"I'm starting to feel very, very French."

Umm, think I'll pass.

So are there any other protocols for absinthe available?

recipe1
recipe2

I would like to see how these compair to Mr Breauxs

erire13
I just brew my own. Its not illegal to do so in the US unless I sell it. Ummy.

Actually, I'm pretty sure that's the only illegal part about absinthe. You can import it, you can posess it, you can get shiatfaced off it, you just can't make it stateside. Hence the lack of Absinthe distilleries in the US and Mr. Breaux setting up his distillery in France for export back here.
Maybe you won't get CAUGHT as long as you don't sell it, but I'm pretty sure distilling Absinthe is the illegal part.

I've read about some hardcore people just soaking Wormwood in alcohol to skip over the whole Absinthe thing and get right to the psychoactive effects. They make an extract and then take that. A couple people said it was good but 90% just became violently ill.

*scratches head*

Wouldn't it be easier to just pop some pills and have a lot more fun? No one seems to realise that there is only so far that one can go with alcohol, even the very best. I think gilded turd is the phrase I'm after. Absinthe is a gilded turd, moreover, one highly demanded by pretentious gimps.

Reason one why it shouldn't be banned: that aint your great-grandfather's absinthe. Not the commercially available stuff anyway.

Absinthe is safe. Wormwood is not.

Don't listen to people who tell you to just soak wormwood- very dangerous. Absinthe has very little Thujone (extract from wormwood) once it's distilled. Thujone is poison!

/insert Mr. Yuk sticker here for the benefit of the children who'll try stupid things.

Sim Tree-

Good to know, but what does that have to do with this discussion? Oh, you just wanted to prove that you know what DDT is? Gotcha. I can just see your ears perking up at its mention.

/realizes that I, also am making a comment that adds nothing
//likes calling people out for that kind of shiat
//liked the article

I love Canadian absinthe. Wretchedly expensive but great.

The coffeeshop I go to in Windsor will mix it with ginger ale instead of water (absinthe poured over sugar cube on a silver slotted spoon, light the cube on fire, douse it with the ginger ale). It makes a damn good drink that, unlike straight absinthe, is really easy to down. And it's a really, really unique taste.

My favorite night was when I took my three boys-who-are-friends to Canada. We had 2-3.5 absinthes each. The kid who had 3.5 ended up getting lost for a half hour. That was fun and exciting. Kept him on a leash after that until we got to the car, then he passed out on the floor of my trunk. Border guards didn't blink.

Good times, good times.

Steak

Wow, that's dedication - he has even sampled donkey piss so that he knows exactly what too-warm absinthe tastes like.

no actually, you can drink budweiser and get the same effect

One thing Breaux knows is that his work with absinthe will go on. Nouvelle-Orlans is distilled in France and sold only in Europe. Absinthe is still illegal in the US under FDA regulations. ("But American connoisseurs are able to find it," he says cryptically.)

By "connoisseurs", I guess he means "people that use Google".

Absinthe Online

/his site
//he ships to the US
///says there aren't any problems with this
////check his FAQ

"Breaux started stockpiling absinthe accessories, but this proved to be a frustrating tease. 'It was like having a pipe but nothing to smoke.'"

I feel your pain, Breaux

The puritans have far too much control in the US. Absinthe is no worse than any other alcohol. Maybe better because you are much more awake than consuming similar amounts of other forms of alcohol.

Not that a rational argument will make a dent with this administration...

As for using the burning sugar cube... That is a Czech thing. The ONLY reason to do it is to disguise the vile taste of most Czech absinthes.

LordPomposity, or anyone really:

What is the origin of the "mustached man stating old news" cliche that's in every thread lately? Who is that guy?

Wow, hadn't heard of that stuff for years. Did three shots when I was in Turkey in '69 - can't remember even going back to the base let alone remember much of the next 2 days. I was told I was trying to catch a sheep but that's a story for another day....

If you havent read the link that ThusSpokeKayvon posted above, you need too. It is funny as hell, I seriously lol a few times. A little unbelievable, but cleverly written and witty. Disclaimer: might offend many.

/Bravo, Kayvon

Wow. Got here late. Hooray for my first GL!

"Absinthe makes the tart grow fonder..."

Now they are saying that the stuff that made Van Gogh cut his ear off is not dangerous? O RLY?

