Ladies drinking absinthe

I've posted about ladies and absinthe jokingly before, and have also highlighted the more serious role of women in making absinthe.

So it was interesting to discover recently two artistic treatment of women drinking absinthe: from Paris in 1905 and from New Orleans in 2017.

The first of these is probably more interesting!

Gustave Poetzsch was a Swiss artist who lived from 1870 to 1950. Born in Neuchâtel, he moved to Paris to develop his painting skills. His painting of L'Élégante au verre d'absinthe may surprise absinthe historians. It seems to show a fashionable French lady drinking absinthe on her own in a Parisian café or bar. She's drinking from a glass that doesn't look like an absinthe glass and seems to be on her third drink (count the saucers used to help keep count of how many drinks a customer would need to pay for). There seems to be no stigma associated with this: she is indeed an elegant lady. Marie-Claude Delahaye has written in some detail about the painting and the unusual glass. This painting seems, in summary, to debunk the myths about absinthe in Paris at the start of the 20th century: it is a long way from "absinthism."

As the painting debunks myths, so Hollywood continues to spread myths about absinthe. Below I present the "absinthe" sequence from the trailer for Girls Trip. While it may be true that tourists to New Orleans enjoy drinking the Green Fairy in The Old Absinthe House and elsewhere, and some may over-indulge, they do not get the kind of absinthe effects depicted here. The most active ingredient in absinthe is alcohol. Drinking too much absinthe, and hence too much alcohol, does not lead to experiencing anything more remarkable than seeing the sidewalk (pavement) close-up.



This is shared here to show how Hollywood continues to exaggerate the effects of absinthe. Something that reputable absinthe distillers will never do.

Coming soon .. ready-to-drink absinthe

Whether you're a bartender or a consumer, we've been listening to what you say.

Bartenders think that the absinthe ritual can be a nuisance when a bar is really busy. They have to get a fountain ready with chilled water, pour a measure of absinthe in a glass, maybe put a spoon with a sugar lump on the glass, position it correctly and drip the water. And then they have to wait to make sure the glass doesn't overflow!

Consumers can be unsure of how much water to add, whether or not to use sugar, and sometimes they just don't want to wait for their drink!

Absinthe lovers in the 19th century had the same problems. After a busy day painting (and, by the way, ingesting all those toxic paint fumes), Van Gogh really didn't want to wait for his drink. Indeed it is possible that waiting drove him mad. Literally.

We've seen ready-to-drink "absinthe" in various countries around the world. Notably in Russia:

Up to now, ready-to-drink "absinthe" has tended to be low quality, and didn't communicate all the fun we think consumers look for in this type of drink. And then we saw the picture at the top of this blog. We posted it in the social media and were amazed at the response:

A high quality ready-to-drink absinthe has to communicate fun and enjoyment. So we decided to call it ...

Absinthe on the Gogh

We hasten to add that this is the not final pack design, and we need to do some more research. Which is why we are posting this so we can ask you, whether you are a bartender or an absinthe lover a few questions. Please answer in the comments below.

What is better in a bar? A can or a bottle?
What is better for home use, or indeed for picnics, etc?
What size? The can above is 250 ml, but maybe that is a bit big. Adding 3 parts of water to one US measure (1.5 fl oz) comes to 176 ml.
If a ready-to-drink is allowed to rest for a while, you will need to shake before serving. Shake the drink, not yourself (although if you shake yourself while holding a closed drink, that might work). A see-through bottle may not look too appetising if the contents have separated, so is an opaque bottle OK?
Do you like the name "Absinthe On the Gogh" which reverses the pun in the picture at the top? Absinthe To Gogh wouldn't work in bars: bartenders don't want their customers to go!
Do you have any other comments or questions? Any other names?

There is one issue we know about with this name. In England, Van Gogh's last name sounds similar to Goth. But given the affinity between Goths and absinthe, maybe that's OK. Some have commented that my distiller looks like a goth ... or should that be a Gogh?!

Remember to comment below, please. Santé!

Absinthe makes the heart grow fonder .. or at least makes the cocktail taste better!

Valentine's Day is approaching. Restaurants and bars throughout the world are finalising menus and special drinks list, while consumers are planning (hopefully) a romantic evening with their current or prospective partner.

Enjoying a drink (or two) is usually part of a good Valentine's Day soirée, and absinthe has been an increasingly popular choice for the evening. According to Google, absinthe seems to be more part of Valentine's Day than champagne (Googling  "valentine's day" drink champagne gets 4.2 million results, Googling "valentine's day" drink absinthe gets 13.4 million results). So two questions and then the answers:-

1. What is it about absinthe that makes it so good for Valentine's?
2. How can absinthe be served on Valentine's Day, either in a restaurant/bar or at home?

Let's explore the first question: What is it about absinthe that makes it so good for Valentine's?

Several sites proclaim absinthe's effectiveness as an aphrodisiac.

Some alcoholic beverages are believed to be especially potent. For example, absinthe was a widely used aphrodisiac by Europeans, especially French artists and intellectuals at the end of the 19th century.

Absinthe has often been considered to contain aphrodisiac properties, which heighten sexual desire. In Alfie, the aphrodisiac qualities of absinthe get the title character laid – by none other than Susan Sarandon.

As an absinthe sales/marketing man, I subscribe to the policies of the various regulatory bodies such as Discus USA whose Code of Practice states:-

Beverage alcohol advertising and marketing materials should not rely upon sexual prowess or sexual success as a selling point for the brand. 

