Complete an absinthe survey: get 20% off absinthe accessories!

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

Absinthe Devil, America's Absintheur Shop with probably the largest range of absinthe accessories in the USA, has just announced their 2010 survey on their blog (the survey has also been announced on the Wormwood Society). I had the opportunity to meet Brian Fernald, the owner of Absinthe Devil, on my recent visit to the USA, and he's passionate about helping Americans choose good absinthe. So much so that he's offering Americans who complete the survey 20% off all the accessories in his shop. Upon submitting your results, you will be presented with a 20% off coupon good for their entire inventory (the coupon only applies to in-stock items and cannot be used for back ordered or out-of-stock items, or against delivery charges).

If you love absinthe (and especially if you like good absinthe), then please help Brian to help others. Do the 2010 survey now, and get 20% off your choice of absinthe accessories! Results will be published on Absinthe Devil (and hopefully here) in the next few weeks.

The return of Pernod Fils Absinthe!

Amazing news from France, discovered on Twitter this morning, announced on a French absinthe forum, and revealed in full on a new French absinthe website. The long-awaited re-launch of Pernod Fils absinthe!

For those who don't know all about absinthe: a short history. Many real absinthe lovers have expressed their disappointment with Pernod's 21st century absinthe. They were sad that Pernod-Ricard, a company that had its roots in real absinthe, initially in Couvet, the birthplace of absinthe, and then in Pontarlier with Pernod Fils Absinthe, chose to launch Pernod Aux Plantes d'Absinthe Supérieure

an absinthe with artificial colours and clearly nothing like the original Pernod Fils absinthe. An absinthe that was world-famous in the late 19th century, an absinthe whose pre-1915 ban bottles are sought by absinthe collectors globally even now.

To cut a long story short (and not wishing to translate the whole of the French webzine), an entrepreneur contacted Pernod-Ricard with a business plan to re-introduce Pernod Fils Absinthe. After many months' work, using the code name Colvert and in collaboration with Pernod-Ricard's master distiller, Eric Brochet, they are nearly ready to launch. And because of the massive economies of scale that Pernod-Ricard can make, they plan to launch at an amazing €30 for a liter bottle.

There are no pack shots available yet (these pictures are of an empty Pernod Fils bottle purchased this week on Ebay UK for £0.99), and no tasting notes are yet available.

Full story available in French here.

For a blogger like myself, this is a story as big as the Swiss re-legalisation of absinthe or the lifting of the ban in the USA. If not bigger. What do my readers think of this amazing story?

UPDATE: April 2, 2010

As far as I know, the original French story is a very elaborate April Fools' Day Joke. Sorry to disappoint everyone. Or maybe it isn't. Only time will tell, and for those who've waited 95 years to try newly-made Pernod Fils absinthe, what's a few more years?

Good to see that Pernod themselves have retained a sense of humour about this. Later on April 1, 2010, this tweet appeared:

Santé, PernodAbsinthe!

Update on US approvals: March 2010

One of the most frequently viewed pages on my blog (and the one that is the most frequently updated) is the list of absinthes approved for US launch.

The list keeps growing and now lists 68 approved, and 77 either approved or in process! Shown above, the latest approved brand (number 68 on the linked list) is another from Crillon Importers (following Absente, Grande Absente and Ordinaire) and the latest to be added to those in process is Tenneyson, bottled apparently by Emile Pernot (at no. 72).

Although 68 are approved, only about 40 can be found in the USA (and only about 20 are in more than a few States). Many others have still to be launched, including Canada's Taboo and the Czech Republic's St. Antoine. It's unfortunate that the glut of absinthes in the US market currently is keeping some good absinthes out.

That's not to say that the latest approvals are not good: here are two other recent approvals from Colorado and from Switzerland.




Americans can continue to enjoy one of the world's biggest selection of absinthes, but some good brands are currently locked out as a result. What do my readers think? Is the fact that the US market for absinthe has moved from famine to feast in 3 years completely positive?

Absinthe Cocktail Books: Which is the best?

