Absinthe: The Drink of the Bohemians

Absinthe is something I have never tried. Looking forward to it in the near future. I could certainly use the inspiration!

Had some absinthe the other day.. first time in my life.. a mate brought some over from Prague and hell, was that good!! absinthium 1892. Never drunk anything like it before. Not sure if its a drug as some people say, but it does something to you.. it's definitely not like other drinks. We finished the bottle by 3am (between 2 of us) and wished we had more. The funny thing was I had no hangover the next day.. but I still felt SOMETHING.. that thujone thing stays in your system or something?? but it felt good, really good. I'm going over to Czechia in three weeks and will bring litres back! Cheerz!

The high alcohol level in absinthe, in combination with the active herbal ingredients, make absinthe controversial.

Most folks agree that absinthe is unlike any other drink. The trip effect of drinking real absinthe is traditionally attributed to the thujon in wormwood. However, it is important to remember that wormwood is not the only herbal constituent that may be significant. Anethole which gives absinthe it's distinctive licorice flavour is found in fennel and star anise, and both are herbal constituents of real absinthe. The effect of anethole and thujone is the probable explanation of the absinthe effects.

I cannot account for the lack of hangover lol

You should also not drink absinthe to excess, one or two glasses at most is sufficient.

3:15. He. He hath filled me with bitterness, he hath inebriated me with wormwood.

Inebriated with wormwood is "inebriavit me absinthio" and that seems to be a reference to drinking, but I thought that absinthe wasn't around in those days?

I just wanted to take a moment and thank the webmaster for creating such an excellent absinthe resource. I have only had time to read about half of the Green Fairy information so far, and I have to say that I am thoroughly enjoying every absinthe alcohol article that I read.

I have personally been able to indulge on absinthe approximately ten times over the last two years, and I have to say that each occasion is even more enjoyable than the previous. In my opinion, the more involved you become in the rich culture and history of absinthe, the easier it is to become enchanted by the Green Fairy when you do have the opportunity to drink it.

(PS :: Absinthe Fever has one of the best designs I have seen! The feel of this web site really captures the essence of absinthe.)

After wanting to try absinthe for over a year, I finally got a chance to do so last night. Since I have visited and enjoyed this website quite a few times, I thought it was only fitting to stop by and recount my experiences with the Green Fairy.

I'm very happy to say that I was able to get authentic absinthe for my first experience. Even though most of my fellow Americans have to settle for less when they have absinthe in the USA, I was fortunate enough to meet a mutual friend with a very special absinthe connection (and that's all I'm going to say on that subject ;-)

Once I finally got the absinthe, myself and two of my close friends settled into my living room for what we both hoped to be a truly enjoyable evening. We dimmed the lighting to create a peaceful atmosphere and fired up some light jazz. We all poured ourselves a glass of the Green Fairy and lifted our glasses to toast.

Tasting absinthe for the first time was an very interesting experience. Although I had read plenty of people's descriptions of what it tasted like and knew what to expect, it is one of those things that you can't fully comprehend until your experience it for yourself. The flavor was quite complex and very enjoyable.

Once we finished our first glass, we all agreed that we had a pleasant but minor buzz about us. As we continued to drink the absinthe, the pleasant effects intensified, but without the usual (often unwanted) effects that come with drinking quite a bit of alcohol.

As the evening came to a close and my friends retired to my guest bedrooms, I sunk into my own bed with a smile on my face. As I slept, I remember my dreams being noticeably more vivid than usual.

I just brought back two bottles from St Maarten of this green drink. I have no idea how to prepare it.
Can someone give me some information?
Where do you purchase your absinthe online? Who are the reputable dealers?
I hate that I did not bring back more. It was only 14.99 per bottle, can you imagine that?
I am eager to try it

I'm travelling to Canada in the near future. Can I purchase Absinthe and legally bring it back home through customs? Thanks for the help...I LOVE this site!

I have been an avid Absinthe drinker for many years now and have to say living in the UK its quite easy to get hold of. There are now sites out there that actually sell most brands so you can work your way through their lists. I am not sure where they ship to (Seems like most places) but www.eabsinthe.com is a good site for variety. You can even vote on what is and is not a good absinthe. For me the Clandestine Charlotte or Lafee Parisian are top of my list. Let me know what other people have tried and rate.

Im from the states and there is a new absinthe product called Lucid and it supposedly developed by T. A Breaux. I was wondering if anyone has tried it and how does it compare to the real/original thing? I would like to know becuase i dont want to waste $60 if lucid is another American knockoff. Thanks.