So I would never claim that absinthe has any aphrodisiac qualities (sadly there is at least one absinthe brand on sale in the USA which hints that it does). Absinthe's effects, such as they are, come more from its high alcohol content and perhaps there's a placebo effect too ("I've read that it's an aphrodisiac, so it must be.").

Absinthe's best effects are how well it marries, beds down, gets it together with other ingredients in an amazing range of cocktails. Absinthe may not be an aphrodisiac but it is highly promiscuous! Or as C.F. Lawlor wrote in 1895 in The Mixicologist:  

"A cocktail is much improved by the addition of two or three drops of Absinthe."

One could say that absinthe gets to the heart of a cocktail, and makes the cocktail better (well, maybe not fonder). This is what makes absinthe such a good drink for Valentine's (or any other day, indeed).

So what absinthe cocktails will work best for Valentine's?

The classic choice could be absinthe with champagne or sparkling wine, but its name, Death in the Afternoon, isn't very romantic.

I like the idea of absinthe and fizz for Valentine's, and so I suggest a couple of long established fizzes. First, the Morning Glory Fizz which I first enjoyed at the Brompton Bar and Grill in London where this video was made:



The Juice of 1/2 Lemon or 1 Lime.
1/2 Tablespoonful Powdered Sugar.
The White of 1 Egg.
2 Dashes Absinthe
1 Glass Scotch Whisky
Shake well, strain into long tumbler and fill with syphon soda water.

This is in the Savoy but first appeared some 14 years earlier in 1916 in "Recipes for Mixed Drinks" written by Hugo R. Ensslin. Absinthe and smoky whisky work very well together, a point recently made by Gaz Regan in his Regan Report 2014. 

I first tasted the Sea Fizz cocktail at Death and Co., New York in 2010.

1 1/2 oz Absinthe
Juice 1/2 lemon
1 egg white
1 tsp caster sugar
Shake ingredients for 10 seconds in a cocktail shaker without ice. Add large ice and shake well. Strain into glass and top up with soda water.

According to Erik Ellestad's Savoy Stomp, this first appeared around 1935, created by Frank Meier, at the time of the Gambon Bar, and later of the Ritz in Paris. I cannot find verification of this, although there is a SeaPea Fizz in Meier's book "The Artistry of Mixed Drinks," which omits the egg white (and, given that absinthe was not generally available, specifies "Anis").

I opted for the version in the Savoy Stomp since I recalled how much I had enjoyed it at Death and Co. And I was not disappointed. The egg white helps produce a wonderful foam and it becomes a drink where texture and taste work together really well. I used a blanche (La Clandestine) and  think that works better both in taste and appearance. My wife who doesn't like absinthe generally seemed to enjoy it too.

Since I work in the absinthe sector (business is too grandiose a word for it), I shall not have the luxury of drinking with my wife on Valentine's. Two years ago we enjoyed a great absinthe dinner at The Larderhouse near Bournemouth (mentioned here). This year I will be on duty at a Valentine's event in London. If you're nearby, please come along ... with a partner of course.

It being Valentine's, I shall sign off this time ... Love and xxx ...

The Five Biggest Absinthe Myths

"Nature abhors a vacuum." Absinthe was unavailable in most of the world for nearly 100 years, and this vacuum led to many half-truths and complete myths about absinthe. Here are the myths I hear about most frequently:

 
1. "Drink absinthe and you'll see the green fairy."  Usually with an encouragement to drink more to see more fairies. 

NOT TRUE. The most powerful ingredient in absinthe is the alcohol: drink a lot of absinthe and you may see pink elephants, or perhaps the pavement/sidewalk at very close quarters. Yes, there is a chemical called thujone in absinthe (there's even more in sage apparently), but you'd have to drink so much absinthe to get any meaningful effect, you'd die of alcohol poisoning first. So maybe you'd get to see angels, if you think you're headed for Heaven (failing that, then devils).

2. "Absinthe should be enjoyed by burning an absinthe-soaked sugar lump which is then added to the absinthe to set fire to that." Or a variation of this. Clearly a great way to have fun ...

NOT TRUE. There is no record of burning sugar lumps and absinthe prior to the 1990’s.  Burning sugar adds a caramelised taste to the absinthe, which spoils the taste of a well-made absinthe; setting fire to the absinthe also burns off a lot of the alcohol, which is a major part of the cost you've just paid. There is no historical basis for this abuse of absinthe. No impressionist painter set fire to his absinthe just before pouring it down his throat.
3. "Real absinthe only comes from the Czech Republic," or "You cannot buy real absinthe in the USA" or similar. 

NOT TRUE. Absinthe was born in Switzerland; during the 19th century most absinthe was made in Switzerland or France. And today most of the absinthe available in the USA is real absinthe, whether made in France, Switzerland or the USA. Sadly in Europe and a few other countries, many of the absinthes available are little more than wormwood-flavoured, artificially-coloured vodka, but it is heartening to see some good absinthe coming out of the Czech Republic now.
4. "Real absinthe is bright green, like the fairy, and so we add artificial colouring to make it green." Well, maybe no manufacturer actually says it like that, but some of them encourage this myth by selling artificially coloured absinthe.  

So, NOT TRUE. If an absinthe is unnaturally green, it's a manufacturing short-cut, and probably a sign of other short-cuts in the process.
Finally, and this is really something I hear almost every time I do an absinthe event ....

5. "Van Gogh cut off his ear because of absinthe." 

NOT TRUE. He spent most of his day breathing in paint fumes, and it is probable that these caused much more harm than absinthe.

Given the recent fuss about the Sour Toe Cocktail, I am tempted, however, to consider a Van Gogh's Ear cocktail ....

