Absinthe as a birthday gift?

Question

A buddy of mine, whose birthday is approaching, is a collector of curios and oddities and has just about everything.
During a search for odd and unusual gift, I stumbled upon the strange drink Absinthe, containing the wormwood extract Thujone (sp?). I vaguely recall him talking about it years ago, tying it to Vincent Van Gogh’s ear-as-a-gift event, and mentioning it was illegal in the US.
Like him, I’ve always believed this to be illegal to own here in the US, but it seems I was mistaken and there is no such law. I believe there might exist laws against distillation or manufacture, but not against purchasing, owning or drinking Absinthe.

Would anyone see a problem giving this drink as a token of appreciation, especially if it were intended as a trophy oddity and conversation piece more than something likely to be consumed?

Answer 1

It depends on the persons age, and whether this is something they would like.
Remember, Absinthe is VERY strong.
Cheers!

Answer 2

Great idea! Research the site you plan to buy from, there's a bunch of imitation crap out there. Make certain it mentions wormwood and thujone, other wise you get a bottle of colored strong booze. I started with absinth in much the same way, with a close friend as an "oddity" thing. Now it is an annual thing when he visits. We pick one night of his visit and enjoy a few drinks. I think your friend would greatly appreciate such a gift, I know I would.

Answer 3

I drank half a bottle of very expensive,powerful french Absinthe one night a friend brought me and to be honest I was sort of let down.Its not the hyped experience a lot of its image is derived from.I did feel more alert compared to sucking down some whiskey but that was about it.For gift giving it does have a really awesome cool factor tho and probably worth more putting on a shelf then drinking due to its price.Some of the bottles are really artistic looking.Just thought I would throw that out to any would-be buyers,also it is a mouthful of pure black licorice taste,even with it louched so its not for everyone.I found that for actual drinking I prefer anise-free brands and keep the original recipe tastes on the shelf for viewing.

Btw, Czech is considered the lower quality of absinthe,best most authentic comes from france and Spain and portugal if your looking for the closest to the old recipes.

Answer 4

Absinthe isn't illegal to import but it is banned by the FDA and customs which means it can be confiscated if found.

While it can be a fun novelty item, it's also great to drink if your friend likes anise flavored liquors. If for drinking, it pays to do some research as there are plenty of bad and fake brands out there and sites charging way too much for them.

Answer 5

Absinthe is always a great gift. If not for the taste and enjoyment, which I personally love but for the conversation piece. Buy a good absinthe so he appreciates it more. check out these web sites for answers.

www.wormwoodsociety.org
www.absintheonline.com
www.eabsinthe.com

and yes it is legal here in the US, just illegal to produce and sell.

Thanks,
Aaron

Answer 6

(Keeping in mind I'm not a lawyer, I'm not giving legal advise. I'm only giving you my interpretation. This is my opinion only and should not represent an accurate representation of the law. Always consult a lawyer for legal advise.)

According to the Wikipedia article in the references, the sale of Absynth containing thujone derived from Artemisia species for human consumption. That usually restricts the sale of absynth containing a articular species of wormwood.

The way I interpret this: If I'm selling it to you for you to drink, I'm breaking the law. If I'm selling it to you to collect, I'm not breaking the law. Kinda murky, huh.

I wouldn't worry about it unless you are in a really conservative area. Such an area might have arbitrary restrictions on alcohol sale or consumption (i.e. 'Sale of alcohol containing products is prohibited on Sunday.')

Answer 7

I just purchased a bottle from this web-site in Czech.
http://www.greenfairy.org
I received my bottle in about 4 weeks.
Here's the quick scoop.
It is NOT illegal to purchase Absinthe from outside of the US.
It is NOT illegal to possess Absinthe.
It is NOT illegal to drink Absinthe.
It is NOT illegal to buy and import limited quantities for personal consumption of Absinthe (my bottle went through customs)

It IS Illegal to Make, distribute or sell Absinthe in the United States of American.

Enjoy

Answer 8

Absinthe...totally bohemian of you and a totally acceptable gift for your oh-so hip friend.There is nothing wrong with consuming it either...might bring on some great bout of creativity or at least make watching cartoons like smurfs more interesting..

Answer 9

the sale of absinthe is illegal in the US
so perhaps the purchase is too
here's a site with more facts I'd check it out
http://www.absinthebuyersguide.com/

Answer 10

Yes,a cool gift,a lot of tripping nostalgic history with that drink.