Are they making absinthe at an Oxford College?

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 wormwood: this is Artemisia absinthium (Aa), or Grande Wormwood, the nec plus ultra of wormwoods, as used in Absinthe. Aa is one of the key ingredients in absinthe. Along with anise and fennel.

Of course, as a lover of Swiss absinthe, whose plants benefit from the terroir and micro-climate of the Alpine foothills, I am not wholly convinced that an absinthe made with British ingredients would work, but maybe the micro-climate and conditions of an Oxford quadrangle have something to offer.

In fact, Jesus College is famous as the Welsh college, so I might have expected to see leeks and daffodils. But Artemisia absinthium? Do the College staff know about this? Has the financial crisis forced them to seek alternative revenue streams? Will the College Absinthe flow freely at the Rugby Club dinners or, better still, at the re-union dinners I am sometimes invited to?

And in case my readers feel I may have been imbibing and that this was just an absinthe hallucination, please note that absinthe and wormwood do NOT cause hallucinations. Of course the photograph does seem to show that my friend that day was Peter Fuss who runs the biggest absinthe shop in the world, Grüner Engel, in Heidelberg. Now what was he doing in Oxford?

100 cocktails to try before you die

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 cocktail list!

Click on the list above to see it in higher resolution. Absinthe is featured in

1: Absinthe Drip
9: Blackthorn
17: Chrysanthemum
18: Cocktail a La Louisiane
22: Corpse Reviver # 2
27: Death in the Afternoon
32: Fourth Degree
57: Monkey Gland
59: Morning Glory
80: Sazerac

Robert from the Anvil also writes a great blog, and seems to like his absinthe. This

is his version of the Chrysanthemum (try saying that after a few cocktails!). Number 17 on the list.

My favourite cocktail from this list? It depends on the mood and circumstances. I always love a Death in the Afternoon (with real champagne, please!), and a Sazerac is hard to beat. What's your favourite?

Here's an easier to follow list of the 100:

