Have you ever tried it and what was it like? Did you experience anything and would you recommend it to others? I've heard it tastes like licorice but that there are some that don't. What brand would you recommend for someone who doesn't like licorice?
2006-11-02 09:14:13 · 9 answers · asked by Phaylynn 5 in Food & Drink ➔ Beer, Wine & Spirits
If you don't like licorice, don't bother with absinthe. If it doesn't have that taste isn't absinthe.
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.
I've drunk absinthe several times. The last time was last 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.
This online merchant that will ship absinthe to US customers from the UK - see http://www.eabsinthe.com
2006-11-02 21:10:29 · answer #1 · answered by Pontac 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Absinthe is anise based (similar to licorice in flavor), although it does contains many other flavors and sometimes people who don't like a strong licorice taste enjoy the more subdued flavor in absinthe.
I found it to be a great flavor and a good buzz.
Absinthe without anise isn't absinthe it is a bitters. Some companies have taken the name and slapped it on drinks that don't come close to real absinthe.
If you can't stand licorice, then absinthe probably isn't for you.
2006-11-02 17:48:31 · answer #2 · answered by Ari 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It DOES tast like licorice - which is a pity as I dislike the flavour with a passion!
I didn't experience any weird effects but I think it is supposed to be a cumulative thing. Until I find one that tastes nicer I will not be drinking it often enough to see what happens :)
I didn't know about non-locorice blends, I shell watch this post with great interest.
2006-11-02 17:17:30 · answer #3 · answered by Mark T 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I have about 10 different types at home Ordered them on the web or had friends bring them back from Europe. Taste like HELL!! There are soooo many types, you need the type with wormwood in it to get drunk/high. La Fe is the brand that i found works the best. I hate the taste but its pretty neat breaking out a bottle at partys.
2006-11-02 17:55:59 · answer #4 · answered by Winny 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It is favored with anise, hence the licorice flavor. I've tried it and have to say that it does nothing for me that a good session of mediaton won't do. Save your brain cells and try a healthy alternative.
2006-11-02 17:23:15 · answer #5 · answered by spicyninja23 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
look for the little red fairy or the green fairy. its not illegal in Australia.
Its great to drink BUT dint drink too much of it.
Try shaking with Ice and a sprinkle of Cinnamon and 30Mls of Orange juice, dump into a glass garnish with an orange wheel
2006-11-02 18:04:17 · answer #6 · answered by Waz 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I would not recogmend it...it can make you lose it the first time you try...it is the stuff that made Van Gogh cut his ear off!
2006-11-02 17:44:29 · answer #7 · answered by REDMEAT 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No. It is illegal where I live.
2006-11-02 17:15:30 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
No its illegal
2006-11-02 17:21:44 · answer #9 · answered by marcelluswallace 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