What exactly is Absinthe? Has anyone ever had or tried it?

Question

I've seen ads for it on some web sites, most of the sites geared to college age kids, so I take the claims of the ads with a grain of salt. I'm just curious if what the ads say about the stuff are true or partially true.

Answer 1

Absinthe 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 is not bottled with added sugar and is therefore classified as a liquor or spirit.

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, no evidence shows 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.

The mystery and illicit quality surrounding the popular view of absinthe has played into modern music, movies and television shows. These depictions vary in their authenticity, often applying dramatic license to depict the drink as everything from aphrodisiac to poison.

Answer 2

I LOVE Absinthe.

I think what makes Absinthe so attractive, at least to me, is the whole ritual that is involved in making the drink. The magical louche of the absinthe changing it from a clear green to a milky white is just plain cool. I also love all the gadgets. I have the fountain, the slotted spoons and a set of really cool Absinthe glasses that have a glass bowl in the bottom for the absinthe to be poured.

It is a fun experience. Friends like it.... and for a few hours you can be a bohemian. It is definitely a conversation piece. Absinthe makes me warm and fuzzy and I always notice the perma-grin.

I have not seen the green fairy yet.... but I certainly will keep trying.

There is a short history followed by photos of the drink being prepared (and photos of it turning green to white) in the traditional way here: http://www.recipezaar.com/bb/viewtopic.zsp?t=159286

Edited to Add: like most things... there is good absinthe and there is bad absinthe. For a true experience stay away from the gimmicks... there are many out there. Do not buy a bottle based on the amount of wormwood or your experience will not be tasty. Also the stuff sold here in the US is NOT real absinthe. You will have to order it on the net. The good ones are expensive.... I try to buy two bottles when I order.... one to drink and one to keep.

Answer 3

A little addition on what the others said.

Real absinthe is not anise flavored. It used to be intensely bitter from the wormwood, and very light on the anise (which is part of the reason why the drinking ritual involved adding sugar). It's since absinthe was made illegal replaced with anisette or pastis drinks that the anise flavor is strong. Modern "pseudo absinth" also is too strong on the anise flavor, but likely has to be as the liquor can't be made in the traditional way.

Also real, properly made absinthe was no more dangerous than other alcoholic drinks. The psychoactive properties of wormwood are not well established, especially at the doses present in absinthe. In all likelihood, what was a danger were improperly distilled cheap brands that let in toxic compounds, and probably contained methylic alcohol (also know as wood alcohol, which was the reason why the bathtub gin of the prohibition era was so dangerous to drink).

Answer 4

Two good first posts, vote for them. Some corrections to other posts,

Absinthe isn't a herbal wine, it is a distilled spirit. When prepared properly for drinking it is about wine strength though.

Real absinthe does contain anise, anything that says "absinth" on the bottle but doesn't taste like anise is a fraud. As there is no legal definition of absinthe in most countries, some companies have slapped the name on all sorts of junk (I will give the poster one thing, absinthe shouldn't be overpowered by anise).

A good absinthe has a crisp or complex flavor.
Most ads you see are bogus.

Answer 5

Yes, I've drunk absinthe several times. The last time was in November at at tasting of several different brands of absinthe in London, where it was never banned. My favorite was Pernod 68

Absinthe is an aniseed flavoured spirit that is clear until water is added to it, when it turns milky.

Absinthe contains a number of herbs and spices, but the one that got it that reputation - most likely unfairly - is wormwood. Wormwood has an ingredient called thujone which has a structure similar to T.H.C. which is the active chemical in cannabis.

There is a tiny amount of wormwood - used for its bitter flavours - in Absinthe, and you'd have to drink an enormous amount of it to be affected. Bear in mind that absinthe has a very high alcohol content, around 70% alcohol (normal spirits are 40%), but that it is drunk with 6 -8 times as much water, thus diluting the alcohol and active ingredients.


However, it was made illegal in France and some other countries because of fear that people were made mad by absinthe. The stories about the effect of the wormwood content were over exagerated. But there was tremendous consumption of absinthe in France and people certainly drank too much.

What does it do? Same as any other spirit. It makes you drunk if you have too much of it. Does it make you high? Well, it didn't affect me. I think you'd have to drink so much of it that you'd be drunk from its high alcohol content first


Does it still have wormwood in it? Yes of course. Bear in mind it wasn't made illegal in all countries and even though France made absinthe illegal and thus Pernod made a wormwood free replacement drink known as Pastis, Pernod continued to make real absinthe for export.

I'm not a lawyer but the absinthe merchants say that it is only illegal to SELL absinthe in the US, but legal to buy and consume it, and so companies like eabsinthe.com ship personal orders to the US and guarantee refund if a consignment is lost or seized.

However, if you want to know what absinthe is like without buying it, go to any bar or pub and ask for a glass of Pernod or Ricard pastis. Pastis is the wormwood free replacement produced after absinthe was made illegal. These also have lower alcohol, so you add less water. The taste and look of pastis is the same as absinthe.

This online merchant that will ship absinthe to US customers from the UK - see http://www.eabsinthe.com

Answer 6

Absinthe is a sort of herbal wine, though a little stronger than most wine (not as strong as your typical vodka or rum though.)

For a long time it was believed that the wormwood in the drink caused people to hallucinate and could even cause a sort of drug overdose, however, recent research suggests that such things were really caused by other added ingredients that most folks would not even consider adding to food nowadays (for example, companies used to add stuff like powdered lead to enhance the color.)

Answer 7

Wikipedia has a good article about it:
"Absinthe (also absinth) ... 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 is not bottled with added sugar and is therefore classified as a liquor or spirit."

Read the full article:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Absinthe

Answer 8

that's meant to, traditionally, yet right that's a question: the place do you reside? in case you're in the U. S., absinthe has in basic terms been legalized those days below some controlled situations. specifically, there is so little of the stuff that reasons hallucinations, whilst in comparison with alcohol content fabric, in it, which you will get alcohol poisoning long in the previous you observed the fairway Fairy. i do no longer understand the case in different international places yet there could be comparable rules, or a minimum of the various comparable manufacturers, that are made that way.

Answer 9

I tried it once in japan and once here in america, both times were the craziest nights ever, yes it is very high in alcohol, so if you doi drnk moderation is the key otherwise you quickly become too drunk to enjoy its other "properties". Tastes kinda like black licorice but its so very strong that the taste is fleeting. You can either drink it "johnny depp style" with the sugar cube and flames and the show but i found it makes an excellent drink when mixed with sprite or seven up.

Answer 10

Yes, a strange tasting alcoholic drink. Too harsh for me. High content of alcohol.