There are other myths I hear from time to time, but the five myths above can be traced to manufacturers or vendors of lower quality "absinthes," who do not sell their products through legal channels (especially in the USA). They have a vested interest in promoting these myths. Buyer, beware!


So how should you enjoy absinthe?

............................

Read more about the myths and about some of the surprising truths behind absinthe in my 10 Key Facts series.

A new absinthe ... with bite!

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 for something with more excitement, more aggression, in short a bit more "bite." So I am delighted to announce "Mossquito Absinthe."

Of course, "Mossquito" plays a little on my own name (Alan Moss): well if Marilyn Manson can have his own absinthe, why can't I?

More significantly, “Mossquito” pays homage to one of the early catalysts of absinthe popularity: the humble North African mosquito. French doctors prescribed absinthe to the troops in Algeria to prevent malaria in the early 19th century. Without the mosquito, absinthe would not have achieved the popularity it did in France in later years. Indeed the mosquito probably did more to help the explosive growth of absinthe than some of the early legends such as Dr. Ordinaire (or some of the 21st century peddlers of "fauxsinthe").

Santé to the Algerian mosquitoes and to this very modern Mossquito!

Absinthe, Ladies and Earthquakes

"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 a little more immodestly than they might usually do to test the cleric's statement.

In case my readers think Boobquake seems an inappropriate way to respond, I want to quote Jen here: "I just want to apologize if this comes off as demeaning toward women ... I don't think the event is completely contrary to feminist ideals. I'm asking women to wear their most "immodest" outfit that they already would wear, but to coordinate it all on the same day for the sake of the experiment ... I also hate the ideal of "big boobs are always better!" The cleavage joke was just a result of me personally having cleavage, and that being my choice of immodesty. And I thought "boobquake" just sounded funny. Really, it's not supposed to be serious activism that is going to revolutionize women's rights, but just a bit of fun juvenile humor. I'm a firm believer that when someone says something so stupid and hateful, serious discourse isn't going to accomplish anything - sometimes light-hearted mockery is worthwhile."

As a male blogger and absinthe lover, I can't actively participate in the event today (did someone say Moobquake?), but I wanted to support Jen by a quick study of the role of immodestly-clad ladies in absinthe advertising and promotion and to assess whether there is any link between these and earthquakes. Have there been many earthquakes in Paris

or in Prague


since immodestly-clad ladies have been used in absinthe advertising or art? How about in London?

Apparently not.

Of course I may be on shakier ground (!) if I analyse the link between immodestly-clad ladies used to promote absinthe in Los Angeles and any seismic activity there ...

although there do not appear to have been any earthquakes as a result of this Swiss absinthe label.

Using the above examples, it seems safe to assume that there is no link between these ladies, however they are dressed, and earthquakes. But the Boobquake experiment seems to be more rigorous, so I await the results with interest. Yes, there was a small earthquake this morning in Taiwan, but that doesn't seem too unusual.

Of course, there IS a connection between absinthe and earthquakes, and that is Toulouse-Lautrec. He is credited with the invention of the Tremblement de Terre or Earthquake cocktail. Wikipedia states that this is half cognac, half absinthe (ice is optional), while the 1930 Savoy Cocktail Book states that it uses equal portions of gin, whisky and absinthe (it is called an Earthquake "because if there should happen to be an earthquake on when you are drinking it, it won't matter"). Maybe I'll have one of each and try to report back later. Assuming the earth doesn't swallow us all up today ...

The biggest absinthe market in the world?

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 account, as well as the codes of access.

It is very important that I could make a transfer of fund from your bank in Switzerland.

Indeed, I have a big sum to be put in the banks of your country.

Be not therefore surprised to accept 1.5 million dollars shortly.

Your committee will come to 10 %, that is 150 '000 dollars which will stay in cash on your count.

Say to me if this sum is sufficient to pay the absinthe and the recipes that to go to you to deliver me.

I thank you for your assistant for the development of Africa, particularly of Nigeria.

I apologize for the inconvenience and I thank you in advance.

Thanks to the collaboration

I was thinking of responding as follows:

It was very helpful to be told that Nigera (sic) is in Africa. And I was pleased to know that even in Nigeria they recognise the quality of grande wormwood from the Val-de-Travers region.

I'm not sure that we will be able to supply recipes, but maybe you could download them from the web. I'll be pleased to let you know where you can find some good recipes.

Just one problem: 4/5 tons of wormwood would probably make Nigeria the biggest absinthe market in the world (and I am worried that there are a lot of Muslims in Nigeria who presumably don't drink absinthe). So, given the size of your order, we will in fact need 50% of your payment upfront. We will need to recruit more farmers to lay out more fields for wormwood production, and we will need to increase the drying capacity too.

Swiss bank accounts, however, are not what they used to be. We cannot hide funds there as easily in the past. So we would like you to pay by PayPal and are forwarding details of our account separately.

Thsnks in advance ...

What else should I say to my friend in Nigeria?

"Absinthe" kits

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?
or
2. What are the effects of absinthe?
or
3. Sites for purchasing absinthe

has grown from a trickle to a flood. Either business is good, or very bad for these spammers who trick readers to read an article that links to a site selling so-called "absinthe" kits.

Now if this company was honest in its approach to other real absinthes, and to the nature of its own product, then I would just get bored of the blogs and hope that others would too. But their blog articles are wrong in so many ways, I feel I have no alternative but to comment. Here goes:-

Quote: Cost of bottled Absinthe can be quite high, over $100 sometimes, and you may not be able to get it delivered to your country.