1. Absinthe Drip – absinthe, water, sugar
2. Air Mail – rhum, lime, honey, champagne
3. Alexander – spirit, creme de cacao, cream
4. Algonquin – rye, french vermouth, pineapple
5. Americano – campari, italian vermouth, soda
6. Aperol Spritz – aperol, sparkling wine
7. Aviation – gin, lemon, maraschino, creme de violette
8. Bijou – gin, italian vermouth, green chartreuse, orange bitters
9. Blackthorn – irish whiskey, french vermouth, absinthe, angostura bitters
10. Blinker – rye, grapefruit, raspberry syrup
11. Blood & Sand – scotch, orange juice, italian vermouth, cherry heering
12. Bramble – gin, lemon, creme de mure
13. Brandy Crusta – cognac, cointreau, lemon, maraschino, peychaud’s bitters
14. Caipirinha – cachaca, sugar, lime
15. Champagne Cocktail – brut, sugar, angostura bitters
16. Champs Elysees – cognac, lemon, sugar, yellow chartreuse, angostura bitters
17. Chrysanthemum – french vermouth, absinthe, benedictine
18. Cocktail a la Louisiane – rye, benedictine, italian vermouth, absinthe, peychaud’s bitters
19. Coffee Cocktail – cognac, ruby port, egg
20. Collins – spirit, lemon, sugar, soda
21. Corn ‘N Oil – blackstrap rum, falernum, angostura bitters
22. Corpse Reviver #2 – gin, lemon, cointreau, lillet blanc, absinthe
23. Cuba Libre – rum, coca cola, lime
24. Daiquiri – rum, lime, sugar
25. Daisy – bourbon, yellow chartreuse, lemon, lime
26. the Darb – gin, french vermouth, lemon, apricot brandy
27. Death in the Afternoon – champagne, absinthe
28. Dulchin – pisco, apricot brandy, curacao, lime, grenadine
29. East India Cocktail – cognac, curacao, pineapple gomme, maraschino, angostura bitters
30. El Diablo – tequila, creme de cassis, lime, ginger beer
31. Fernet-Branca – it’s a shot of fernet-branca
32. Fourth Degree – gin, french & italian vermouth, absinthe
33. French 75 – gin, lemon, sugar, brut champagne
34. Gimlet – gin, lime, turbinado
35. Gin & Tonic – gin, tonic water, lime
36. Gin Gin Mule – gin, lime, ginger beer, mint
37. Gin Rickey – gin, lime, soda
38. Hemingway Daiquiri – rum, lime, grapefruit, maraschino
39. Hot Buttered Rum – rum, butter, sugar, water
40. Improved Cocktail – spirit, maraschino, peychaud’s & angostura bitters
41. Jack Rose – applejack, lemon, grenadine
42. Japanese – brandy, orgeat, angostura bitters
43. Jasmine – gin, cointreau, campari, lemon
44. Knickerbocker – rum, raspberry syrup, curacao, lime
45. Last Word – gin, lime, green chartreuse, maraschino
46. Mai Tai – rum, curacao, lime, orgeat
47. Maiden’s Prayer – gin, cointreau, orange, lemon
48. Manhattan – rye, italian vermouth, angostura
49. Maple Leaf – bourbon, lemon, maple syrup
50. Margarita – tequila, lime, cointreau
51. Martinez – italian vermouth, gin, maraschino, orange bitters
52. Martini – gin, french vermouth, orange bitters
53. Metropole – cognac, french vermouth, peychaud’s & angostura bitters
54. Milk Punch – spirit, sugar, milk
55. Mint Julep – bourbon, mint, sugar
56. Mojito – rum, lime, mint, turbinado, soda
57. Monkey Gland – gin, orange, grenadine, absinthe
58. Monte Carlo – rye, benedictine, angostura bitters
59. Morning Glory – scotch, lemon, egg white, absinthe
60. Navy Grog – rum, honey, lime
61. Negroni – gin, campari, italian vermouth
62. Old Fashioned – spirit, sugar, angostura bitters
63. Old Pal – rye, campari, french vermouth
64. Opera – gin, dubonnet, maraschino
65. Oriental – rye, italian vermouth, curacao, lime
66. Paradise – gin, apricot brady, orange, lemon
67. Pegu Club – gin, curacao, lime, angostura & orange bitters
68. Pimm’s Cup – pimm’s no. 1, gin, lemon, soda, cucumber
69. Pink Gin – gin, angostura bitters
70. Pink Lady – gin, applejack, lemon, grenadine, egg white
71. Pisco Punch – pisco, pineapple gomme, lemon
72. Pisco Sour – piso, lemon, egg white
73. Port Flip – ruby port, sugar, whole egg
74. Punch – jerry thomas’ special punch recipe
75. Ramos Gin Fizz – gin, cream, lemon, lime, egg white, soda, orange flower water
76. Red Hook – rye, punt e mes, maraschino, angostura & orange bitters
77. Rum Swizzle – rum, lime, falernum
78. Rusty Nail – scotch, drambuie
79. Satan’s Whiskers – gin, french vermouth, italian vermouth, curacao, orange, orange bitters
80. Sazerac – rye, absinthe, peychaud’s bitters
81. Scofflaw – rye, french vermouth, lemon, grenadine, orange bitters
82. Seelbach – bourbon, cointreau, champagne, bitters
83. Sherry Cobbler – sherry, sugar, fruit, soda
84. Sidecar – cognac, cointreau, lemon
85. Silver Fizz – spirit, lemon, sugar, egg white, soda
86. Singapore Sling – gin, cherry heering, lime, pineapple, cointreau, benedictine, grenadine, angostura bitters
87. Smash – spirits, sugar, water, mint
88. Stinger – cognac, creme de menthe
89. Suffering Bastard – bourbon, gin, lemon, ginger beer, angostura bitters
90. Tailspin – gin, italian vermouth, green chartreause, campari
91. ‘Ti Punch – rhum agricole, lime, sugar
92. Toddy – spirit, sugar, hot water
93. Tom & Jerry – rum, brandy, egg, nutmeg
94. Twentieth Century Cocktail – gin, lemon, creme de cacao, lillet blanc
95. Vesper – gin, vodka, lillet
96. Vieux Carre – cognac, rye, italian vermouth, benedictine, angostura & peychaud’s bitters
97. Whiskey Skin – scotch, lemon, hot water
98. White Lady – gin, cointreau, lemon
99. Widow’s Kiss – calvados, benedictine, yellow chartreause, angostura bitters
100. Zombie – jamaican rum, lime, lemon, pineapple, passion fruit syrup, brown sugar, angostura bitters

Real Absinthe comes to Asia - 2

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 of the issues promoting absinthe in a country and culture that is far removed from Europe or the USA. Not to mention the fact that the religion of Malaysia is Islam, so it's not perhaps the easiest Asian market in which to launch absinthe.

But the basics are similar in Malaysia and in the West: define a strategy that is appropriate for the market, and then implement tactics that meet the strategic needs (have I lost you yet?).

La Clandestine and Angélique were the first absinthes launched in Malaysia, so required a certain strategy and activities: promotions, PR, blogger communication, and bar staff presentations. The Malaysian team has succeeded through implementing all of these.

Japan is different! While Kuala Lumpur is a small Asian city with a few hundred good bars, Tokyo is huge.

There are already many absinthes in the market (as I knew from my visits to Japan in 2006 and 2007). And the basics of getting around from bar to bar (a tough life, but it has to be done) seem impossible.

