Americans try Absinthe for the First Time on BuzzFeed ... and other absinthe videos

On August 4th, 2015, many absinthe lovers were quite dismissive of a new video which appeared on BuzzFeed that day: "Americans try Absinthe for the First Time."

Initial comments included: "Just silly, "Makes us Americans look like idiots," "It boggles my mind to believe that people STILL believe that absinthe makes you "TRIP" balls .."

Then the comments changed to "Well, at least they prepared it properly and used actual absinthe," and recognition of how BuzzFeed works: "If it isn't ridiculous then BuzzFeed doesn't want it. Hipsters pretending to trip ballz on just alcohol generates views, education does not."

And this video has certainly generated views: over 2.1 million YouTube views at the time of writing, making it by some way the highest viewed absinthe video ever shown on YouTube (and thus probably globally). It also has more likes (over 65,000 likes) and more comments (over 2,500) than any other absinthe video. The video was also posted on Facebook, where (as of October 8, 2015), it has had over 20 million views, over 180,000 likes, over 280,000 shares, and over 44,000 comments!)

Here are the rest of the Top Five YouTube absinthe videos. They are here for completion only, and I don't recommend wasting too much time watching them (apart from the absinthe glass drawing video).

A video for IOS Jailbreak software. Nothing to do with real absinthe. 1.4 million views.

The absinthe effect. Nothing to do with real absinthe, this video just shows the effect of being very drunk. 1.2 million views.

How I drew an absinthe glass. At last a good video that is partly about absinthe. Also 1.2 million views.

Shoenice slams absinthe. Showing how to drink a whole bottle of Lucid Absinthe at one go. Just under 1.2 million views.

 I wanted to put up those other 4 videos as well to highlight a couple of points:-

a) Sadly there doesn't seem to be any great interest in good educational videos for real absinthe. There are some educational videos further down the top 20 list, but most of them choose products that absinthe connoisseurs would not recognise as real absinthe and one includes the burning option.

b) It is all too easy to associate drinking absinthe with getting drunk or "other" effects. The BuzzFeed video's stars are either claiming to experience those "other" effects, or are actually experiencing placebo effects. Entertaining, perhaps, but not very educational or informative. At least it is not focused on watching people getting drunk!

c) Viewing all five videos, and then reading the comments underneath the BuzzFeed video, there remains an enormous, ongoing need for education about absinthe. What it is, what it does and how to drink it.

Ignoring the video's humorous elements, BuzzFeed clearly shows how to drink it.

• With chilled water (3 - 5 parts).
• The fountain is optional: a decanter or carafe can work just as well.
• Maybe with a sugar cube, although a lot of good absinthes do not need any sugar.
• Not as a shot, and definitely not burnt.

It skips briefly over what it is ...

and doesn't really answer the question of effects here:

There is NO difference between absinthe in the past and "modern absinthe," except for the fact that some "bath-tub absinthe" made in the 19th century may have been poisonous!

BuzzFeed makes one very good point, maybe without realising it. It chose two absinthes in smaller (200 ml) bottles for its video: La Clandestine and St. George.

Smaller bottles are an ideal way to try absinthes for the first time before committing to a full bottle purchase. In fact smaller bottles may also be a good way for some bars to start with absinthes (especially if they want to offer a broader range or if they expect a lot of their absinthe to be used in dashes or rinses).

BuzzFeed shows people socialising and having fun with absinthe, hints at its naughtier side, but also illustrates the issues and opportunities for absinthe. BuzzFeed videos are produced in Los Angeles, and it seems rather surprising that none of the cast have tried absinthe before. If the characters in this video (trendy, well-off Californians) really are trying absinthe for the first time, then absinthe companies have some way to go to create trial and interest.

I find the comments beneath the BuzzFeed video to be of greater concern (current ignorance) and to highlight the opportunities (overcoming ignorance will attract and keep tomorrow's consumers). There continues to be a lot of misunderstanding about absinthe, but BuzzFeed has helped to correct some of that. For those of us in the absinthe sector (making, marketing, selling absinthe), the need for education continues. Bars and retailers serving and selling absinthe correctly will do a lot to address the ongoing ignorance about the category.

I would love it if BuzzFeed had made an even better educational video, but their film is, in overall terms, a positive for the category. I'm pleased that BuzzFeed chose 200 ml bottles for the video (La Clandestine and St. George): they are a great way to try an absinthe for the first time.

Finally, an absinthe video that is a little more educational. I've pulled together a collection of photos (taken by Peter Wilhelm) showing the wonderful 2015 Grande Wormwood harvest featuring a top wormwood grower, Yves Currit and several absinthe makers, including Claude-Alain Bugnon. The wormwood is now being dried (see the last few photos) and the absinthe will be available in 2016 should BuzzFeed be ready for another video about absinthe!

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 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" 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?