Fact: very, very rarely over $100, and there are very few countries where you can't now easily buy or order a high quality absinthe for $80 or less.

Quote: Also, you may find it very hard to find real wormwood Absinthes because according to some countries legislation restricts wormwood as it contains the chemical thujone.

Fact: Most countries around the world (including USA) allow a level of thujone that is identical to that found in 19th century Paris. But, in any case, this is not relevant since the level of thujone in Absinthe Kit's "essences" will not produce any "green fairy effects" unless you drink enough of it to die from alcohol poisoning. Absinthe Kit's suggestion that thujone level is important is blatant deception.

Quote: AbsintheKit.com sell Absinthe essences, that contains real common wormwood , both to the Absinthe industry and to general customers.

They may sell to companies that sell essence-based absinthe, but none of those companies are selling products that absinthe drinkers would recognise as real absinthe. I challenge Absinthe Kit to produce a list of Absinthe brands made with their essences.

Quote: To make your very own bottle of the Green Fairy, mix 20ml of essence with 730ml of neutral alcohol such as vodka or Everclear and add some sugar (about 75g) if you want a smoother Absinthe. Shake the bottle until the sugar has dissolved and there you have it, your very own Absinthe.

Fact: this is not real absinthe, anymore than grape juice and vodka can be blended to make wine (or blended together with soda to make champagne!).

And so on.

Does this matter? Yes, because it deceives those who buy these products into thinking they are getting real absinthe. It preys on the ignorance of some consumers, probably of younger, poorer and more susceptible consumers too.

However it gets even worse: the Wikipedia article on absinthe states this:

"Numerous recipes for homemade 'absinthe' are available on the Internet. Many of these require mixing a kit that contains store-bought herbs or wormwood extract with high-proof liquor such as vodka or Everclear. However, it is not possible to make authentic absinthe without distillation. Besides being unpleasant to drink and not authentic absinthe, these homemade concoctions contain uncontrolled amounts of thujone and absinthins, and may be poisonous — especially if they contain wormwood extract. Many such recipes call for the use of a large amount of wormwood extract (essence of wormwood) with the intent of increasing alleged psychoactive effects. Consuming essence of wormwood is very dangerous. It can cause kidney failure and death from excessive thujone, which in large quantities is a convulsive neurotoxin. Thujone is also a powerful heart stimulant; it is present in authentic absinthe only in extremely small amounts."

In other words, the products of Absinthe Kit could kill.

The Wormwood Society comments as follows:-

Important Note: DO NOT BUY ABSINTHE “KITS”! These are gimmicks aimed at the gullible. They will not make absinthe or anything remotely like it. The people selling these kits either know nothing about absinthe or how it is made, or simply don't care. The results of these kits are a positively vile-tasting, insanely bitter, potentially poisonous mess.

Looking further at the Absinthe Kit site, I find that it is owned by Gert Strand of Sweden who also operates Partymanshop. This site sells Scotch whisky oak chips, which, it is suggested, will turn vodka into scotch, as well as a wide range of liqueur essences, all to be added to vodka to produce drinks that are labelled to look like Malibu, Southern Comfort, Passoa, etc.

Now in case Absinthe Kit feel that I am unfairly picking on them, I have looked at other similar companies.

Green Devil states: "There is a chemical in traditional absinthe called Thujone, this chemical is banned in food products by the FDA. This one chemical is what makes absinthe illegal to sell.

Companies and the liquor industry have found that by filtering out this chemical they can legally sell their brand of absinthe in the USA."

Not true.

And "Absinthe is legal in many countries in Europe. But it is not the same as the absinthe of old."

Not true.

Now maybe I am being unfair to these companies. I have to admit to not having drunk their products. They may be excellent wormwood flavored vodka. But they are not absinthe, and the sooner they stop deceiving consumers, the better. Do any of my readers have any nice things to say about these products?

Press Release: Point/Counterpoint

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 /PRNewswire/ -- Admiral Imports has announced that it has been named the exclusive importer of "Green Fairy," "Djabel," and "Koruna" Absinths from the Czech Republic. The new acquisitions position Admiral Imports to be the leading U.S. importer of Absinth.


Absinth, a highly alcoholic spirit derived from several herbs including wormwood, contains the chemical "Thujone" which has been surrounded by myths about its effects. Although Absinth production probably dates back to the 1600s, it gained popularity in the early 1900s when cheap industrial producers began artificially coloring it with toxic chemicals like copper and zinc making people sick.

While it is true that there were unscrupulous producers who were using adulterants in their absinthes, the more popular brands such as Pernod Fils were producing high quality and perfectly safe product as early as 1805. Literally millions of people throughout Europe and the U.S. drank absinthe on an almost daily basis, without incident.

It was the abuse of the product (both high and low quality absinthes) by end-stage alcoholics where the majority of the purported side effects were noted. Many of these people would ingest absinthe straight, not diluted with 3-5 parts water as it should be prepared. Ingesting alcohol of any kind at that potency can cause serious health problems.

Poor testing incorrectly linked the thujone to these illnesses. As a result, it became almost universally banned with the exception of what is now the Czech Republic where production continued uninterrupted. In 2007, the ban on Absinth in the U.S. was lifted.

Recent scientific studies have revealed that the levels of thujone in absinthe during the Belle Epoque were highly overestimated. Other studies have shown that thujone, which can also be found in common culinary ingredients such as sage, does not exist in high enough amounts to cause any effect, even in those products that have the highest reported levels.

While poor testing might have played a part in the banning of absinthe, propaganda and prohibitionist sentiments played just as much of a role. Absinthe, being a high proof, extremely popular product was the perfect target. Using pseudoscience and false logic, the case against absinthe was built, and ultimately led to absinthe’s demise.