However once you have worked out which station you need to go and which platform it goes from, everything goes ... quite literally ... like clockwork. The trains are so punctual you can set your watch by them (although Swiss watches rarely need outside intervention!).

Doing business in Asia generally (and even more so in Japan) is subject to its own set of rules. Passport Vietnam, for example, stated in 1997 "It's not unusual for a host to ask a male visitor if he'd like a "companion" ..... Unmarried men who decline are generally assumed to be homosexual and will sometimes be offered a male companion as an option."

Leaving nothing to chance, therefore, Claude-Alain Bugnon wisely took his wife, Karine, and their son, Maxime , on his recent trip to Japan to present his absinthes to bar tenders, sommeliers and consumers from Tokyo, Osaka and Fukuoka.

The entire visit program was set up by David Zoppetti, who has been running the La Clandestine business in Japan for several years.



David, shown here working behind the bar, is Swiss, and left Switzerland for Japan after his studies 25 years ago. He is now so fluent in Japanese that he has even written a novel in it, subsequently made into a film. He also worked for several years for a Japanese television station.

In 2005, David visited the La Clandestine distillery almost by chance, since he was in the area researching Swiss watches. He found genuine absinthe very exciting, and he and Claude-Alain decided to work together to sell absinthe in Japan.

David soon found an importer willing to work on this venture, Seijo Hishii, and he then began negotiations with the authorities. For those who do not know Japan, it is much more complicated than other markets with regard to product registration and government permissions, so imagine how difficult it was for absinthe! In hindsight, there may be one market that is more difficult ....

Despite this, David continued the process and having gained all the authorizations for absinthe, he did the same for glasses, spoons, the ceramic fountains and even sugar! The authorities asked interesting questions, such as "What material is used for the 4 mm seal on the fountain taps? How is sugar made and with what?"

After almost 2 years work on getting permissions, David was able to start on gaining distribution. David participated in numerous seminars, and got listings in very famous bars. And after another two years, David and Claude-Alain decided to do a promotional tour to help train and educate. "La Clandestine Banzai," as some of their Japanese customers now say!

Photos of Claude-Alain's trip to Japan can be found on Facebook.

What is clear from these photos is the high level of interest the Japanese have in absinthe. Even clearer is their dedication to understanding every last detail.


Of course, once the work has been done, then the Japanese know how to party as well as anyone. But however hard they tried, they still couldn't get Claude-Alain to take off his famous blue lab coat!

And that "piece of paper" at the start of the article? It's a certificate of attendance at one of Claude-Alain's Absinthe training sessions in Japan. Absinthe has been a much misunderstood product for much of its 215 or so years. So training and education is crucial. As crucial in Japan and elsewhere in Asia as it is in the West.

And part of the training sessions run by Claude-Alain was this excellent video. Japanese sub-titles included but for those of my readers in the West, the pictures tell a million words.

Kanpai!

Swiss Absinthe comes to the Czech Republic ... real Czech Absinthe goes international

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's. A representative of the Hill's family said he would try to find such evidence for the Wormwood Society, but that never happened. Oliva have placed some interesting documents on their website. Other than that, I am not aware of anything.

I visited Prague in 2004 and 2005, and found no evidence of Czechs drinking absinthe. "Absinthe" was primarily for the tourists and seems to be so to this day.

I have subsequently debated absinthe online with some Czech "absinthe" protagonists, primarily with absintheur/drabsinthe etc, but they have virtually disappeared since late 2007. Instead, a new generation of real absinthe lovers have appeared in the Czech Republic, who discuss absinthe on AbsintheMafia.com, who have access to first-class information on absinthe-cz.com, and who now even produce a real absinthe, St. Antoine!

I had the pleasure to meet Martin Zufanek (the man behind St. Antoine and AbsintheMafia.com) and Stefan Habulinec (the man behind Absinthe-cz.com) at the Annual Absinthe Festival in Boveresse, Switzerland in June. They were obviously there to meet others in the Absinthe world and to learn, and I am sure that we can also learn from them. We tasted the second batch of St. Antoine and those in the know say that Martin has obviously learnt much over the last few months.

I kept in touch with them after Switzerland, and, over the course of a few emails, things fell into place. Martin agreed that La Clandestine is an excellent absinthe, and I put Martin in touch with a large European wholesaler of absinthe. As a result, La Clandestine became the first Swiss absinthe sold in the Czech Republic (see the picture at the top), and St. Antoine

has become Absinthe of the Month at Alandia!

Only time will tell how significant these two developments are. Czech absinth is already available in the USA, with Koruna due at Drink Up New York soon. The third batch of St. Antoine has now been made and will be released in December. And of course St. Antoine is already approved for US launch.