I see that Lucid is finally out...in NY and NJ only. Is there a way to get it to California? Are they any ways to get authentic absenthe like Kubler or Lucid in California?
And yes, Lucid is the real thing. It's the French kind so it is green and stored in a dark bottle so it doesn't get exposed to light and lighten to amber color. Kubler is the other one that I know is "real" and it's a blue Swiss kind. But I just don't know how to get it to CA!!!

Nothing could be further from the truth. I'm afraid "lucid is another American knockoff" as salemram1 put it. You are just buying their propaganda, Kristin. Of course they claim it's "authentic" - how else would they sell it? By saying "sorry guys, it's not actually the real deal, but that's all the FDA will allow us to sell you"? Also, the US-version of Kubler is quite different from the stuff Kubler sells in Europe.

There is no authentic absinthe sold in the US and will not be anytime soon, period.

Anyone tried Century absinthe? Seems a bit pricey, but all the reviews praise it.. so there must be something to it I guess. I don't want a low-thujene imitation.

Here is something from the Reason Magazine ( "Free minds and free markets" ). Just published Nov 12, 2007 (www.reason.com):

"Even as (they) emphasize Lucid's negligible thujone content, the drink's manufacturer tries to capitalize on absinthe's reputation as a forbidden potion with the slogan, "Prohibition is finally over!"

So there you have it. All hype, no substance. No (real) absinthe in America anytime soon guys. Shame on the FDA, and no, thanks, Ted - I don't care for your spiel. I get mine sent over from Europe.

I Import Absinthe into Canada from the Czech Republic. A club here wants me to throw an "Absinthe Party". I really dont know where to start, any suggestions would be great.

It's funny how everyone who hasn't tried it is supposedly an expert. My friends and I purchased a several of the extremely limited quantity lucid bottles in the Dallas area and have been enjoying them for more than a week. At $58-75 per bottle, it is pricey, but worth every cent. It is not the typical American junky absinthe knockoffs available for the past 7 or 8 years.

Day #1: 8pm - 2am I consumed approximately 1/3 bottle of lucid absinthe throughout the first evening. Drank in a traditional manner with suger cube and cold water. I was the happiest/friendliest drunk and retained a lot of my senses. Doesn't mean I could stand up, but whatever! I remember pretty much the entire night. (6 hours-ish)

Day #2: 10am Woke up smiling, without any form of a hangover, and immediately went into the kitchen to take a shot of lucid and pour another glass. :-)

Note: I have been drinking for 10 years and NEVER wanted a drink the next morning.

Day #2: Noon Evidentely I was bouncing (literally) around the house and drunk texting every person on the phone to tell them how good I was feeling.

Day #2: 3pm I woke up under a set of golf clubs. There's no explanation of the events that led to this, but I was so happy about it that it didn't matter. I immediately went into the kitchen (still no hangover)and poured another lucid absinthe drink. I went to the store (passenger!) and to a friends house and kept rubbing my feet on the carpet of the SUV and saying my legs feel SOOOO good. (I'm smiling right now)

Day #2: 8pm-4am Opened and finished the 2nd bottle of lucid. I only had 1/2. The events of the evening are a bit of a blur, but there are pictures of me passed out in the clothes dryer. Ummm... three different times. Guess I was doing laundry. My friends reported I was still a happy and somewhat coherent drunk, at least more than I am with beer or liquors.

(It's getting a little blurry at this point, but my friend is helping me remember)

Day #3: 8am-noon Woke up with NO HANGOVER and took three shots of lucid. Played Wii for about 4 hours. Was jumping up and down the entire time and giggling about how good I was feeling.

Day #3: 2pm Made a decision to not drink lucid for a while because I'm likely to never work/function again. I also noticed that everything was "moving". I don't think it was this magical fairy stuff people are talking about. I think my eyes/body were just exhausted. But then again...

Day #4 2am-8am I woke up at 2am screaming and thinking I was being eaten by my friend's Timberwolf, which was sleeping in the room with me. Eyes were defintely playing tricks on me. Everything was "wavy" and "moving" and the tree outside the window looked like the one on Poltergeist. Not cool. I also thought the front lawn was on fire, but it was a combination of street light and water sprinkler. I was seriously freaked out and tried to sleep for the next 6 hours, but had AT LEAST 6 different nightmares that I remember in detail. Not cool. I can't remember any dreams I've had in years, but maybe it was just from lack of sleep.

Day #4-7 Couldn't afford anymore lucid!!! It's sold out all over town anyways. Been reading all the BS stories on the internet and getting mad because people are speculating about lucid being fake. Buy a freakin bottle and try it. Seriously...