There were several countries in which Absinthe was never banned, including Spain (Pernod Fils relocated to Tarragona after the ban in France), Japan, the U.K., and the Czech Republic. However, to date, there has been no evidence that Absinthe (or Absinth) was produced on a large scale in the Czech Republic until Rodomil Hill’s company began operations in the late 1980’s or early 1990’s. If this evidence does exist, it has not yet been made public.

Absinth is typically green from the natural herbs from which it is produced or from additives and became known by the moniker "la Fee Verte" or "Green Fairy" in English.

Traditionally made absinthe comes in two major forms, clear (Blanche or Le Bleu) or green (verte). Clear absinthes do not go through the final coloration step that lends the green color to a ‘verte’. This final step involves soaking certain herbs such as petite wormwood, melissa and hyssop in the clear product, where the chlorophyll is transferred from the herb into the alcohol. There is also historical evidence of a red absinthe that was produced during the Belle Epoque. Surviving examples of red absinthe have not yet been discovered, only an advertising poster for Absinthe Rosinette.

Artificially colored absinthes that were produced during the Belle Epoque were commonly viewed as lower quality absinthes, as they were much cheaper to produce. Currently produced absinthes that use artificial coloring see the use of these additives as a way to either make the beverage more attractive (i.e. bright, uncommon colors), or to stabilize the color for the long term. Most absintheurs (experienced absinthe drinkers) recognize that a traditionally colored absinthe will fade or become yellow/brown as it ages, due to the degradation of chlorophyll. This is not viewed as a product flaw, but instead, as a characteristic of a quality product that was colored naturally.

Today, this name is the trademarked brand name of the Czech Absinth imported exclusively by Admiral Imports. "Green Fairy is based on a traditional Czech formula which has made it the Absinth by which all other Absinth is judged," said David Higgins, Director for Green Fairy Absinth. Green Fairy is 60% alcohol by volume and will retail for a suggested $59.

While this product in particular has trademarked the name ‘Green Fairy’, it is a common moniker for all absinthes, which may lead to some confusion to consumers who are looking to purchase French or Swiss Absinthe, as opposed to Czech Absinth, which has a different flavor profile and many times uses different production methods.

The two other Absinths being introduced to Admiral's portfolio are "Djable,"[sic] and "Koruna." Djable, [sic] which translates to "Devil," is similar in nose and taste to Green Fairy and is bottled at 70% alcohol by volume with a suggested retail of $64. Koruna exhibits different characteristics than Green Fairy and Djabel, contains wormwood leaf sediment in the bottle and is 73% alcohol by volume with a suggested retail of $79.

Wormwood (Artemisia Absinthium to be specific) is known as one of the most bitter herbs in the world. Distillation helps to reduce the acridity of wormwood, and leaves only a pleasant, alpine bitterness. Why a producer would let it macerate in the bottle is something of a mystery.

Also, there seems to be a small bit of discrepancy. According to their website, wormwood 'bark' is left in the bottle, whereas the press release states 'leaf sediment'.

"All three items have less licorice taste than their French and Swiss competitors making them mix well with fruit juices, soft drinks and energy drinks and thus more appealing to mixologists," said Dan Lasner, Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Admiral Imports.

The misperception that French or Swiss absinthes do not mix well in cocktails has been aggressively propagated by those that are marketing brands that do not contain anise. While anise is not as popular of a flavor in the US as it is in France, French and Swiss absinthes do indeed mix very well. In fact, one of the oldest cocktails in the U.S., the Sazerac, uses absinthe as an ingredient. There are literally hundreds of cocktails that include absinthe or an absinthe substitute such as Pernod or Anisette, which are built on the anise flavor inherent in aforementioned products.

There are those in the absinthe community that would argue that a beverage can’t be considered absinthe unless it has the dominant flavors of wormwood and anise. While there is no current definition of absinthe in the U.S. that mandates certain ingredients or flavors, evidence suggests that all traditional absinthes that were produced during the Belle Époque, which are responsible for making absinthe famous, included both wormwood and anise as the dominant ingredients. Traditionalists will always believe that those two ingredients are what make absinthe what it is. Many would also argue that fennel should be included to make up the ‘holy trinity’, although several historical recipes, while not widely used, did not include it.

Admiral Imports represents some of the finest international brands in the world such as Iceberg Vodka, Sheep Dip Blended Single Malt Scotch, Pig's Nose 5 Yr. Old Scotch Whisky, Voodoo Tiki Tequila, Berentzen Apfel, Green Fairy Absinth, Famega Vinho Verde, Luis Felipe Edwards wines from Chile, Royal Oporto, Wines of Real Companhia Velha, Wines from Bacalhoa, Tishbi wines from Israel, Fabiano Wines from Veneto, Fazi Battaglia wines from Marche, Italy, Villa Dante Toscana, Sielo Blu from Josef Brigl, Tosti Sparkling Wines from Piedmont, Italy, Torlasco wines and much more.

For more information visit www.admiralimports.com.SOURCE Admiral Imports


To sum up, as with many press releases, this one was meant to marginalize other brands, while at the same time, promoting certain 'facts' that make these specific 'absinths' more relevant.



Always helping to bring truth to advertising,

Brian

Censorship is still alive in the Czech Republic

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 on the system. I have had responses edited.

This time, the blog admin posted one of Ted Breaux's answers, and soon afterwards it disappeared. I had saved a copy of Ted's answer, so it was clear to me that this was blatant censorship. I had thought that censorship had died in the Czech Republic, but absintheur, our "host" at the Czech "absinth" blog, seems to be doing his best to keep it going!

