Have you ever drank Absinthe?

Question

Does it make you hallucinate? I would love to try it, but I'm from the US, where it is illegal...le sigh.

I'm not buying it over the internet...for all I know someone will send me dog piss....

Answer 1

Nasty and bitter. Not worth to bother.

Absinthe is often referred to as la Fée Verte ("The Green Fairy") because of its coloring — typically pale or emerald green, but sometimes clear. Due to its high proof and concentration of oils, absintheurs (absinthe drinkers) typically add three to five parts ice-cold water to a dose of absinthe, which causes the drink to turn cloudy (called "louching"); often the water is used to dissolve added sugar to decrease bitterness. This preparation is considered an important part of the experience of drinking absinthe, so much so that it has become ritualized, complete with special slotted absinthe spoons and other accoutrements. Absinthe's flavor is similar to anise-flavored liqueurs, with a light bitterness and greater complexity imparted by multiple herbs.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Absinthe

Answer 2

I have been in countries that DO sell it legally (despite what some answerers say, it is NOT illegal all over the world). First, the stuff in the US called Absente is not absinthe in the real sense. Second, yes, it is for sale in Czech...legally. Third, I have seen it for sale in the UK, again legally. I have heard it is legal to import for individual use to the US but not commercial use. There are many websites with information about it...classic ways to drink it, etc etc.

And no, I have not had it....in my younger days I tried alot of stuff, but now....I just don't push the envelope as much I suppose. But, given the right time and place....I am sure someday I will try it.....

Answer 3

I never tasted Absinthe. It contains no drugs, and has recently been released from the international drug lists and will soon be in European bars again after about 70 years.
Pernod contain the same spices and has never been banned. Greek Ouzo, Turkey's Raki and many others after the same recipe.
If you come to hallucinations you've been drinking too much over a period of at least ten years. The Mediterranean is where you find liquours of this kind. Go and taste them in their natural places.

Cheers!

Answer 4

To me, it's a bit overrated. But pleasant. It's a floatier drunk than most drunks I guess. They used to sell it in New Orleans. They probably still do, since the place I went to was in the French Quarter and didn't go under. Anyway, no it didn't make *me* hallucinate, but I'm not sure that the amounts of the chemicals in the stuff sold there are the same as before.

BTW, you can order it online now, from some place in the Czech republic. Or take a trip to NOLA and go to Pirates Alley :)

Answer 5

Absinthe (also absinth) (IPA English: [ˈæbsɪnθ] IPA French: [ap.sɛ̃t]) is a distilled, highly alcoholic, anise-flavored spirit derived from herbs including the flowers and leaves of the medicinal plant Artemisia absinthium, also called wormwood. Although it is sometimes incorrectly called a liqueur, absinthe does not contain added sugar and is therefore classified as a liquor or spirit.[1]

Absinthe is often referred to as la Fée Verte ("The Green Fairy") because of its coloring — typically pale or emerald green, but sometimes clear. Due to its high proof and concentration of oils, absintheurs (absinthe drinkers) typically add three to five parts ice-cold water to a dose of absinthe, which causes the drink to turn cloudy (called "louching"); often the water is used to dissolve added sugar to decrease bitterness. This preparation is considered an important part of the experience of drinking absinthe, so much so that it has become ritualized, complete with special slotted absinthe spoons and other accoutrements. Absinthe's flavor is similar to anise-flavored liqueurs, with a light bitterness and greater complexity imparted by multiple herbs.

Absinthe originated in Switzerland as an elixir, but is better known for its popularity in late 19th- and early 20th-century France, particularly among Parisian artists and writers whose romantic associations with the drink still linger in popular culture. In its heyday, the most popular brand of absinthe worldwide was Pernod Fils. At the height of this popularity, absinthe was portrayed as a dangerously addictive, psychoactive drug; the chemical thujone was blamed for most of its deleterious effects. By 1915 it was banned in a number of European countries and the United States. Even though it was vilified, there is no evidence showing it to be any more dangerous than ordinary alcohol although few modern medical studies have been conducted to test this. A modern absinthe revival began in the 1990s, as countries in the European Union began to reauthorize its manufacture and sale.

Answer 6

Just because it is illegal doesn't mean you can not get it. It is easily available.

And, no, it does not make you hallucinate. It is good stuff, I am quite fond of it, but it is not some miracle drug from the fin de siecle, it is just an alcoholic beverage with some interesting low-level psychoactive ingredients.

Answer 7

It was sold over the counter here in 1906 did you know that

I have had it

its a trip you have to drink it with something though
LSD is poison too, did not stop a nation from dropping though
Alcohol is poison, etc etc etc,

I had it here in California. I know someone with bottles of the stuff

Answer 8

i had it in las vegas. instead of the drug, we used sugar. it was good, but bad hangover from just 2. its didn't make me hallucinate becuase we didn't put coke in it. you can have it sent to you in the states from out of the country. at least thats what i've been told.

Answer 9

It tastes similar to black licorice but has the feel of a very strong mouth wash and will numb your mouth/throat if taken straight.

Answer 10

Yes, I had it mixed in a cocktail (I don't remember what) - it was fine - it was served @ 1 of the museaum restaurants - I don't think they would put anything harmful in a drink for fear of a lawsuite.