Will Czechs embrace real absinthe, whether it be La Clandestine or St. Antoine? The members of AbsintheMafia.com seem keen to do so, but the bar owners of Prague may, at least in the short-term, find other locally-made products easier and more profitable to sell.

In any case, these two events are two interesting breakthroughs. And if they stop me making puns in this article, that's probably further cause for celebration.

Na zdravi!

Absinthe & Flamethrowers: Dangerous or Not?

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 any great, complex spirit..

And then I thought back to my feelings the first time that I became aware of absinthe being available again. I'd be living in Asia for nearly six years and had completely missed the furore over its UK launch. I saw a bottle on a supermarket shelf in England and I was very surprised, quite shocked, and, yes, a little scared. At the back of my mind there must have been a thought that, yes, absinthe was dangerous ...

So I tried to put myself into the position of someone not in the absinthe business, of someone who had never even tried absinthe while reading the absinthe section of this book. And from that viewpoint, Gurstelle's ruminations on absinthe are well researched, well presented and quickly dispel any notions that one might have of encountering real danger.

Gurstelle's mentor on absinthe is Dr. Dirk Lachenmeier (it could have been a very different chapter had his mentor been Professor Wilfred Arnold), and, with Lachenmeier's help, Gurstelle very quickly establishes that absinthe, drunk responsibly, is not dangerous, but is, in fact, a drink to be enjoyed for what it is, and not for what it does (or doesn't do).

And then comes my favourite part of the absinthe section: Dr. Lachenmeier's top tips for selecting absinthe. In just over one page, Gurstelle lists specific points that separate the "excellent" from the "miserable" (the author's words, not mine). These points provide a good check-list for both absinthe virgins and for those with just a bit of experience. Surprisingly, the list does not include the need to look out for "absinthes" made with added sugar which would not meet 19th century standards for real absinthe.

The section finishes with an excellent absinthe chosen, and poured. I wanted to read Gurstelle's impressions of his absinthe: how did it smell, how did it taste? Could he close his eyes and imagine himself in 19th century Paris or in an Alpine meadow? He opts to leave that to the reader's imagination and maybe that is right .. to leave your readers wanting more.

It is clearly established, therefore, that a well-made 19th century absinthe presented no dangers (other than high alcohol content) and that today's absinthes are no different. It is fitting therefore that absinthe is included in the Minor Vices chapter. I like the link Gurstelle points out between absinthe and making gunpowder, but otherwise it is clear that there is no link between absinthe and danger. Many of the other pursuits explored in this fascinating book are more genuinely dangerous and life-threatening, and Gurstelle takes care to warn his readers about the risks of flame-throwing, eating fuju, etc! I like the philosophy behind the book: a little danger can be good for you, people who take risks in life succeed in life. As the author puts it: "Learning the art of living dangerously ... is an important life skill."

Ignore, then, the isolated review or two that have said that this book talks about making absinthe (that could be dangerous). See some other comments and fuller reviews on Amazon.

Gurstelle concludes his thoughts on absinthe: "A votre santé." To your health too, William!

LeNell does London .....

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 research.

Check out her Forbes interview:

"What is your favorite alcoholic drink?

Are you kidding me? Favorite? That's like asking me what my favorite sex position is."

Mmmm .. maybe not the girl to introduce to my grand-mother (may she rest in peace). But I read on ...

"What is your favorite watering hole?

There's too many to name just one. Montgomery Place in Notting Hill, London, but maybe that's because I'm sleeping with the bartender."

And reading the email again, I discovered the event samples were needed for was at .. Montgomery Place. Interesting ... although I understand that LeNell and the "bartender" have now broken up, yet still work together very well.

Still, orders from New York are not to be ignored so samples were arranged and LeNell rubber stamped my attendance too, provided I was not too "commercial." Which, in hindsight, seems a bit like asking LeNell not to talk about sex.

By chance, I had met another absinthe blogger online a few days beforehand (how coincidental is it that the two UK-based absinthe bloggers live within 5 miles of each other?), so I persuaded Jen to come to London too and also re-met Liqueur de France's Ian Hutton on arriving at Montgomery Place.

LeNell and Ales Olasz (the former "bartender" who actually runs Montgomery Place) were hard at work preparing for the session, and even their preparation was impressive: they had been collating materials for the attendees (including a great resource CD) for several days beforehand. I doubt that many absinthe brand owners would prepare so many materials so methodically.

And then LeNell started her talk to the dozen or so attendees: she had elected to keep numbers down to allow a more personal inter-active session. A session that was highly informative (even for this absinthe "know-it-all"), entertaining and full of passion. It was clear that LeNell loves absinthe, and loves some of the stories and personalities in the business. Some of this passion went a bit far for the stiff upper-lipped British: I had to tell LeNell afterwards that "f****** with someone" means something different in British English, but that was about all I could teach her!