Ted Breaux's deleted post follows below. The first part is shown on the screen grab: click on it to see the details.



"AbsintheMan:

I appreciate your professionalism and candor.

The comments I made 7+ years ago concerning thujone and vintage absinthe were based upon *assumptions*. Unfortuntately, I *assumed* those who published such figures did so from actual analysis. When the results of my first actual analyses proved to be in complete disagreement with what had been published up to that time, I contacted the researchers (Arnold, etc.) to discuss. Upon doing so, it became clear that their figures were dependent upon essential oil studies and not actual analyses of finished spirits, old or new. At that time, I realized that I was the first to analyze actual spirit samples, and I realized that everything I had assumed, AND everything they had published prior to that point was without actual proof. At first, I was hesitant to contradict myself without further investigation. When other researchers followed suit and demonstrated results similar to mine, I became more convinced that the old estimations did not consider many details that were not apparent from paper research. These details would eventually clarify themselves to me, but not until I actually had a hand on real-world distillation, from cultivation of herbs through a finished distilled product – something the prior research has never considered nor conducted.

Again, no 'shop' was ever mobilized in Thailand. An associate there offered a quick, low-cost, low risk solution toward getting production initiated in a country where there was no public perception of absinthe, good or bad. This remained a possibility during a time when it was unclear how absinthe would be received by regulators and the public in France.

I created Lucid for the purpose of introducing the U.S. to something that was handcrafted, made true to antique methods, using correct materials and original equipment, free of industrial adulterants, artificial dyes, etc. It had to be possible to produce it in sufficient quantity to secure nationwide distribution (a real challenge), and the price point requirements determined that it should be a mid-level offering. It remains an ongoing challenge, and the unfavorable exchange rate makes things even more difficult.

John Q. Epoch:

Like any genuine absinthe, Lucid contains a trace of thujone. Some absinthes contain a little more, some a little less. I can't give you an exact figure for Lucid, as it varies a little from batch to batch. It tests consistently <10 mg/l, which satisfies the 'thujone-free' requirement of the U.S. government. Nevertheless, we employ as much absinthium in its crafting as one finds in any of the best protocols in the old treatises. Lucid's construction involves NO alteration of the details of the traditional methods, and no reduction in the quantity of materials used.

absintheur:

Either I wasn't entirely clear in my previous account, or you misread it. Allow me to clarify.

I happened to have a telephone conversation with Dr. Arnold just before I was notified of the Time blurb. It became clear to both of us in our conversation that he had been under the impression that we were not using traditional absinthe distillation methods (e.g. Duplais, Brevans, Fritsch, etc.), primarily because a journalistic account of my distillation activities in an older article omitted certain details. Upon his expressing the nature of his impressions from that article, I corrected and clarified them. We discussed other points of misunderstanding as well, which I went to great lengths to correct and clarify. I sought nothing else from the conversation. It isn't the first conversation we've shared over the years, and it won't be the last.

Let's refer to the BMJ article reference by the TIME journalist. In that article, we find the following statement:

"The thujone content of old absinthe was about 0.26 g/l (260 ppm)8 and 350 ppm when the thujyl alcohol from the wormwoods is included.3"

8 – References Duplais – a 19th century treatise.
3 – Arnold references himself

If we apply simple logic:
This statement doesn't say, "our best estimates imply that . . . ", and it doesn't say, "we have reason to believe that . . . ", and it doesn't say, "barring any unforeseen details that may influence our estimations . . . " It says, "the thujone content of old absinthe WAS . . . "

This statement was made as an absolute, without any 'safety valve', and was not based upon actual testing of the very substance to which it referred (old absinthe). Clearly one can see the potential precariousness of this statement. We ALL assumed it to be correct (as did I for many years), but actual testing revealed something very different, and continues to do so.

As for Jad Adams, AFAIK, he is a journalist, not a scientific researcher. I know of no scientific research/analysis undertaken on his part. I don't recall seeing anything in his writings that reflect the revelations of new research, possibly because much of what he wrote (IIRC) was done *before* the latest research.

I cannot stress how important it is to realize that anyone who has pubished writings and theories that are heavily dependent upon thujone for sensationalism would have reason to NOT WANT to accept all the latest revelations, and some will undoubtedly refute that which contradicts their beliefs beyond a reasonable point. This is simply human nature. As for the rest of us, we had our beliefs, we tested our beliefs, we admitted our beliefs were wrong, we attempted to resolve the facts that make the truth what it is, we adapted our thinking to accommodate the truth and moved on.

And on that note, I can tell you there is more coming . . .

Absinthist

(1) I checked two original samples of B-65 for glycyrrhizinic residues some years ago, with interesting results The analytical data from my original samples concurs precisely with the written protocol (from an original distiller's notes) that came to me from Switzerland some time later.

(2) The wine spirits I use are indeed expensive and in short supply, but I wanted something distilled using the appropriate varietals and to my exacting standards in the interest of being as historically correct as possible. You can take comfort in the fact that the spirits I use exhibit a methanol content that is well within the contemporary health standards."

Why would this post be censored? Maybe because it shows the blog's eight attacks on Lucid were misfounded?

I doubt that the debate at the Czech blog will progress now, so for further information, read the coverage on the Wormwood Society.

Genuine Swiss absinthe?

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 selected herbs and made from eau-de-vie, distilled from selected wine. It comes crystal clear in the bottle and turns milky when ice cubes are added. Our Swiss La Bleue is carefully balanced as to its taste and is just slightly bitter."