.
As the USA celebrates its National Absinthe Day today (the third anniversary of Lucid gaining its final government approval), I'm going to look at two absinthe cocktail books. Are you wondering whether this is really what the world needs right now? Two more books with two hundred plus absinthe cocktails?

Well, actually, yes. Anything that helps to validate the less extreme (i.e. non-burning) methods of consumption is good. Anything that serves to tell people (especially those in the USA and France) that absinthe is legal now is very good. And anything that shows off the versatility of absinthe and encourages drinkers to try different ways of enjoying absinthe is great.

These two books have very different roots and viewpoints. The Christian Jaberg 2006 Absinthe Cocktail Guide comes from Switzerland, is written in English, French and German, and has a section with photos of many of the Val-de-Travers distillers and short reviews of their absinthes. The 100 cocktails are mainly classic cocktails, albeit often with a twist on the original. Some are new to me, but may be found on European absinthe sites. If the Swiss celebrated Thanksgiving, this is what they might drink:

ABSINTHE PUNCH (Makes 20 drinks!)

4 bottles of white wine
2 glasses of sour cherries
2 cans of fruit
3 bottles of chilled prosecco
Half a bottle of absinthe

Pour the fruit, cherries and white wine into a bowl. Add the absinthe
and put the bowl into the fridge for 2 hours. Before serving, add the
chilled prosecco.

Sorry, Christian, I removed the sentence about the burning sugar cube!

Throughout the cocktail section, there are useful symbols to help identify the type of cocktail described and the bar-tending tools needed.

My only minor criticisms of the book are the colour printing of the cocktails, the fact that Jaberg seems to ignore the very existence of vertes, and the fact that it now needs updating, especially for the US market (remember that it was published several months before absinthe was available in the USA). But to fit everything (including 100 cocktails) into a pocket size reference book in three languages is a remarkable achievement: you could easily take it into bars around the world and show bartenders exactly what you want them to make for you. Ordering details here.

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

While there were celebrations in offices in New York three years ago today, there were coincidentally different celebrations in San Francisco which I chronicled here also exactly three years ago. Paul Nathan, magician and party host, was celebrating the fact that no charges were to be bought against him as a result of his absinthe parties. Paul is now back, with what is currently the best-selling book about absinthe at Amazon.com, The Little Green Book of Absinthe. As already stated, the roots and viewpoint of this book are indeed very different. For a start it is written by 3 American authors: Paul Owens owns the San Francisco restaurants Tortilla Heights and Fish Bowl Bar & Grill; Paul Nathan is the founder and owner of absintheology.com. Dave Herlong is a mixologist who has been working at The Palms in Las Vegas.

I have met Paul Nathan in the past and corresponded with him frequently. It would be fair to say that many long-term absinthe lovers view Paul with suspicion! While I disagree with a lot of what Paul says about absinthe, I tend to regard it as being half-full, and not half-empty (in other words I am grateful for the part I agree with!). Paul has worked as a consultant for Le Tourment Vert, while The Palms (where the book's mixologist hails from) has evidently also worked very closely with Le Tourment Vert. There's nothing wrong with that, but, in my opinion, some sort of disclosure to this effect should have been made. Especially when the book makes the somewhat controversial statement on page 14 that in addition to French, Swiss and Czech styles, "a fourth category of absinthe has emerged in recent years. A category of one. Le Tourment Vert ... the first cocktail absinthe." To put it mildly, I disagree!

Unsurprisingly, given the authors' perspective, Le Tourment Vert is used more often than any other absinthe in this book. Of the 112 cocktails, 35 are made using Le Tourment Vert, 76 are made with other absinthes, and 1 (the French Stormy on page 38) inexplicably has no absinthe! The authors seem to have been imbibing too freely ...

At the time of writing, the Amazon reviews seem rather suspicious: one from San Francisco and both from California. Here's one review ...

"I have only had Absinthe once straight. This book has cleared the way for my new drink of choice. Le Tourment Vert is my favorite!"

