real absinthe vendors operating out of Europe (no other absinthe is sold by more than 7). See:-Absinthe-suisse.com: an on-line boutique specialising in hand-crafted specialities

Alanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17093173140659282142noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3356681204833362925.post-35511230750002121112007-05-03T08:20:00.000Z2007-06-13T08:24:51.255Z

June 2007 sees the 10th annual Absinthe Festival in Boveresse, Val-de-Travers, the birthplace of absinthe. If you haven't booked your accommodation yet, you may have problems unless you are willing to sleep on a distillery floor, or simply find a bar to drink the night away!Here's a historic photo of the harvest in the Val-de-Travers many years ago:Here's a photo from a recent festival (clue: the

Alanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17093173140659282142noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3356681204833362925.post-89172924547941017762007-04-28T21:49:00.000Z2007-06-04T09:27:32.552Z

The New York Times of 29th April carries a story about a new, apparently genuine absinthe soon to be available in the USA. The article is short on detail, making it difficult to comment too much at this stage.Ted Breaux of Jade is behind this new product, Lucid Absinthe, and excerpts from the NYT follows:-"Mr. Gurfein (of the US distribution company) asked Mr. Breaux whether he could produce an

Alanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17093173140659282142noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3356681204833362925.post-56012560938467350772007-04-28T13:03:00.000Z2007-04-28T16:05:40.838Z

The article below comes from the alternative Wikipedia: Uncyclopedia. The content-free encyclopedia that anyone can edit. While much of it is written for laughs, there are some sentences that are alarmingly true ...AbsintheFrom Uncyclopedia, the content-free encyclopedia.“Not bad, but this isn't the sort of fairy I fancy.” ~ Oscar Wilde on Absinthe “Absinthe makes the heart grow fonder.” ~

Alanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17093173140659282142noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3356681204833362925.post-4300347331431672902007-03-27T11:33:00.022Z2011-03-21T14:49:42.831Z

UPATED 2009 TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT USA DEVELOPMENTSA Master List for the USA. (includes retailers who ship nationwide)A Master List for the Rest of the World (Canada, Europe, Asia Pacific)There are now many absinthes available in most, if not all of the USA. For those wanting to buy in the USA, Drink Up NY seems to offer one of the best options, both for those in New York and for those shipping to

Alanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17093173140659282142noreply@blogger.com27