Day #7: (Right Now) My friend just bought 3 more bottles of lucid. I'm SO excited. This stuff is affecting my life. I haven't worked in days and am not really upset about it. Just want the next bottle! Yay!

David... good try! But you don't really think anybody believes you, don't you?
To my knowledge, there are only two absinthes in existence that contain anywhere near pre-ban levels of thujone (100+ mg): King of Spirits Gold and Century Absinthe. Neither of the two, nor any other genuine absinthe, will make it to the States anytime soon. For the real deal, you have to travel to Europe or have it shipped over. Yes, possession and importation for personal use is legal. You can see King of Spirits Gold here: www.originalabsinthe.com/absinthe-king-gold-p-56.html

Absinthe in my opinion is what alcohol is supposed to be.The taste the feel... nothing compares.I truly enjoy taking my time with this drink.I remember when I thought it made you trip and all that (you know what I mean) but the truth is much better.Absinthe is an experience not a drug.

MAKING ABSINTHE (my experience)
Being a person with an entrepeneur spirit, I thought I could document my experience in a short book or pamphlet form to sell and make a small profit...after viewing what is out there on the net, I decided to just offer what I've learned for free. Before going too far into it, let me say you have to have a supply of fresh wormwood (Artemesia Absinthium)...either from a relatively close (geographically) grower, or grown by yourself. I live in So.Calif. (near Pasadena); my grower is in Sonoma County (north of San Francisco). I would have my wormwood shipped '2nd Day' with UPS. It always arrived fresh, even in the middle of summer; even if I arrived home from work and the parcel had been sitting on my porch since morning.
I purchased a 32L still on the internet (I believe its common name is a 'pot still'). I purchased a commercial grade hotplate. Several 5 gallon empty buckets from Home Depot. I located a book from England (reprinted from the early 1900's) which contained several recipies for Absinthe. Most were for producing 100L, so I just reduced the quantities needed down to produce 10L or 20L. In time I came up with a formula which I stuck with. I initially made my own 'nuetral spirit'...then found it was a LOT easier to just use Everclear, even though it might have been a little more spendy (but considering the energy used to power the hotplate & the cost of the yeast and sugar to produce a nuetral spirit...not that spendy).
Ingredients needed to produce 6 to 7 liters of very high grade Absinthe: One case 1L bottles of Everclear (approx. $230 - ask around @ the larger liquor stores for case discounts). Two lbs. fresh wormwood (source to be determined by you). One lb. dried Star Anise (avaialble from Herbal websites on the net). One lb. fresh fennel leaf (the source who supplies the wormwood would most likely have this herb as well)...if not, an Herbal website should have dried fennel seed...this is just as good. Hyssop (fresh/dried) is optional...will be mentioned later.
FYI -Throughout this piece I mention an end production of 6/7L...this is after the elixir is diluted down to a drinkable level...the actual volume created after doing a 'batch' is around 4 liters...but with the addition of water as a means of dilution, the end result is 6/7L.
When the wormwood would arrive, I (ASAP) would cut it up into smaller pieces utilizing a paper cutter (guillotine type). If using fresh fennel leaf, I would do the same to that as well. (This initial process makes it easier to clean your still when the process is completed). With each herb I would then pound small clumps on a cutting board with a meat tenderizer (pointy side of tenderizer). My thinking was that this would 'open up' the cells of the plant matter and help in releasing the plants essence. The crunched up wormwood and fennel go into a 5 gallon H.Depot bucket already containing 6L of Everclear. Then you take the dried Star Anise, empty the bag into an old pillowcase and pound the heck out of it, also on the cutting board. (By now the smells and aromas of what you are doing are there...wherever you are doing this; kitchen, garage, etc. - pungent, but not disagreeable). The crunched up Star Anise goes into the bucket. If you are using dried fennel seed (instead of the fresh fennel leaf), just pour the contents of the one lb. bag directly into the bucket (no pounding necessary). Pour in the other 6L of Everclear. Mix up everything real good. Cover with lid (tightly).
Now the next part is up to your discretion. The soaking/waiting phase. The recipies call for soaking a minimum of at least two days. My minimum was a week. The longest I did was 48 days. My average soak time was 3 to 4 weeks. I'm of the belief that the longer time it is soaked...the better the end product. If you do soak for a couple of weeks...every few days remove the lid and stir the whole concoction. The wormwood seems to settle to the bottom, so try to 'bring it up to the top' while stirring. Make sure the lid is replaced tightly.