BlackArt: As for using the burning sugar cube... That is a Czech thing. The ONLY reason to do it is to disguise the vile taste of most Czech absinthes.


Well I guess we all have our reasons, personally I find it makes the goth girl you brought home awfully wet.

msw-mojo: thank you. one new keyboard please.

POPOBOT5000

The moustache man is a local news dude who "revealed" the phenomenon of blogging just recently. The cliche is to use him discussing anything else as if no one had ever heard of it until he revealed it.

Boobies thread:
http://forums.fark.com/cgi/fark/comments.pl?IDLink=1720659

Thanks for the source thread, zerkalo :)

http://www.czechabsinth.com/

It may be illegal, but that doesn't mean it can't be shipped to you :)

I did my research, bought a couple of good bottles from Europe, and hated it. Gawd, it is disgusting. If you like licorice, you might enjoy it.

Lots of misinfo about absinthe out there and on this thread. Heck, if you google for it you'll see many old webpages that just arent accurate at all. lots have changed in the past couple years as people have finally re-engineered the old recipes.

- properly made, its not hallucinogenic. its possible some varieties in the past which were adulterated with god knows what, may have been. liquor in the late 19th and early 20th century was a dicey and often deadly thing. This perception is also due to the political hysteria similar to reefer madness that surrounded it - mostly a load of BS.

- properly made also does not have methanol (a byproduct of poor distillation and poisonous) nor does it have much of the thujone. its pretty alcoholic though, you'll be passed out before ingesting enough thujone to do anything.

- most czech 'absinthes' are tourist traps and are merely green liquor of questionable composition and poorly made frauds. probably wont kill you, but if thats what you drank, chances are you werent drinking real absinthe.

- real absinthe is pretty frickin expensive and somewhat rare. chances are unless you were looking for it in a specialty shop or internet site, you won't find it.

140 proof?
Jeez, I think that would do it alone, never mind the farking wormwood.

I only know of two or three stronger boozes, 151 Rum and Everclear come to mind and that's about it.

Most whiskey brands top out at 100 proof...

This guy is awesome.

I've never had it, but I'd give absinthe a try - hell, if doing something means a chance of having Kylie Minogue appear before me in a tiny green dress, I'm in.

Sim Tree:
2005-10-30 03:44:57 PM Sim Tree

More a moment, I thought this was going to be about DDT...

DDT? DDT thinned the shells of birds' eggs, the mosquito's main predator, so the number of mosquitos actually INCREASED over time.

That's one reason why it was banned.


Bird's Eggs are the main predator of mosquitos?
(Thought bats were pros on the big mosquito chowdown)

/Got a mosquito (biting insect) lure which is almost perfected in the design stage.

If anyone is interested in learning more about authentic absinthe check out The Wormwood Society's website. Especially the FAQ and the review sections.

The short list from their FAQ.

-"Absinthe is not a narcotic. It will not make you "trip", hallucinate, cut your ear off, or anything else you wouldn't ordinarily do when intoxicated with liquor. These often-repeated legends are based on misinformation, exaggeration, 19th century politics and media hype. Real absintheurs will laugh at you (and not always behind your back) if you insist otherwise. It's in your mind. It's a myth, get over it. Absinthe is not a narcotic.

-Thujone is not a narcotic either. Thujone, the primary volatile oil in wormwood, is present in only in very small amounts in absinthe and is negligible in its effects. The current "high-thujone" and "strong" hype on many sites selling absinthe (usually absinth) is merely a marketing gimmick aimed at the gullible in search of a new high. Thujone's role in the so-called "secondary effect" is greatly exaggerated, as are the secondaries themselves. Thujone is not a narcotic either.

-You can't make real absinthe at home any more than you can make real whisky at home. Absinthe must be distilled. Soaking wormwood in vodka or Everclear to make absinthe is like soaking corn in vodka to make Bourbon. It's like adding grape juice to vodka to make wine. Or adding No-Doz to burnt bean water and calling it coffee. You can pretend, but people who drink absinthe won't believe you.

-Burning sugar or flaming absinthe has never been an absinthe tradition - not in France, the Czech Republic or anywhere else prior to the 1990's.

-Authentic absinthe is not horribly bitter; less so than tonic water or tea.

-Absinthe is legal in most of the European Union and was never banned in the UK, Spain or what is now the Czech Republic.