The book combines traditional and modern cocktails with a decent amount of accurate information about absinthe. Very little of the information will be new to long-term absinthe lovers, but I don't believe that the book is targeted at them. The cocktails are well presented and easy to follow.

There is one key aspect that the book delivers on in a way that no absinthe book (to my knowledge) has done before. That is the way that it clearly states that different absinthes work in different cocktails and then elaborates on this in some detail. In my recent post about Mixology Monday (MxMo), the mixologists I interviewed referred to the suitability of different styles of absinthe in different cocktails, but many of the other mixologists who suggested recipes for MxMo did not comment on this issue (some even produced recipes stating merely "absinthe"). The Little Green Book addresses this quite well, although I don't wholly agree with the analysis provided. This chart is interesting (click on it to see in more detail):


Knowing Paul Nathan, I can recognise his sense of humour in the book; others may not always spot when he is joking, and may think that he is seriously recommending lots of Hill's ... to induce unconsciousness.

Which of these two books is the best? Well, they both have their strengths ... and their weaknesses. The American book is cheaper and collates a fair number of interesting recipes using absinthes that are available in the USA. For $12.89, it's less than the price of one cocktail in many bars. The Swiss book (€23 including worldwide delivery) paints a good picture of Switzerland in the year or so after their ban was lifted, but it now needs to be updated and to recognise the existence of vertes. Maybe it's worth getting both books.

I've probably read around ten absinthe books in the last year, although some, like the Absinthe Encyclopedia, are more for dipping into from time to time. In fact, if you have no absinthe books yet, maybe the very best option is to buy all three books!

Why? Well, to my mind, no single book has yet managed to successfully incorporate both absinthe's past and its present. The Encyclopedia captures its past perfectly; the Little Green Book captures some of what is happening right now.

Maybe I should consider writing a book that does capture absinthe's past and present, and then looks to its future.

Until I do, here's the antidote to all those weary of long articles about absinthe on Wikipedia and elsewhere (maybe even here?!). Absinthe for the ADD generation from Ten Word Wiki:

"Green fairy: will not help you fly, not always green."

Joyeux anniversaire à vous, Fée Verte!

It was five years ago today ...

Sorry that my headline may not scan as well as the famous Beatles song, but it's no less notable for that.

In fact, while 2010 marks the 100th anniversary of the Swiss ban,


today, March 1 2010, is the 5th anniversary of the Swiss re-legalisation of absinthe. The Swiss were the creators of absinthe in the late 18th century, and their decision to re-legalise absinthe in 2005 (some time after the EU and Australia, and just two years ahead of the USA), has had a similar impact on the category around the world.

SETTING QUALITY STANDARDS

"Absinthe suisse" was a term that had been used in the nineteenth century to describe the best absinthes, even if they were not always produced in Switzerland. It was fitting, therefore, that the Swiss re-legalisation of absinthe was accompanied by the strictest absinthe quality standards in the world: absinthe produced and/or sold in Switzerland cannot contain artificial colouring and must be distilled. Unfortunately such standards have not yet been adopted elsewhere.

While Swiss standards have not taken up more broadly, it is clear that many recognise Swiss quality. Swiss absinthe won the Golden Spoons yet again at the 2009 Absinthiades (held in France), and Swiss absinthe brands topped the polls in two 2009 surveys of American absinthe drinkers.

TAKING ABSINTHE TO THE WORLD

I am informed that one can now buy Swiss Absinthe in Uzbekistan! Just one of more than 20 countries globally where one can do so. The Swiss are a small nation of less than 8 million people and with a small domestic market, they have always needed to export. So maybe absinthe from Switzerland will one day be as famous as their precision-made watches.

AN ABSINTHE ROAD?

Taking absinthe to the world from a land-locked nation requires road transport. And, no, this is NOT an encouragement to drink and drive! To mark the anniversary of Swiss re-legalisation, the Swiss have combined with the French to announce today the "Route de l'Absinthe," or Absinthe Road, as written up in this French blog and now being covered in the national Swiss media and local French media. Great to see the communities of the Val-de-Travers (where absinthe was born) and Pontarlier, France (where absinthe was most successfully commercialised) united in this cultural and tourist endeavour.