I have been told that it is not Swiss. Is it?

And here is another:




With this copy from one of the many sites that sells it:-

"Originally based on a Swiss recipe this Czech Absinthe has no artificial color or preservatives, and contains 100mg of the psychoactive thujone adored by some of the world’s most notorious artists and writers. Van Gogh, Picasso, Hemingway…Bob Dylan, Marilyn Manson and Eminem are just a few who used and drew inspiration from this original Absinthe and its effects."

I'd be interested to see this Swiss recipe but also wonder why, with the distilling heritage they have in the Czech Republic, they needed to get the recipe from Switzerland. And I'd be interested to know how Van Gogh could have drunk this particular absinth as claimed.

Finally some related updates .. A sighting in Moscow and an interesting use of a domain name to re-direct web traffic intended for one of the first absinthes to legally enter the USA.

Seen in Moscow, 2007:



Does the eye look similar? Especially with the words "La Fée" underneath? As far as I know, this product has nothing to do with the more famous La Fée absinthe range.

I found a different type of brand/trade mark "borrowing," in fact an incorrect domain name registration and re-direction, recently: type in "www.lucidabsinthe.com" and see where it takes you .... Anything to do with Lucid absinthe? No.

Are these fair and normal practices at work here? Probably not.

Absinthe: some other perspectives?

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 ...

Absinthe

From 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.” ~ Shakespeare on Absinthe

A green liquid that is a commonly used to circumvent most methods of birth control.

Contents

* 1 Distillation
* 2 Using Absinthe
* 3 Side Effects
* 4 Other Absinthe Facts
* 5 See also
* 6 Famous Users

Distillation

Absinthe is distilled from bits of wood, worms, green crayons, 11 secret herbs and spices according to a secret lesbian recipe. One of thes secret 'herbs and spices' is beleived to be green kryptonite as the consumption of absinthe by kryptonians causes them to wear their underpants on the outside, become attracted to large phallic objects such as aeroplanes and supertankers, often rescuing them without warning and taking them back to their Fortress of "Solitude", and then having no recollection of the past 14 hours or why they have large quantities crude oil and aviation fuel lodged in their spandex.

Using Absinthe

Absinthe has been used in Bohemian rituals for centuries to convince others that they are more hedonistic and Bohemian than anyone else. It is considered passé, and positively dangerous, to simply pour absinthe directly from the bottle into a glass. In order to experience the full effects it is recommended that absinthe is poured through a sugar cube before consumption. Ideally this sugar cube should be 15 inches across. Burnt toast, an old sock, or any Edwardian writer (such as Lord Byron or Oscar Wilde) can be substituted for the sugar cube.

Used correctly absinthe should only cause drunkenness, debauchery, mild memory loss, and a slight rash around the genital and anal regions.

WARNING:Under no circumstances should absinthe be exposed to naked flames, as the resulting explosion is unlikely to cause superpowers.

Side Effects

An astonising array of side effects have been attributed to the consumption of absinthe, most of which are true, but you'll never remember them. Most commonly the absinthe causes fantasies about Green Fairies, passing out, and forgetting about having sex with your sister's goat. Poetry,sodomy,incest, and big shirts with frilly collars are also common side effects of absinthe, especially when you've been drinking with Lord Byron and Percy Bysshe Shelley.

Overdosing on Absinthe is reportely similar in effect to a roundhouse kick to the head.

Other Absinthe Facts

* Absinthe was created in the novel 1942 by Al Gore, and is endorsed by the Bush Administration.
* laboratory tests in 1832 show that Absinthe can cause vanity in mice.
* Muad'Dib reported to be able to control a herd of sandworms with just one glass of Absinthe.

See also

* Listerine
* Mouthwash

Famous Users

* Nicole Kidman
* Ewan McGregor
* Richard Feynman
* Jewbacca
* Tolouse-Lautrec
* Black Jesus
* The other Bohemians of Moulin Rouge!!
* Björk
* And every cool goth out there (you're just a poser if you don't drink it)
* Khaos Khan usualy at The Tache

.........................................................................................

I particularly liked the remarks about kryptonite, Bohemian rituals, fantasies about green fairies, and laboratory tests on mice: somebody is having a good dig at the absinthe community in general with remarks that come uncomfortably close to the truth.

And when the authors suggest that you should also see articles on listerine and mouthwash, I don't think that they are referring to real absinthe.

Back in the real world, the absinthe article on Wikipedia remains the number one search result for absinthe and is thus the first source of absinthe information for many. Good that it is so accurate, thanks largely to Ari (happy birthday, by the way!).

Less well known, but also good sources of information are the Wikipedia articles on Absinthiana and Absinthe in popular culture. And don't forget the Thujone article.

These articles, and the even more definitive resource, Thujone.info, debunk the myths about absinthe, thujone and hallucination that are parodied in the Uncyclopedia spoof. So why are there are all these myths and why are they repeated even today?

An answer posted on a MySpace group by a person from Lisbon (where absinthe, helped by low local alcohol duties, is very cheap) may help answer that question:

"I must say you americans do pay a whole lot of cash for absinthe, I don't know if I would do the same under equal circumstances... Makes me think there are a whole lot of people, american and european, making a huge profit over the fact that absinthe remains illegal in the US, which always leads me to imagine how those people either pray every day for absinthe to remain illegal or spread rumours about absinthe's fake hallucinogenic effects so that it keeps being illegal forever...
Truth about absinthe is the enemy for so many unscrupulous dirty capitalists, no wonder so many americans believe in the hallucinogenic mambo-jambo..."