-Pernod is not "absinthe without the wormwood." Neither is Absente."


And if any of you farkers would like to get your grubby little hands on Mr. Breaux's stuff you can order it by courier to the US (The fastest I've recieved one of their packages from the day I ordered it was 3 days!) from his website Absinthe Online Liquors de France LTD

It's pricy, but so is pretty much all the other garbage that is sold online masquerading as real absinthe. You might as well get the real deal if you're going to shell out all that money for it.

On a side note, the Jade N.O. they talk about in the article is simply amazing. :)

Ishidan

Most whiskey brands top out at 100 proof...


There are some much stronger whiskies out there...

Scotch:
Aberlour A'Bunadh (varies by batch, about 58-60% ABV)
- strongly sherried, due to aging in first-fill sherry casks
Laphroaig Cask Strength (57.1%)
- a peat freak's dream

Irish:
Connemara Cask Strength (60%)
- also peated, a bit different than the Laphroaig, but excellent in its own right

Bourbon:
George T. Stagg (varies by batch, anywhere from 64-72%)
- I've had the 129 and 131.8 proof versions - marvelous stuff.
Old Grand-Dad 114 (57%)
- Red-hot, very spicy-tasting - great bang-for-the-buck.

I've found that the stronger the whisky, the less likely I am to get drunk, since I drink (SIP!) it neat.

As for absinthe, I haven't tried it yet. I do have a bottle of Herbsaint (pastis, a distant cousin of absinthe without the wormwood) that I have yet to open.

If you think you can "make your own absinthe," you might want to check out this article before going any further. If you fark around with wormwood essential oil, you're asking for a date with Darwin.

If you plan to fly anywhere with a bottle of liquor, watch out: if it's over 70% ABV, you can't fly with it, as it's considered, well, is a flammable liquid.

"If you fark around with wormwood essential oil, you're asking for a date with Darwin."

Seriously, a guy I knew who was a farking idiot thought he could make his own stuff by doing that and ended up on the floor convulsing, if they hadn't taken him to the hospital to get his stomach pumped he would have been toast. :P

Ripside

The one on the right looks like it's mouthwash in that bottle. X_X

general rule of thumb, if it's from the czech republic it's nothing more than crappy wormwood soaked in low grade grain alcohol and colored with artificial dye.

It might actually taste better if that one was really mouthwash, at least it wouldn't have that vomit inducing bitterness that is so characteristic of czech brands.

Well-written article. Sheesh, I've never drunk alcohol in my life, but this sounds so interesting, I _want_ to try just a sip!

StreetlightInTheGhetto

Milk? ;)

Obscure That unicum is nasty stuff. The best description I've heard is "Christmas in a bottle".

It does not make you hallucinate. It makes you feel calm and in my experience gives no hangover. Great nightcap.

Fubegra

If you're a chick, I want to marry you.

ZWAAAAAAAAAAAAAACK! hungarian liquerrrrr....

Sim Tree: DDT? DDT thinned the shells of birds' eggs, the mosquito's main predator, so the number of mosquitos actually INCREASED over time.

That's one reason why it was banned.


Cripes, this thread is full of bullshiat. If we assume, arguendo, that DDT did indeed cause the thinning of eggshells and subsequent decline in bird populations (and there is a very good argument that it did no such thing), the reason was because it accumulated in top-of-the-food-chain predators like eagles, condors and other birds of prey.

Mosquito-eating birds were under no such threat.

There is some evidence that some mosquitoes became "resistant" to DDT and that others actively avoided areas where DDT had been deployed. Regardless, it is estimated that DDT saved millions - if not hundreds of millions - of lives before it was outlawed. One of the great travesties of the anti-DDT movement was that it put the lives of birds over the lives of human beings.

i'm sure i would really like absinthe if it didn't taste like absinthe

dan131m

If you're a chick, I want to marry you.

*checks inside pants*

*whew*

/not female
//rot13 the nick and it's a lossless audio compression codec
///geeeeeeeeeeeeeek

Reading this article last night prompted me to go to the bar and drink sambuca. It was pretty retarded, but I thought, "hey, absinthe might taste something like this?"

Oh I don't know. And still don't. I had way too much and killed far too many brain cells to really find any logic in any of my decisions last night.

/Sambuca hurts