The road from Pontarlier to Fleurier in the Val-de-Travers already exists, but this new initiative will make it a much more important feature of the area with better signage, a website, and links to other operations that are related either directly or indirectly to absinthe. Scotland has at least two whisky trails, and the USA has a virtual American whiskey trail; the Route de l'Absinthe seems likely, however, to be the first initiative of its type that links two countries together.

The French and the Swiss hope that many will take the Route de l'Absinthe: the 2010 Absinthe Festival in Boveresse will provide a great excuse to try it.

In just five years, Swiss absinthe has moved "de l'ombre à la lumière" (out of the shadows into the light).


The next five years may be even more interesting for Swiss absinthe: where do my readers think they will lead?

Mixology Monday XLVI: Absinthe!

For the casual reader of this article, I should start by declaring a commercial interest: I work on La Clandestine Absinthe, as well as on a few other drinks. So you might want to take what I write with a pinch of salt, but not necessarily with sugar. And definitely NOT with burnt sugar!

Mixology Monday was started in April 2006 by Paul Clarke of The Cocktail Chronicles. I first ran into Paul at the Wormwood Society, so I knew of his love for absinthe. In nearly four years, Mixology Monday has seized the imagination of mixologists around the world, much as absinthe has done. So it seems a little surprising that this is the first Mixology Monday to focus on absinthe. Good timing, however, with next week seeing the 5th anniversary of the Swiss re-legalisation of absinthe, and the 3rd anniversary of US legalisation. Thanks, too, to Sonja Kassebaum of Thinking of Drinking and the North Shore Distillery, for hosting MM XLVI.

Those of you who have read my blog before may recognise that I've been writing extensively about absinthe around the world. I've been lucky enough to have sold and promoted absinthe in about 30 countries so far, and I've seen some amazing ways of enjoying absinthe. I'm not going to write about


the Hulk (an Absinthe submerged in a pint of Guinness, as created in Malaysia), although I did enjoy the video. I won't look at some of the ways of drinking absinthe in Russia, as listed on the Russian Wikipedia site. I will, however, look at absinthe cocktails from both the USA and from Asia to show some similarities and maybe also some differences in mixology around the world.

Firstly Asia, or, more specifically, Malaysia where I have been fortunate to work with Ben Ng. It was interesting to note that in Malaysia, and perhaps in other countries too, some of the top hotels have been slower to take on the concept of selling absinthe. Maybe that's because of the reputation of absinthe as a hell-raiser drink?

In any case, Ben put in a lot of work to produce a range of absinthe cocktails for the Sky Bar, atop the Traders' Hotel in Kuala Lumpur (part of the excellent Shangri-La group). I asked Ben to tell me about one of them:

The Bramble Ramble



2 nos Blackberry Fruit
30ml Belvedere Vodka
20ml La Clandestine Absinthe
20ml Homemade Vanilla Syrup (50 brix)
10ml Fresh Grapefruit Juice
Blueberry
Grapefruit Quarters

Muddle blackberry fruit, add rest of ingredients with crushed ice and stir. Top with more crushed ice and garnish with skewered blueberries and grapefruit quarter.

This cocktail was made with the intention of introducing the widely mis-understood absinthe to consumers in KL (and showing) that absinthe is an artisanal drink ... way beyond the common perception of it being a drink to be plastered with on a wild night out.

La Clandestine was used as it possesses a slightly sweeter, more viscous structure in comparison to the Angélique (absinthe verte suisse, sold in Malaysia). Belvedere vodka was introduced into the recipe as

1. It reduces the use of La Clandestine absinthe (while maintaining a decent ABV) as the KL clientele is usually not used to the intesity of the aniseed and liquorice characters in Absinthe.