And the absinthes?



Well, we had Cheryl Lins' Meadow of Love (shown above), La Clandestine, Nouvelle-Orléans and Lucid as part of the official tasting PLUS Vieux Pontarlier and Roquette 1797 unofficially. Four of the absinthes currently in the top 7 US-available favourites as reviewed by members of the Wormwood Society (including the 3 highest rated imports). For some reason, the spitoons were not used very much!

And the fact that I was on duty meant that I had to stay for several hours after the presentation finished to sample the absinthes with some meticulously thought-out, complementary dishes, and then had to move onto the newly-created cocktails!

Absinthe Pimm's (or was it Pimps?!)


35 ml La Clandestine absinthe
35 ml Pimm's
Juice of half an orange
1 slice cucumber
2 spoons of cinnamon sugar
Splash of lemonade

Shake all with ice, strain into mug filled with ice, top with lemonade, and garnish with cucumber.


A great sazerac (bottle signed by Cheryl).

Van Gogh Cocktail

67 ml gin
22 ml Vieux Pontarlier Absinthe
Barspoon Blackcurrant Syrup

Shake with ice and strain into a chilled coupe glass.

I also sipped the Celery Fairy Martini, the Absinthe Cargo, and maybe the Mephisto (without Marteau unfortunately).

I managed to make the train home, although as a result of all this work I missed the weekly drunken conversation initiated recently on the Absinthe Review Network's MySpace page!

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

LeNell is a great presenter and motivator, who knows her absinthes well. I shall put that down to her determination to present with the utmost professionalism, rather than liking her drinks. OK, maybe that too.

After all, who else in the world of absinthe has gone so far as to get a wormwood tattoo?

After a few absinthe cocktails, I summoned up the nerve to ask LeNell about the so-called absinthe Holy Trinity of herbs, and where she had the other plant tattoos. My blog may lay claim to being "an inside view of the absinthe world in the 21st century," but I didn't get an answer to that.

Here's a full list of the cocktails and matching food served on the day:


If any of my readers wants to meet LeNell in person to get answers to that question, or to any other absinthe-related question, then there's an opportunity to do so at the Astor Center in New York on July 10th. Great value for $ 75 and it includes five absinthes and an absinthe cocktail too. To quote AbsintheHour: I definitely recommend you beg, borrow, or steal your way to this!

Absinthe Survey and Lists - USA 2009

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 survey among 204 American consumers of absinthe in February/March 2009.

The topline results? While this survey focused on just the 20 or so absinthes already in distribution in the USA, it is very heartening to see that American consumers clearly recognise the quality differences that already exist in the market. It is even more encouraging to note that the absinthe consumer found on MySpace (the more "casual" drinker) is likely to recognise quality almost as clearly as the consumer found on the Wormwood Society (the more "committed" drinker).

Since the publication of the TARN survey, other lists and absinthe Top 10's have been compiled. This article does not set out to analyse them to identify the best absinthe or America's favorite absinthe (we all have our own, which could vary from day to day in any case!). I would, however, like to try to pick out the key issues highlighted by TARN and then comment briefly on those other smaller scale surveys and lists.

Firstly, I'd like to amplify some of the points made on TARN:

1. ABSINTHE DRINKERS ARE VERY HEAVY BUYERS OF SPIRITS, SPENDING UP TO TEN TIMES AS MUCH ON SPIRITS AS THE AVERAGE SPIRITS CONSUMER


"The average absinthe drinker in the survey buys 14 bottles of absinthe each year... Given that an individual in the USA drinks on average just 10 bottles of spirits a year, and that the 14 bottle a year absinthe purchaser ALSO purchases other spirits, the average absinthe drinker" (who probably buys at least twice the average number of bottles of spirits in total) "is therefore clearly a very good target for those selling liquor," whether they be bars or retailers. Add to this the fact that a bottle of absinthe costs 4/5 times that of a bottle of Smirnoff or Jack Daniels, and the attractiveness of the absinthe drinker to American bars and retailers should be enormous.

2. THERE IS A MAJOR UNTAPPED ON-PREMISE OPPORTUNITY


"While retailers have opportunities to sell absinthe to more of their customers, bar owners have even greater opportunities. 93% of absinthe drinkers said that they mainly drink absinthe at home or a friend’s home (this includes dorm rooms). When asked to list all the places that they EVER drink absinthe, only 29% cited bars or restaurants. Clearly, there is room for both expansion and improvement in the bar sector."

While recent trends in the US show a sharp move from on-premise to off-premise consumption, these on-premise figures are below industry average for all spirits. On-premise distribution is necessary to build category and individual brand trial since consumers who don't already know absinthe won't risk $70 or more on something they don't know they will like.