To which I replied:

"I don't see that many people in the French/Swiss absinthe business driving round in fancy cars! The fact is that if:

1. you don't have official access to the biggest drinks market in the world,
2. total global absinthe sales, all brands combined, is much less than individual scotches such as Dewars, or Ballantines,
3. you have very high raw material costs and
4. you choose to distill, pack, and ship by hand

you are going to end up with a business that is not nearly as cost-effective as that of Smirnoff, Bacardi etc.

La Clandestine would love to have official access to the US market; I am sure Jade would too. But there are people who would not like that: the vendors with no brand of their own, the affiliates who get a % of every bottle sold.

In all this, I don't comment on those who "spread rumours about absinthe's fake hallucinogenic effects." That's another story."

.........................................................................................

Another story, indeed.

This week in absinthe

While I don't promise to post a wrap-up every week, I'd like to try to do so. So what's been happening this week?

1. 300 cases of Sebor stolen! Given Sebor's history and reputation, then this is probably not a disaster as far as Real Absinthe lovers are concerned!
   
   
2. An absinthe spoon responsible for a murder on CSI. Typical mass media approach to absinthe: now blame the accessories used for absinthe for crime! I won't dignify this with a link, but I'll show the spoon that was responsible!
   
   
   
3. A photo of an absinthe label goes up for sale on ebay.
   
   
   
   At the time of writing the reserve price of $7.99 had not been achieved. There are currently over 340 absinthe items on sale at ebay: spoons, posters, glasses, soap (?), ear-rings (?), black absinthe toilet paper, etc.
   
   
4. What was that? Black absinthe toilet paper? Yes, again not to be dignified with a link, but here are the details. "$17.99 and all orders placed before 2/28 recieve (sic) 20 free Absinthe Sugar Cubes. Includes 6 Dry rolls of Gorgeously Perfumed Black Toilet Tissue."
   
   

So, not the most exciting news week for absinthe with CSI definitely being the low spot. I am told by at least one North American friend that this sort of ongoing negative publicity just makes absinthe more popular among a certain crowd (younger and less discerning). It certainly does nothing to help promote a normal image for absinthe and the other issues posted above don't do much for absinthe either. Hopefully I'll have some better news next week.

Rant of the day - real absinthe is NOT for burning!

UPDATE OCTOBER 2009: IF YOU'VE COME TO THIS PAGE VIA A GOOGLE SEARCH FOR ABSINTHE SINGAPORE, SKIP TO THE COMMENTS BELOW AND ALSO BECOME A FAN OF ABSINTHE IN SINGAPORE ON FACEBOOK. LOOK FOR OTHER ARTICLES ABOUT ABSINTHE IN ASIA ON THIS BLOG BY CLICKING HERE.

UPDATE MAY 2009: IF YOU'VE COME TO THIS PAGE VIA A GOOGLE SEARCH FOR ABSINTHE MALAYSIA, SKIP TO THE COMMENTS BELOW AND ALSO LOOK FOR OTHER ARTICLES ABOUT ABSINTHE IN MALAYSIA ON THIS BLOG BY CLICKING HERE.

NOW BACK TO THE RANT FROM 2007!

I've been reading more absinthe horror stories on the web. It seems that many of these bad experiences of absinthe are because of drinking the wrong sort, i.e. drinking Czech absinth. Originally absinthe was from Switzerland and then from France. The area around the Swiss/French border has the best growing conditions for some of the main plants, including wormwood.

In the 1990's, Czech products called absinth, but with very little similarity, first appeared. Most play on the fact that it should be flamed and burnt, showing how little respect the Czech distillers have for their own creations, and building a negative image for the whole category.


Now real absinthe has returned, much of it from its original birthplace in the Val-de-Travers region of Switzerland. There is an ever-expanding group of absinthe lovers all over the world, drinking absinthe for its taste and not for its effects. And this is how to prepare real absinthe: no burning, please.



There is also the option, as favoured in Switzerland, to add just cold, fresh water. No sugar at all.

Now real absinthe is legal to buy in every non-Muslim country in the world except for the USA. And as people discover the pleasures of drinking real absinthe in the right way, it will probably get even more popular. Santé!

Learn how to make absinthe?

Don't make absinthe at home. Don't even try. It's probably illegal (depends where you are) and it won't be anything like real absinthe. It may even be highly dangerous.

La Clandestine now does two week courses in Switzerland for would-be distillers.


For just $50,000 plus accommodation and food, you can learn all about the plants (including wormwood, fennel etc), the process and the pleasures of real absinthe. You won't learn everything that we have: that has taken us many years of trial and error.

But at least you can learn what not to do and you'll taste some great absinthes while you are learning. Contact me at alan"AT"absinthe-suisse.com for more details.

I wrote that you will learn what not to do. In case there is any confusion about this, we don't want you to make absinthe at home after you have been on the course. But we think you will have a great time with us in Switzerland!

UPDATE: For those few of you who might have thought or still think that this is real, it's not. This article serves to remind those people who want to make their own absinthe, that it is a VERY complicated process which cannot be mastered in a few days. Making absinthe is not just mixing up the plants in alcohol! Making champagne is not just adding soda to white wine! For those who ask what ingredients are necessary to make real absinthe, my answer is:-

1) Get the licences to permit you to distill.
2) Get the right equipment (you can see some of it here) .
3) Set aside a few years of your life to get it right.
4) And if you are doing this in the USA, have patience. You won't be able to sell it.

Taking short-cuts will probably be illegal and expensive (fines and a police record too); it may even be fatal. Do I need to say more?