V237: Absinthe

I’m going to a Steampunk Absinthe Party tonight.  I’ve never tried the stuff, and I’m not much of a drinker, but I am a little curious, at least to taste it.  So for lack of a more informative post today, here are some lovely advertisements for Absinthe, from days of yore…

14 Comments

  • Isabella

    August 25, 2012 at 1:47 AM

    It tastes like black licorice. If you don't like licorice – like Good and Plenty- don't try it. Just have fun at the party and play with lots of gears!

    Reply
    • Lauren Stowell

      August 25, 2012 at 8:39 AM

      I tried one kind and it was lovely. It tasted like the anise candies in Licorice AllSorts. I think I got lucky, though – tried a sip of another that my friend Mary had, and it tasted like mouthwash :-

      Reply
  • Laura Morrigan

    August 25, 2012 at 2:47 AM

    I've had it many times, but I have never seen the green fairy. Maybe it's because there's less/ no wormwood in the Australian one. It's pretty, and fun if you have the spoon and the sugar and all that, but it has a very strong licorice flavour, so practice not wincing! 😛

    Reply
    • Lauren Stowell

      August 25, 2012 at 8:40 AM

      There is no wormwood in the (legal) American ones either, although I did see a green fairy…because the host of the party was dressed like her, hehehe. I did like the ritual with the spoon and the sugar…hrm, "just a spoonful of sugar makes the medicine go down" suddenly seems to have a different meaning…

      Reply
  • Robin's Egg Bleu

    August 25, 2012 at 4:09 AM

    From what I understand it's impossible to see the green fairy unless you've brewed your own from scratch with the wormwood. It's more now for the novelty of the experience of pouring it through the sugar and slotted spoon.

    I used to think I'd love Absinthe until I heard it basically tastes like Jagermeister aka Nyquil in my opinion. No thanks……

    Reply
    • Lauren Stowell

      August 25, 2012 at 8:41 AM

      Yes, there isn't any wormwood in what's available here. No hallucinations or weirdness or anything, but I enjoyed the preparation, especially when our Absinthe master lit the sugar cubes on fire, that was awesome, haha.

      Reply
    • Anne Elizabeth

      August 25, 2012 at 11:29 AM

      In Moulin Rouge with Ewan McGregor and Nicole Kidman she is. 🙂
      http://kazza.id.au/images2008/moulinkylie.jpg

      PS: I used to think Absinte would suit me, but I don't actually like the taste. Apparently there is a huge difference between the taste and production of Czech absinthe and the stuff from Belgium & Switzerland. I do like the traditional drinking method, with sugar & water. I don't understand people who drink it pure.
      Over here in Europe it still contains Wormwood, but the dosage is so low (legal requirements) that you would die of alcohol poisoning before you'd feel anything. I'm glad, I'm not one to seek out trips.

      Reply
  • Cynthia Griffith

    August 26, 2012 at 12:46 AM

    I've had a few from France (we also own some slotted spoons, reservoir glasses, and an absinthe fountain) and love a good absinthe. Wormwood wasn't even really high back then (same levels that are in many American absinthes) — most of the hallucination/bad for you myth was due to trying to ruin its reputation, lots of alcoholics who drank too much regardless of what it was, and some bad liquor (bathtub gin in the States comes to mind, too). We're hoping to get our hands on a pre-ban sample if we have the funds when a batch turns up. Here are some great links! Hope you had a great time!

    http://www.feeverte.net/
    http://wormwoodsociety.org/

    Reply
  • Marjorie Mink

    September 1, 2012 at 1:42 AM

    Sounds like fun! Look for the Absinthe documentary on Netflix if you can. There is a whole history to this drink that has been unfairly lambasted for almost a century, and the culture of its heyday is so interesting!

    Reply

Leave a Reply