3. THE TOP TWO FAVOURITES ARE BOTH "BLEUES"


Thanks to Leif Rogers for Still Life with Absinthe (La Clandestine)

The survey covered 20 absinthes already in the USA. Given the fact that the survey had a disproportionately high number of very "committed" absinthe drinkers and that many may have felt they should include at least one bleue in their five favorite absinthes, bleue styles may have "over-performed" in this survey. In any case, with La Clandestine and Kübler in a statistical dead heat for the top slot (although the latter has wider distribution), it is clear that love of the Green Fairy includes love of the Blue Fairy too!

TARN goes on to comment, "Among those who have tried 3 or fewer brands, Lucid and Kübler are the favorites. For more experienced absinthe drinkers, La Clandestine was named the favorite absinthe by more respondents than any other brand."

and

"Nouvelle-Orléans was launched shortly after the survey started, which was recognized only within some of the sub-surveys conducted. Based on this smaller sample, however, Nouvelle-Orléans could well have proven to be one of the top favourites overall, had it had been available from the beginning of the survey."

I plan to look at portfolio selling of absinthe at a later date (there are now 4 importers with 3 or more absinthes: Viridian, Tempus Fugit, Unique and Admiral), but it is already clear that, for consumers,


Viridian* has put together a portfolio which delivers on their mission "to ensure the American public has access to the finest, truest, most genuine absinthes in the world."

4. VIEWS ON ABSINTHES WITH ADDED ARTIFICIAL COLOURING AND/OR SUGAR


TARN writes "Wormwood Society members were very dismissive of absinthes with artificial coloring and/or added sugar ..... Even MySpace drinkers, who are largely more “casual” drinkers often less aware of the quality standard, were only marginally tolerant towards these brands."

TARN confirms that:-

a) Consumers of such brands are very unlikely to re-purchase them, and

b) Absinthe drinkers who have not yet purchased these brands are very unlikely to do so,

thus also revealing the power of internet communication such as forums, blogs, etc in shaping future trial (or lack of trial).

I do have one concern here: namely that consumers who buy an artificial coloring and/or added sugar brand MAY be less likely to purchase other absinthes subsequently. That is what seems to have happened elsewhere (e.g. Canada and UK) but seems less likely to happen in the USA.

More positively there are signs that at least one high profile brand in this sector in the USA wants to move away from artificial color and added sugar.

5. GLOBAL IMPLICATIONS


The US market has clearly developed in a different way from most other absinthe markets, with an emphasis on 100% natural, distilled absinthes, promoted to be drunk in the traditional manner and in cocktails, both old and new. In many other markets in the world, from Canada, UK, and through most of Europe, the emphasis has been on more artificially-coloured products that are flamed, and marketed on the basis of alleged effects. Having sold or looked at absinthe in around 30 countries over the last 5 years, it is clear to me that businesses based on less natural products, and with a heavy marketing reliance on flaming and effects, may not be sustainable in the 21st century. TARN concludes as follows:-

"The future of absinthe for decades to come is being determined right now. What we decide to do-or not do-could be the difference between having readily-available quality absinthe at our fingertips, or wormwood-flavoured vodka at select bars a decade from now. Will you allow the misconceptions and faux absinthe products to continue to erode the reputation of absinthe, or do what‘s within your power to improve it? The decision rests with you."

I think TARN is a little too pessimistic: I didn't see too many signs of the so-called "faux absinthes" having any great success - or prospects - in the US market. Indeed I think that the US success of real absinthes will prove a great wake-up call for higher quality absinthes in other markets around the world.

6. OTHER SURVEYS

After I drafted this article, a number of other surveys and lists of absinthes in the USA have appeared, although none are as detailed as the TARN Survey.

The principal surveys/lists are:

a) The Absinthe Devil poll of 81 respondents in which the favorite absinthes were:

1. La Clandestine (21%)
2. Jade Nouvelle-Orleans (16%)

Interesting to see Nouvelle-Orléans performing so well here (confirming TARN's prediction that it would have done better in his survey had that been held later).

b) The Wormwood Society list of the highest reviewed absinthes available in the USA. In this list (compiled by taking the average review score given by Wormwood Society members), the top 4 absinthes are all US-distilled (Pacifique, Marteau and two Delaware Phoenix absinthes), followed by La Clandestine (the highest rated import), Vieux Pontarlier and Nouvelle-Orléans.

c) A list of 10 absinthes preferred by New York Times wine critic, Eric Asimov, and 3 colleagues and/or industry insiders. This seems to have surprised a number of those who have commented on Mr. Asimov's blog published at the same time. Of the six lists quoted here, the NYT list is the only one to include Grande Absente and one of only two to include Pernod Absinthe in their top 10. Other than that Kübler and all the Viridian brands also make the top 10, but the NYT has not listed the other absinthes that failed to make the top 10 (they tasted 20). Only one US-distilled absinthe (St. George) made the top 10.