After soaking, get a large funnel and slowly pour the solution into your still. Towards the end of pouring, you are going to end up with a lot of wet plant/seed matter which ALSO needs to go into the still. I would lean the bucket over on its side, close to the edge of the funnel and use a small garden cultivator to 'drag' small clumps of the matter into the funnel. I then used a wood dowel (smaller in diameter than the small end of the funnel)...and slowly pushed the clumps down the funnel into the still.
The recipie then calls for adding half of the amount of what's now in the still (in this case 12L Everclear) of water...so I would add 6L to 8L water. I would use a longer/larger dowel as a mixing device (about 4-5 feet in length; as longs as it protruds out of the still a couple feet so you can get a grip on it). Mix it up for a minute. Place the still on the hotplate. Add the 'tower' to the top of the still. Insert the large rubber stopper on top of the tower. Insert the thermometer into the stopper. Turn on the hotplate to 'high'. Make sure the rubber condensation/exit tube is inserted into a four gallon receiving container. (The large glass wine jugs work ok). After about 2 1/2 to 3 hours the thermometer should reach 78 degree C (Centigrade)...this is when you'll start to see the distillate drip into the receiving container. How long does it take to complete? About 8 to 12 hours......really. So allow a whole day to do this. Also, have an extra 4 gallon (or equivalent) bottle handy in case the first one should fill entirely.
If, during a 'batch', you should have to leave the premises...unplug the still, remove the rubber stopper on top of the tower (along w/thermometer). There is a condition called 'implosion' where, if the apparatus has a chance to start cooling and no 'venting' is provided...a vacuum can be created and may wreck your still.
On some occasions, if I felt there was still some 'essence' left in the still...I would wait for the next day, add a few more liters of water, then do the same thing again. Sometimes it would yield more 'blanc' Absinthe...but other times only an opaque liquid would emerge...this was the sign that it's done. Another clue is the fact that the thermometer would rise above 78C. You never really want to let it go above 80C. When you're sure everything is done and cooled off, disconnect the tower, take the still to your toilet and throw the leftover stuff down the loo. I sometimes just dig a hole in the yard...dump there and cover with dirt.
If your still was a 'kit'; including thermometer, tubing, alcoholmeter, tall chemistry beaker, etc. ...take the beaker and fill (a few inches from the top) with what you've just made. Place the Alcoholmeter inside the beaker. The reading can vary from 65% up to 75%. Now is time to dilute.
A lot of commercial Absinthes are around 68% to 70% (you double that number to get the 'proof'). I noticed with my Absinthe, the thujone level was so high, I usually diluted mine down to 48% to 50%. I enjoyed the effects of the thujone more than the actual alcohol (which, I've noticed, is common with most people).
Colouring the Absinthe. In my experience, when the elixir emerges from the still, it is a light green/gold in colour. This is where the hyssop comes in. If you want it a few shades darker green...carefully pour about 1/2 cup of the elixir into a saucepan...add maybe the same amount of hyssop (1/3 to 1/2 cup)...place on stovetop burner...set heat to low. Don't walk away or get sidetracked...stay there. Sooner than you think you'll see small bubbles rising (it's already starting to boil; remember, alcohol boils at a lower temperature that water). Let this 'light' boiling continue for 15 seconds while stirring...remove from heat. Let cool. Strain this mixture through a filter (coffee filter/paper towel) held in place by another (smaller) funnel. Place the funnel over a container to catch the liquid. The colour of this should be a darker green than the 'blanc' you've produced. Add this (all, or to the degree you'd like the colour to be) to the 6/7L you've made. Any colour left over? Any questions what to do with it?
When all was said and done and diluted/coloured...I would usually end up with 6 to 7L of very high quality Absinthe. If you ever sampled 'King of Spirits Gold'...what you're able to produce is 5 to 10 times stronger (in my opinion). Not counting the initial set up costs (still, etc.), the cost I would incur to make one batch was close to $300. $300 divided by 6L...comes to $50L. 'King of Spirits Gold' ranges anywhere from $180 to $250 a bottle (750ml I believe). If what you're making is 5 to 10 times stronger...what price could you wager per liter of what you've made? (Of course, this is a hypothetical...because selling it is REALLY against the law...making it for personal use is also against the law [unless you have a permit]......so be careful!
But what you've made comes closer to anything out there...closer to what Van Gogh drank a hundred years ago...I've heard it said that Hemmingway could be seen sometimes at outside cafe's in Paris, dipping his finger into his Absinthe and then rubbing his gums.......... :-)

Here in Quebec, we've only 5 Mg/Kg of Thujone,
If I was to dilute this with sugar and cold water
Will I experience the green fairy?
WILL I get to feel it?
Or is it not enough, I'm not the richest man in the world, and I'm an Actor, I really want to see how this effects me, but first I need to know if that quantity is sufficient.

