Share your opinions on Absinthe

[HiGHFLYiN9]

I was recently wandering through my local liquor store with a generous coupon, wondering what I could try that I've avoided in the past due to it being far too expensive. I ended up with some Absinthe, which I've never tried before, but a friend of mine raves about it, so I wanted to see what the fuss was all about.

Enclosed was a green liquid with a taste like Jägermeister, that you mix 2 parts to three water, along with a sugar cube. Aside from the ominous cloudy green glow, I didn't really find the experience to be very different than any other liquor. Reading a little more about it online, I found an article that describes the various brands offered in the U.S. here: Barely Legal: American Absinthe Passes the Taste Test

I'd like to know what other members think about it, if they have a brand they prefer, and/or if they've been able to try some of Canada or Europe's more potent versions.

 

[The Actual]

Interesting Wired article.

My only knowledge comes from this New Yorker article
Our Far-Flung Correspondents: Green Gold: The New Yorker

(unfortunately the full text is not available online). They also mention Ted Breaux. There is a lot of fake absinthe out there it sounds like. I think it is very interesting how methodically/scientifically Breaux has been examining this 'lost' drink.


Enjoy.

 

[bhjazz]

I think there are other threads about Absinhte here, but I've always wanted to try it. The REAL stuff as far as I know will never be available in the states. Some law written many years ago...

Google it while enjoying a glass...

 

[skellington]

Be careful, even if you can take your drink, absinthe will make you lose control of yourself.
Take it with friends in a safe environment, avoid train lines electricity pylons and the Police!

 

[ZepFloyd]

friend of mine a couple years ago had a roomate of his visit, forget where the kid was from, somewhere in Europe. kid had brought it with him...my friend didnt know any better and just drank the stuff out of the bottle..said it was the weirdest night of his life.

 

[Akathisia]

I have had Absinthe from several countries in Europe and it is overrated. Maybe I haven't had 'true' Absinthe, but when you mix it down correctly there is less than a beer or two worth of alcohol per glass. I had no effects other than the satisfaction that I had tried it after waiting so long.

AFAIK, the drink was banned based on rumor and myth, not the danger of the green fairy.

 

[skellington]

Well I swigged it straight out of the bottle myself - Probably not sensible!
It didn't taste all that bad actually, even by spirits standards.
Plus it cleans your teeth as you go!
They should add it to the water supply.

 

[NeObliviscaris]

Id love to try the real stuff with the sugar and everything, over here we can get like shots in clubs and stuff but its all fake

 

[Marados]

Me and a friend decided we'd buy a bottle of Hapsburg between us (500ml), and we shotted the whole thing down, so I ended up with half a bottle in me.

From what I remember, it was a pretty crazy night, although all this psychadelic stuff about the wormwood affecting you is either bullcrap, or very, very overrated.

 

[FallenAngel]

My friends and I had shots of it at a Russian bar in Toronto, nothing special, no green fairy, nothing special about the drink as compared to large quantities of any other good liquor, it did taste overly sweet and harsh, but it was a pretty nice night at the end, like it usually is.

 

[poo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Marados /img/forum/go_quote.gif ...although all this psychadelic stuff about the wormwood affecting you is either bullcrap, or very, very overrated.

Wormwood is the active psychedelic ingredient in Absinthe, without it you are drinking any other alcohol. It is the oil within wormwood that contains the desired properties, and (like most things) must be treated and prepared correctly to enjoy properly.

Wormwood is not a strong psychedelic - nothing like LSD, mushrooms or other well known hallucinogens. It will have varying degrees of effect depending on the consumer, but can be very enjoyable and relaxing.

For more info on wormwood and many other substances, Erowid is an educated resource.

Erowid Wormwood (Artemisia spp) Vault

 

[Marados]

Quote:

Originally Posted by poo /img/forum/go_quote.gif Wormwood is the active psychedelic ingredient in Absinthe, without it you are drinking any other alcohol.

That's my point - it felt exactly like any other alcohol.

But props for linking to Erowid, it's a great site.

 

[saint.panda]

It's the kind of thing we drank and overpaid for to be cool in school. Nice ritual and everything. We even had the "real" stuff. But to be honest, it was nothing special and tastes like ouzo.

 

[tjkurita]

Any "absinthe" you get in America does not have enough wormwood to have any effect. You will just get drunk because the alcohol content is high. Even absinthe with high concentrations of wormwood will not really do much. Again, the high alcohol content makes it rather difficult to feel anything but drunk.

If you want to get drunk you might want to drink some better alcohol than so-called absinthe.

If you want to hallucinate you should take some proper hallucinogens like psilocybin (mushrooms) or LSD. Even marijuana has far greater "mind-altering" properties than "absinthe."

I don't recommend hallucinogens, but I do recommend Chopin Vodka (the finest spirits I have ever had) in moderation. I think getting stinking drunk is one of the most idiotic things anyone can do. But I think having one or two ounces of really good alcohol and listening to great music through electrostatic headphones is very close to heaven.

If you would like to hallucinate legally you can try Salvia. Again, I don't recommend it at all.

In short, "absinthe" is a sham and to be honest most other drugs and mood altering substances are pretty silly as well.

 

[poo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Marados /img/forum/go_quote.gif That's my point - it felt exactly like any other alcohol.

Yeah I don't totally disagree. As an alcohol it is very potent (but then so is good scotch or Chartreuse or a long list of other spirits).

In my experience, the effects of wormwood are very subtle - to the point of being non-existent if in a certain frame of mind, or if you are looking for it (to some degree). Most people seem to drink Absinthe to 'trip' or get high, but it isn't that sort of effect. Bit more like getting drunk without the same 'headdiness', and with a bit of added relaxation. Something like a big night of drinking and a (small) toke or two along the way.

So in that sense, I guess Absinthe could be considered 'overrated' as others have suggested.

Also worth mentioning that Salvia (suggested by the previous poster) is not legal in all countries either... nor is wormwood for that matter.