2. KL's cocktail scene is pretty much into vodka cocktails, so if you were to just tell them that it's an absinthe cocktail most likely people will shy away, but you introduce as a vodka based cocktail with a touch of absinthe, then it sells! Strange ... but it worked out for us during the run in Skybar. So it's a matter of working towards the customer's preference while getting the message out at the same time.

The berries in cocktails are a favourite among KL cocktail drinkers, and the blackberries were also a selling point. Apart from that they are used because they give the cocktail a rounder character, refreshing structure and also an attractive natural colour tone.

As for the vanilla syrup, I realized that chocolates, vanilla, butterscotch flavours seem to bring out a different character of the Clandestine absinthe when combined ... hence the use of it. The vanilla also gives it an interesting hint of creaminess which is a complement to the blackberries.

Grapefruit is to add acidity and balance to the sweetness of the drink.


Thanks, Ben. I look forward to sharing some absinthe cocktails with you in May. Interesting to see the comments about KL locals not being used to the aniseed/liquorice flavours of absinthe (a near-global theme). Also to see a vodka-based cocktail being used to get people into absinthe (as a side note, remember that the 1930 Savoy Cocktail Book has 104 absinthe cocktails and only 1 vodka cocktail!). I agree the point about vanilla and chocolate marrying well with absinthe.

And now just a short hop to Colorado ...

I have now come across two great absinthe bars in Colorado via Twitter. The Green Fairy Bar in Copper Mountain probably stocks more absinthe brands than any other bar in the USA (23 at the last count).

A few miles away, in Boulder, Happy may be an American restaurant, but interestingly (given the Malaysian connection above) it draws its inspiration from Asian ingredients and kitchen craft. James Lee is Big Red F's Beverage Director and the man behind the Bitter Bar, and was recently named one of the top 10 mixologists in the country by Playboy Magazine.

James and I corresponded on Twitter, and a few weeks later he sent me details of these cocktails and some additional comments. Over to you, James (and fellow mixologist, Ben Foote, from Happy):

The Green Devil (created by Ben Foote, The Bitter Bar mixologist)


1.5 oz. Chamucos Reposado Tequila
0.75 oz. Luxardo Limoncello Liqueur
0.25 oz. La Clandestine Absinthe
3-4 leaves of Fresh Thai Basil

*Muddle basil in a mixing glass first, then add all other ingredients with ice... shake for 5-10 seconds, double strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
**Garnish with a lemon wheel and a sprig of thai basil.

The Green Devil was our number one selling cocktail when the Bitter Bar opened last year around this time... We tried many different Limoncellos, but decided the Luxardo came through with better balance and not over the top with citrus flavor profile in the cocktail. Also, and more importantly, we ended up switching to La Clandestine from a verte absinthe due to its softer and smoother profile in the cocktail (especially on the nose and start of the drink..). We just did a "rinse" of verte absinthe in the original version of this cocktail due to strong/heavy profile of absinthe/anise flavor, but now we have La Clandestine/blanche in the cocktail, we use 0.25 oz. in the recipe to enhance and made everyone happy with our cocktail!

The Sun Also R1ses (created by James Lee, The Bitter Bar mixologist)


1.5 oz. R1 rye from Jim Beam
0.5 oz. Plymouth Sloe Gin
0.5 oz. Fresh Lemon Juice
0.25 oz. La Clandestine Absinthe
0.25 oz. Agave Nectar
3-4 dashes of Peychaud's Bitters

*Add all ingredients in a mixing glass with ice, shake for 10 seconds.... then strain into a small old-fashioned glass with a large ice cube.
** Garnish with a lemon peel.

I asked James his views on different styles of absinthe in cocktails.

Every cocktail is different and has its own unique quality about it.... but with most, I prefer using a blanche absinthe over verte in a cocktail. What we noticed at the Bitter Bar was that while a verte has an amazing flavors with more herbaceous notes (especially U.S. absinthes), we found that it over-powers in the mix of things when we make them into cocktails... While a blanche (La Clandestine & Libertine on our shelf..) is much softer and subtle, yet smoother in a cocktail and really brings out the essence of absinthe while mixing it with other spirits. A classic cocktail like a Sazerac will always get a rinse of a verte absinthe, and many more recipes call for a verte over a blanche absinthe due to stronger/heavy spirits needing stronger absinthe in a cocktail. Otherwise we prefer La Clandestine over any absinthe in an absinthe cocktail.