Dutifully imbibing my healing poison of choice.
Waiting for the Fairy to give the poet in me voice.
She gently speaks to me with words well chosen and few.
I take her in but little for our magic to renew.

Anger fell under her spell as envy she removed.
I take small bits of her therefore gluttony is disproved.
Ersatz pride set aside with sloth via writing healed,
And due to friendly companionship lechery’s fate is sealed.
With my mood thus subdued avarice meets chagrin.
We defeat the deadly sins by committing further sin.

My mind open to the brownie’s lessons I now learn.
She leaves in place my troubles while removing my concern.
My mind set at ease, but not in a mystic haze.
The herbal pixie’s to take my body in our next phase.

Bodily luxury another of her amenities.
Gentle caresses flow up my limp extremities.
Waves that breach and softly reach deep into my core.
She thus dually strokes me to relax and restore.
Thoughts not confined or entwined with any undertow.
I mind my measurements for the sake of my ego.

Being human I have been given to excess.
Allowing in too much of my Green Fairy princess.
Then I melt and watch as powerless fan blades spin,
And ride into unconsciousness on an anisette grin.

I have been growing my own wormwood bushes. I have tried several combinations of wormwood leaves, wormwood bark, and wormwood buds in making absinthe. Can't seem to get it right. Does anyone know EXACTLY what part of artemisia absinthium is in the "wormwood ingredient" for absinthe?

Absinthe may allow some people to think it brings out their creative side, but from the crap poetry I'm reading on this website, I would beg to differ.

My brother in law lives in Aus. he'll be here in 2 months. What's a good brand I can have em bring for my first time?

my gf is going to amsterdam for work,i want her to bring me back a bottle,just wantd to make sure its leagel and theyll let it on plane

If you are interested in making some cocktails with the "Green Fairy" there are over 20 Absinthe Cocktails to be found at http://www.socialandcocktail.co.uk/?s=absinthe

I can't wait to try some. I have been reading up on how it should be served. I'm getting some this afternoon.

Here's a shop that sends absinthe (thujon 35mg/kg) In the United States and Canada.
http://shopabsinthe.com/

I am conducting a survey to gain insight about absinthe drinkers and people who know (or don't know) about Absinthe for an advertising assignment focused on the drink. If you have some time, please take a few minutes and take my survey. Help a Senior College student out :-)

This isn't spam by the way, I really need people to take this survey lol.

Follow this link please: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1L9tUFca4pwDwegWedUe4FqVk6ZHOe7hrPRZrvoC5EuM/viewform

So, I looked at this gorgeous Green Fairy and fell in love. Smelled it and I fell head over heels in love with it. It was like a drug to me that I couldn't really resist. My definition of drug is not drug-drug/ substances but anything you cant resist and wants it again and again. It could be a place, thought, person or thing..

I took the very first sip and was spell bound in it's taste. it was magical because I finally got to taste the thing I couldn't resist. The first neat sip castes it spell over me and I gulped almost half the quarter neat because I wanted to feel the taste, the pure taste of it. That's the thing with me ;-)

. Well nothing happened as they say like hallucination, Devil effect and blah blah blah... I was all happy and fine and in love with it ever since.

I tried absinthe for the first [and only] time today. One sip was all it took what a vile taste black liqurice mixed with skunk spray disgusting. Never again

Mister, you just assured me that I could speak. Look, I'm under what? Gentlemen, this is democracy manifest. Have a look at the headlock here, see that chap over there? he- GET YOUR HAND OFF MY PENIS! This is the bloke who got me on the penis people. Why did you do this to me, for what reason, what is the charge? eating a meal? a succulent chinese meal. Oh, that's a nice headlock sir, oh, ah yes, I see that you know your judo well. Good one. And you sir, are you waiting to receive my limp penis? How dare - get your hands off me! Tata, and farewell.

Absinthe: The symbol of 'la vie boheme' for over a hundred years. More than a century on, the drink still retains its original appeal.

About absinthe

Erowid's absinthe pages cover just about any absinthe topic you can think of: basic facts, history, chemistry, the drink's legal status around the world, drinker's experiences... Also an interesting collection of paintings and posters.

If you are looking for a reliable absinthe buyer's guide, don't miss the appropriately named Buy Absinthe website. It contains brands reviews, a list of good places to purchase from (online and in the 'real world'), tips and tricks for first-time buyers and absinthe-related news.