d) Mutineer Magazine have published another list of 10 top absinthes (see pages 58 - 63), selected with the help of the Wormwood Society. This list contains four US-distilled absinthes, as well as 4 from Switzerland and 1 each from France and Spain. 3 of the list are not yet available in the USA. Brian will comment more on the compilation of this article soon (I hope!).

e) Finally, Drinkhacker, which has now featured 17 reviews and features about absinthes, re-visited 7 absinthes, and listed 3 other favorites. Obsello and La Clandestine top this list and Drinkhacker adds Vieux Carré, Nouvelle-Orléans, and St. George to his list of the best absinthe brands.” It is especially interesting to see how Drinkhacker has significantly changed his mind on one of the products tasted previously ....

7. SUMMARY

This commentary on the TARN survey was initially intended to highlight the opportunities for absinthe in the USA; the publication of other "Top 10" lists suggested an additional need to get all of those surveys and lists in one easy reference place.

I would be the first to admit my own fascination with lists, whether they be sporting achievements, lists of the wealthiest, best selling, biggest, etc.

Is this list of lists highly significant? Well, topping a list of preferred drinks is no guarantee of success in the market. And top-selling drinks do not often top the popularity lists, especially the lists voted for by aficionados. Patron Silver is the 73rd most popular Silver/Blanco Tequila listed on Tequila.net, but that hasn't stopped it dominating the ultra-premium tequila market!

To me, more than the top 10's voted for or chosen here, the key findings in all these surveys are the focus on high quality, the lower ratings of some of the brands highlighted by the TARN survey, and, most of all, the big opportunities in the US absinthe market. The first two years of absinthe in the USA has been an exciting time for absinthe lovers: the years to come (and the lists to come!) promise many more surprises and pleasures!

To be continued ...

* Declaration of writer's interest: my connection with La Clandestine is probably clear to readers. Note that La Clandestine's US importer, Viridian, is also the brand owner and importer of Lucid and the importer of Nouvelle-Orléans.

What type of absinthe are you?

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 readers.

So, if you are on Facebook, you may enjoy this little quiz I created. What type of absinthe are you?

1. Just answer five multiple choice questions: about champagne, why you drink absinthe, your favourite colour, what you did last night (BEFORE going to bed!) and how you would describe yourself,
2. Submit your answers,
3. Send the quiz to some of your Facebook friends (or skip this stage), and
4. You get to see what type of absinthe you are.
5. Finally you can then choose whether or not to add this your Facebook profile.

The quiz is designed to be fun and a little educational, even if it's possible some may disagree with the results. If you are a committed absinthe drinker, "ahead of the curve" in which brands you drink, with a bar with over 30 different absinthes which you drink regularly, then you may not need this quiz. Of course, if you drink that heavily, you may not be able to finish the quiz anyway!

And now for the real inspiration for this quiz ... discovering in Los Angeles in March that I am a genuine absinthe. The generous donor of this bottle should know by now that I am not a Verte!



Caveat: I know a few people may not like adding Facebook applications (especially when seeing their standard disclaimer). The only information that I get to see as the developer of the quiz is a list of who has done the quiz, and what type of absinthe they are. When I get a few more users, I may get a statistical breakdown of users by age, gender etc, but I doubt that I can put that to much use! If you feel strongly about Facebook and privacy, then why not add to the debate about applications there? I also liked this article about Facebook applications, especially the opening line, "The way people talk publicly about Facebook's application platform, you'd think Jesus used it to invite his apostles to the Last Supper."

Anyway, enough of Facebook pros and cons, time for a glass and to try the quiz. Santé et bon courage! And please feel free to come back here to comment on it ...

Heinz 57 and Absinthe

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 wasn't going to refer to dogs, although another, even more recent New York Times article does indeed describe some "absinthes" as dogs.

I refer to Heinz 57 to highlight both the current number of "absinthes" approved by the TTB or in process and the colourful variety that seems to be the latest thing. The latest three absinthes are:-

1/2. Abyss Authentic and Abyss Raspberry (!): labels now visible on the TTB site, indicating their new website (not operational at the time of writing). I'm intrigued at the 1811 claim, especially for the raspberry variant.

3. Fleurs du Mal: as featured at the top of the article, which has no actual reference to absinthe but the glass, strength and brand name clearly suggest it is aimed at the absinthe market. According to Wikipedia, "Les Fleurs du mal" (often translated The Flowers of Evil) is a volume of French poetry by Charles Baudelaire ... The subject matter of these poems deals with themes relating to decadence and eroticism."