So while "Malaysia" Ben talks about reducing the amount of La Clandestine in the Bramble Ramble (as a way to start getting customers used to the taste of absinthe), "Colorado" Ben found he could use more absinthe in his Green Devil when he switched from verte to blanche. "Malaysia" Ben makes good use of fruit in his cocktail (as well as in several of his other absinthe cocktails such as his Absinthe-Minded with local passionfruit). James and "Colorado" Ben, on the other hand, probably have access to a much broader range of spirits and bitters (e.g. 100% blue agave tequila, R1 Rye, and Peychaud's) that may be difficult to find in Malaysia.

In both locations, then:

a) Great use of locally available ingredients to make wonderful cocktails.

b) Tailoring the drinks to fit local tastes (less or more absinthe in the cocktail).

c) Real sensitivity to the complexity of absinthe, especially of the very different natures of blanches and vertes (will other mixologists comment on this?).

d) No sensation-seeking (a common trend in some countries with absinthe).

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

I loved the fact that last week saw Valentine's Day and Chinese New Year fall on the same day. For me the fact that Western and Oriental countries were celebrating different festivals simultaneously symbolised two very different cultures getting together. In the same way, bars in the USA and in Asia take different routes to get to a common goal. With mixologists like these in more and more countries around the world, the future of absinthe seems to be in safe hands. Whether re-creating the classics, or creating tomorrow's classics, good mixologists will play a key role in introducing absinthe to today's emerging drinkers around the world.

Santé! Gōng xǐ fā cái! And thank you, Ben, James, Ben, Paul and Sonja!

UPDATE FEBRUARY 26, 2010

Sonja's round-up of all the absinthe articles from Mixology Monday XLVI can be found

Here (Part 1)

and

Here (Part 2).

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?

A Christmas present from US Customs?

The photo above is on the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau’s (TTB) website as "Photo of the week." Looking at it, I'm not sure whether a bottle of real absinthe was harmed in the making of the photo, but that's a whole different debate.

The TTB website gives clear guidelines regarding the use of the term "absinthe" on labels of distilled spirits products and in related advertising material. A key clause relates to thujone:

Thujone-Free.
We approve the use of the term "absinthe" on the label of a distilled spirits product and in related advertisements only if the product is "thujone-free" pursuant to the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) regulation at 21 CFR 172.510. Based upon the level of detection of FDA's prescribed method for testing for the presence of thujone, TTB considers a product to be "thujone-free" if it contains less than 10 parts per million of thujone.
Contrary to the comments made by some of the more disreputable "bootleggers" of absinthe shipping bottles from Europe to the USA, this figure is no different from the absinthe regulations in Europe (although there is an additional "bitters" category in Europe with a higher limit), and is also no different from most of the samples of 19th century absinthe analysed by chemists in recent years.

There have been countless debates on blogs and forums over the last 2/3 years about the relevance of thujone content, limits and effects. In the interests of science I confess to having drunk absinthes with less than 1 part per million as well as one with over 300 parts per million. For me, and others at that tasting, there was absolutely no difference in effect between these (I won't comment here on the taste differences). In any case, the US Government prohibits the import of absinthe with 10 or more parts per million of thujone ...
Or does it?

For more than a year from late 2009 until 2011 or later, US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) gave a different figure:

"Absinthe (Alcohol)

The importation of absinthe is subject to the U.S. Food
and Drug Administration regulations (21 C.F.R. 172.510
and the Department of the Treasury’s Alcohol and
Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau regulations (27 C.F.R.
Parts 13.51, 5.42(a), and 5.65. The absinthe content
must be “thujone free” (that is, it must contain less than
100 parts per million of thujone)."
The less than 100 ppm limit was published in the both the text and in a larger PDF file. Of course this didn't (and still doesn't) mean that Americans returning from Europe can bring in any absinthe they find there since it would still have to meet the guidelines on both the TTB and CBP websites on labelling:

"the term “absinthe” cannot be the brand name; the term “absinthe” cannot
stand alone on the label; and the artwork and/or graphics cannot project images of hallucinogenic, psychotropic or mind-altering effects."
However the apparent discrepancy between the TTB and CBP on thujone was interesting, and I wonder whether anyone was able to challenge the confiscation of an absinthe that meets the written CBP guidelines?

I assume that the CBP documents were incorrect with a finger slipping twice to add a zero and hence an extra 90 parts per million to the limit. In any case, the mistake has now at last been corrected and the TTB and CBP both state the same thujone limit and the same packaging regulations.

So, on reflection, the CBP may not have been giving Americans a Christmas present here. And, based on my own experiences, it didn't matter anyway!

I was planning to close this article by saying that I wish my readers a merry Christmas and hope that Father Christmas brings your favourite drink for the holidays. However another article of US legislation states (see page 5 of the PDF):

"Beverage alcohol advertising and marketing materials
should not contain the name of or depict Santa Claus."

So I'll close with a picture of Billy Bob Thornton instead ...

Joyeux Noël!

Absinthe around the World Late 2009: 8

For my last article looking at absinthe events around the world in late 2009, I've opted to get away from snow-covered Europe and North-East USA. While the beautiful panoramas are good for getting us in the holiday mood, I, for one, long for the warmth of the tropics.

I'm also going to focus on cocktails, including several new creations. Some absinthe lovers are not totally convinced that absinthe should be discovered via cocktails, feeling that the complexity of a great absinthe is best discovered with just the addition of water. Given the apparent involvement of Toulouse-Lautrec in the creation of the Tremblement de Terre cocktail (absinthe and cognac) and of Ernest Hemingway in the creation of Death in the Afternoon (absinthe and champagne), and given the 104 absinthe cocktails in the 1930 Savoy Cocktail Book, I firmly believe that cocktails are a legitimate and perfect way to discover absinthe.

But in the tropics? Well, while the tropics may not be thought of as typical absinthe territory, and while Westerners may consider their own mixologists and bar scenes to be the best, there are some very pleasant surprises to be found in South-East Asia. Papa's Tapas in Thailand has a wide range of absinthes, including La Clandestine, Angélique and the Jades. Several bars in Singapore stock a large range of absinthes (not all of the highest quality, it must be said). And in Malaysia, absinthes are developing a strong following across most sectors of the on-trade.

The latest developments there have been reported in at least two Malaysian blogs: the Juice Online Blog and the Thirsty Blogger Blog, as well as in the largest English-language newspaper in Malaysia, the New Straits Times.

The event covered was the launch of absinthe at one of Asia's top bars: the Sky Bar at the Traders Hotel, Kuala Lumpur. And local mixologist, Ben Ng, was on hand to create several amazing new cocktails. Ben is very cosmopolitan in his outlook, approach and creativity and has worked for a number of spirit brands across Asia.

Ben's first creation:

Winter Whisper

30ml Vodka
20ml La Clandestine Absinthe
10ml Monin Gingerbread Syrup
Orange Rind
Dark chocolate Cookie Crumbs

Rim martini glass with vanilla syrup and dark chocolate cookie crumbs. Mix rest of ingredients into a mixing glass and stir. Fine strain into the rimmed martini glass. Garnish with orange rind.

Ben's version of the ...


Absinthe-Minded

4 nos Lime Wedge
30ml Vodka
20ml La Clandestine Absinthe
30ml Sugar Syrup
15ml Boiron Passion Fruit Puree
1/4 Fresh Passion Fruit (local)

Muddle limes and add rest of ingredients with ice into a shaker and shake. Strain into ice filled glass and garnish with a passion fruit quarter.

Ben Ng, at work ...

making a ....