I was disappointed to see that Fleurs du Mal contains several additives not prevalent in Baudelaire's day, such as FD&C Yellow #5 and FD&C Blue #1. The makers of Fleurs du Mal should study this posting about Le Tourment Vert in which the owner announces he is in the process of "changing the color to be a more natural absinthe hue." More on that interesting development later ....

Lunch and more in New York, March 2009

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 return to help the follow-up. At the end of March 2009, I went to New York (then LA and San Francisco). The percentage of trained mixologists in those cities is probably as high as anywhere else in the world, and it’s easy to be in awe (maybe too much so) of their skills. So I wasn’t too sure what to expect when I met up with Jen Blanchard of Viridian and Ted Breaux of Jade Absinthes fame to plan our campaign to sell La Clandestine and Nouvelle-Orléans to some of the top bars in Manhattan.

We agreed to meet for lunch in the Fatty Crab on Hudson Street (co-incidentally its uptown sister is reviewed in today's New York Times): first instance of time travel for me since Hudson Street was where I stayed when I first visited Manhattan in 1981. My time travels continued when I discovered the cuisine was Malaysian: I lived in Kuala Lumpur from 1999 to 2002 and La Clandestine has just been successfully launched in KL. Luckily (over-spiced food doesn’t work for me), the spice was tuned down to low, allowing the various flavors to really come through. Native Malaysians may find the food less hot than they like, but the three of us were very happy with the mix of Fatty Duck, Green Mango Salad, Fatty Sliders (not very Malaysian that one!), Steamed Buns and more.

We didn’t drink too much with lunch (we were planning to visit another 10 bars and knew a few drinks might be served), but as we ended our lunch, Adam Schuman, Bar Manager, joined us and served the house absinthe cocktail;

Spring Snow

1 oz Tanqueray Rangpur Gin
1 oz St. Germain Elderflower Liqueur
¼ oz Lucid
¼ oz Peychaud’s Bitters
¾ oz Lemon Juice
¼ oz Yuzu Juice

This worked well for us, although some absinthe salesmen might have wanted a bit more absinthe!

So it took the absinthe saleswoman, Jen, to produce from her bag our two new jewels, and you could see Adam’s eyes light up. OK, I am biased, but the blue bottle of La Clandestine and the elegant labelling of Nouvelle-Orléans ARE eye-catching, attractive, and aspirational.

Adam nosed, then tasted the new absinthes. Now you could almost see his brain and taste buds at work as he imagined cocktails to complement the more delicate flavors presented to him. I’d have to admit to a little scepticism at times about mixologists, but to see Adam at work, it was easy to see him as a chef inventing a great liquid dish, with all the complexity of an entrée at a Michelin 3 Star restaurant. Adam dazzled the three of us, literally, with the way he measured, mixed, re-measured and re-mixed an astonishing variety of cocktails over the next 60 minutes or so.

Here are a few – the ones that we were able to take notes of. I think there may have been others, but these were certainly the best. All excellent; all conceived to work superbly with the different flavor profiles of the different absinthe styles.

No Name (bitter fruit aperitif)

½ oz Nouvelle-Orleans
½ oz Campari
1 Dash Mezcal or Peaty Single Malt Scotch
2 oz Watermelon Juice

Lower West

1-1/12 oz Silver or Reposado Tequila
½ oz Lucid
½ oz Simple Syrup
¾ oz Lemon Juice
Top with Ginger Beer

Chill and add to glass with muddled mint and Thai basil

No Name

1 oz Mathilde Pear Liqueur
¾ oz Cynar
¼ oz Lustau Dry Sherry
¼ oz Lucid

Adam's White Christmas


Serve in champagne flute

½ oz La Clandestine
¼ oz simple syrup
1 oz Grapefruit Juice
3 dashes St. Elizabeth Allspice Dram
Top up with Prosecco


Can I get back to you on that?

½ oz Cynar
¼ oz La Clandestine
1 ½ oz Pineapple Juice
Top up with Ginger Beer

My favorite? Well, I am a little biased since I said that I wanted a White Christmas cocktail. Adam’s brilliance here lay in inverting my dream of falling snow with the rising bubbles of the Prosecco, but this was way more complex than the classic Death in the Afternoon cocktail.


As we chatted towards the end of the session, Adam told us that he was not a trained mixologist but had just “picked it up.” During a subsequent conversation, when I praised Ted’s selling skills, he told me that he is not a trained salesman (nor me). So it was interesting to reflect on the similarities between these two self-taught "craftsmen" (of course Ted has other skills too!).

Adam’s craftsmanship really opened my eyes up to the art (or is it science?) of cocktail creation: the imagination and intuition that went into the delights he conjured up made this an afternoon to remember.

As we emerged into a rainy mid-afternoon in Manhattan, we had lots of work still to do. But we felt inspired to take on the challenge!

Thanks, Adam, and santé!