Bramble Ramble

2 nos Blackberry Fruit
30ml Vodka
20ml La Clandestine Absinthe
20ml Monin Vanilla Syrup
1 nos Grapefruit Quarter

Muddle blackberry fruit, add rest of ingredients with crushed ice and STIR. Top with more crushed ice and garnish with 2 raspberry fruit.

This ...

is probably the best-looking Death in the Afternoon I have ever seen.

Of course, the Sky Bar is not the only great bar in KL, so I was interested to read another Malaysian blog, writing about The Library, and their cocktails, including these:

The Fucking Awesome (Frangelico, Mozart White, Mozart Dark, Amarula, espresso, milk) & Quickly But Slowly (Mozart Black, milk, La Clandestine Absinthe).

I will, however, spare my readers real-life photos of the Malaysian version of


the Hulk, a shooter glass of absinthe sunk into a pint of Guinness ...

Two photos to conclude. Ben's ...

Jaded

40 ml La Clandestine Absinthe
15 ml Passion Fruit syrup
20 ml White Peach Puree
60 ml Apple Juice

Shake together, strain into a tall glass, and top with ice cubes (stand against the KL Towers to admire!)

And finally to take us back to the snows of Europe and the USA, a cocktail created by New York mixologist, Adam Schuman:

The White Christmas Cocktail

1/2 oz La Clandestine Absinthe
1/4 oz Simple syrup
1 oz Grapefruit juice
3 dashes St. Elizabeth Allspice Dram or The Bitter Truth Aromatic Bitters
Top up with Champagne or Prosecco

Mixologists of the world: without your hard work drinking might be so one-dimensional. So thank you. Cheers, Santé, Kampai and Yam Sing!

Drinkers of the world: what absinthe cocktails will you be enjoying these holidays?

Absinthe Around the World Late 2009: 7

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

Štefan's report from Prague is especially notable because until recently Prague has been famous - or infamous - as the city to visit to drink Czech absinth. Until recently it would have been difficult to find Czechs actually drinking real absinthe, but thanks to Štefan, Martin Zufanek and others, that is now changing.

I am pleased to present Štefan's account completely unedited (apart from one or two spelling mistakes!):

Absinthe in the Bar Hemingway, Prague.

La Clandestine and friends. :)

"Today, on the 8th of December 2009, in a small bar in the center of Prague, an absinthe introduction took place. It was basically first training-introduction for notable barmen in Prague, including chief of the Czech bartender scene, Alexander Mikšovic. The old crapsinthe myths were taken down and another absinthe landmark in Czech was set!

It was also the premiere for La Clandestine, Mansinthe and La Fée XS to be officially poured in a bar in Prague. St. Antoine included of course. :) All received highly positive results from the audience.

Main speakers - Ondrej Abrahamek (left) and Ales Puta (right)

The lecture was given by two barmen, Ondrej Abrahamek and Ales Puta, with some support of absinthemafia members, Martin Zufanek and Stefan Habulinec. Besides the absinthe history, the main difference between bohemian absinthe and authentic one was also presented, along with the degustation of La Clandestine, La Fée XS, Mansinthe and St. Antoine. Our goal was to put the crapsinthe with absinthe on the same table and compare it by taste, but unfortunately, nobody was interested in that, since the whole degustation was a real treat and there was no need to spoil the evening. Maybe next time we'll be more tough. ;)

Ondrej Abrahamek

Audience was left with the assurance of the next meeting in similar spirit, no pun intended. ;)


Hemingway Bar interiors

Hemingway Bar is now one of the few places in Prague, where you could get some good absinthe along with the correct preparation without a weird stare from the bartender or from the guests. The other ones are Cerna Vdova and Café Jericho (definitely my next bar to visit!), where you could get Kübler.

Burning the sugar is strictly forbidden in these places! :)

Last glass of St. Antoine

Cheers from Prague!"


Na zdraví, Praha!

Thanks and na zdraví, Štefan!

Footnote: the Hemingway Bar offers much more than real absinthe of course. It is a home of "fine mixology and luxury spirits," as can be seen on their own website as well as on Facebook. I look forward to visiting in 2010!